In many ways, Porto Montenegro is Ground Zero for luxury tourism in the country. It isn’t the first development to aim for a little more prestige, and it isn’t the first place in Montenegro where yacht owners have converged in search of decadence, but its development and establishment are generally considered the beginning of a new era for the country.

The story begins in 2006, when the Sava Kovačević shipyard (a former Yugoslav navy arsenal) was put up for auction, with Canadian gold mining leviathan Peter Munk coming out on top. A group of investors were soon brought on board, and Montenegro’s luxury marina moved from idea to reality. It is no surprise that in that very same year, Montenegro declared independence from Serbia.