Yes! – another photogenic walled town on the Adriatic. But Budva possesses something Kotor craves – beaches! We’re still not talking stretches of golden sand but it’s a definite step up from the concrete shelves of its neighbour. The two towns aren’t far apart – just over 20km – so are often visited as short excursions from either base. But these places are often at their best as the sun goes down and the day-trippers disappear so it’s nice to split one’s time between both.
Originally inhabited by the Greeks, followed by Roman, Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman ‘visitors’, the Old Town looks surprising fresh for a place dating back over 2,500 years! A 1979 earthquake left the town as little more than a pile of rubble – 98% of its buildings were damaged. It took 8 years to rebuild – restoration teams, to the best of their ability, preserved the medieval layout and replaced as much stone as they could in its original position (although they did reinforce structures with seismic-resistant designs).
The Old Town juts out on a bit of a headland and a walkabout offers up walls aplenty, alleyways, churches, shops – and cats!
There are 5 or 6 beaches within immediate walking distance of the Old Town. There’s a mix of public and private – with most private sections being attached to cafes and restaurants.
Everyone talks about Mogren Beach – close enough to walk to but away from the main promenade so more secluded and quiet. Eh! No! I don’t think so! As we rounded the bay at 10am, it looked pretty busy and beds at €20 each were pricier than we’d spotted the night before along the promenade. We just wanted somewhere to sit and read so headed back to the main drag and paid €15 for 2 beds and an umbrella on a wider stretch of beach with only 2 rows of umbrellas. The water was comfortably accessible with beach shoes and we’d a choice of restaurants at lunchtime within a few steps along the prom. We spent 2 happy days here – only leaving when they started stacking the beds at 6pm.
Mogren Beach at 10am (Mid June!!)
This is better!
Sveti Nikola is referred to locally as Hawaii and is hugely popular – taxi boats go over and back (circa €5-7 return) to its multiple pebbly beaches.
There’s a LOT of development going on, further along the promenade, away from the Old Town.
SVETE STEVAN must be Montenegro’s most famous landmark. About 9km from Budva, the islet started off as a fishing village, connected to the mainland by a narrow causeway. Nowadays it functions as a luxury hotel complex, managed by Aman Resorts. It has only reopened, actually, after a lengthy dispute over access to beaches. After a five year closure, two beaches have been made accessible to the public. The state receives 10% of the resort’s profits.
STARI BAR (literally, Old Bar) is first mentioned in the 10th century but probably dates back to at least the 6th. It flourished for hundreds of years but more recent centuries have not been kind. Following a siege in 1877, it was finally reclaimed by Montenegro from the Turks after locals bombed the 17th century aqueduct into the town and cut off the water supply. A gunpowder explosion ruined the Franciscan Monastery in 1912 and then, the 1979 earthquake destroyed the repaired aqueduct and much of the town.
The community was abandoned and a new city of Bar was built down at the coast. The old town, 4kms up a hill, has never been repaired or reoccupied.
You can wander within the town walls (€5) and follow the ancient pathways among the hundreds of ruined buildings. There are a few restored pieces – the Archbishop’s Palace has been converted into a museum and work has been done on the clock tower and a few churches.
Businesses have set up around the walls – shops and restaurants line the approach and some former residents have moved back up the hill and built new homes in the area.
LAKE SKADAR, on the border between Montenegro and Albania is the largest in the Balkans. Montenegro has the bigger chunk and declared it a National Park in 1983. A boat trip on the lake is a must and if bird watching is your thing then there are 280 species to enjoy.
Small Stuff
Where we Stayed
Hotel Pima Budva is about a 10-15 minute walk from the Old Town. At €190 per night, it’s a bit pricey for what you get but probably on a par with what’s available in town. Breakfast is included as is free on-street and garage parking. There is a small pool and deck area with sun loungers.
What we did……
Day 6 – Drive Zablyak to Budva
Plan A !
Day 7 – Drive as far as Albanian border along coast (circa 80km) / Walk the 1km scenic path between Przno and Seti Stefan / Visit Stari Bar / Do 2km walking tour in Ulcini / Fit in a swim somewhere along the way.
Day 8 – Spend day at Lake Skadar National Park (Circa 43km).
Day 9 – Hotel pool until 12.00 / Lunch at beach / Head to airport.
Ah well …. that didn’t work out!
Plan B!!
Day 7 – Beach!!!
Day 8 – Drive as far as Albanian border along coast (circa 80km) / Walk the 1km scenic path between Przno and Seti Stefan / Visit Stari Bar / Do 2km walking tour in Ulcini / Fit in a swim somewhere along the way.
Day 9 – Leave hotel early and spend a few hours at Lake Skadar National Park – should have enough time for a boat trip / Head to airport.
Ah well …. that didn’t work out!
Plan C!!!!!!
Day 7 – Beach!
Day 8 – Beach!!!
Day 9 – Drive along coast as far as Stari Bar / Visit Stari Bar / Stop at Skadar for a quick lunch / Head to airport!!!
And that’s what we did!!!!!
Before you go….
Have a look at the rest of our Montenegro trip….
Fantastic images, Marie. 😊
That water looks so inviting and gorgeous!
It’s a very busy port and we were right beside the small ferries over to the island so we were pleasantly surprised at how clear it was. And it’s warmer than Ireland – but that wouldn’t be very difficult!!!😖
Your Plan C sounds like a wise choice! Thanks for this tour.
Well – it evolved from day to day!!🤣 But I love it when plans change – as long as they are under our own control.
I didn’t get to Budva but did enjoy a lovely boat trip on Lake Skader, and with a great lunch stop too! Not really being a beach person I would have stuck with Plan A, but I can see the attraction of a swim in the sea there 🙂 As it is, Stari Bar appeals to me more I think.
I’d have liked the boat trip – and to visit one or two of the villages around there. We’d been on the go for several days at that stage so it was actually nice to rest up for a few days before heading home. I could see us going back to that part of the country and from there into Albania maybe.
Beautiful photos! Budva looks lovely, dear Marie, and I love how it combines history, beaches, and natural beauty in one compact, picturesque town. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
There’s so much on offer in that area. They’ll just need to monitor and control the tourism industry and not let it overrun everything… Sligo must be beautiful in this weather Aiva!