This trip had a starting point in Dubrovnik, Croatia before entering Montenegro. There are direct buses between Dubrovnik and Budva, Montenegro, but if they are sold out there is another option. You can travel to Herceg Novi and change bus there before proceeding to Budva. The route will take just short of 3 hours if it is direct.
Budva is a small town along the coast where I stayed for two days. It covered most of the city and the ocean. If you do want to go for a hike though, there is some beautiful hiking trails outside of the city, sadly I did not have enough time to go, but I do think it would be worth an extra day for one of the trails.
Stari Grad
Stari Grad is the old town of Budva and it is simply stunning. It is right by the ocean where you have the possibility to enter Budva Citadel which have a restaurant and a stunning view over the old town and is worth visiting. The entrance does not look that impressing, but the inside is, specially if you visit there during sunset.
There is also possible to do a walk on the city walls of the old town, which I personally did not do as I just did it in Dubrovnik, but I know it would have given me a different view than then. So that is one regret, but I hope to be back in this small summer paradise one day and then it is on my to do list.
Beaches
Come here in the summer and the beach life will be alive. This city has so many beaches that you are sure to find one of your liking.
Plaža Ričardova Glava – is right next to the old town and even one of the doors from the wall leads directly out to the beach. Giving for a breathtaking view.
Plaža Pizana – is also right next to Stari Grad, but a bit smaller.
Plaža Mogren (1 and 2) – yes there are two beaches with this name. It is a little bit of a walk to beach Mogren, but by going the footway you will pass by the famous Budvanska Balerina and when you arrive there is a small shop restaurant where you can sit down and relax with a drink or rent a sunbed.
Beach Greco – is one of the beaches that stretches itself by the waterfront. There is lots of space here and a lot of restaurants you can take a seat at.
Budvanska Balerina
This I feel is a must stop, specially if you are flexible enough to do the pose as the statue. Even if the statue does not interest you, the walk out there will give you a beautiful view Stari Grad.
Manastir Podmaine
The Orthodox monastery is located on top of a rather steep slope with a great view over Budva. The building itself is stunning and can be traced back to the 15th century.
Rent a Boat
Except a bit walking around in the main area of the town this is all I did that day. I had asked a friend to join me, so we went a bit later in the day as she was coming from another town. This is a great replacement for a beach day.
The option to rent a boat with a driver is highly possible in the summer. I suspect many of them are captains of their own boat and it is a summer job for them. It is also a little leeway with pricing with the different boats. This is no yacht! The locals however do really know the area and will take you to beautiful locations.
A must stop is the Blue Lagune, letting you swim through it and just enjoy the relaxing waves while in the water before returning to the boat.
Another must stop is Fort Mogren that you will be able to see from the sea.
On the other side of Budva is Sveti Stefan. Today the island is owned by Aman Resort Group, but it used to be a fishing village with history going back to the 15th century. This island was closed to visitors when I was there and only a few people have visited the last ten years. Novak Djokovik, the tennis star, held his wedding there in 2014 and all his guests stayed at Sveti Stefan. But what does this have to do with a boat trip?
Imagine stopping the boat not far from the island that no one can travel to anymore. You are however just a short swim away from it with the sun setting right behind Sveti Stefan. It is just a little bit of magic from a daily occurence while on holiday.
The sunset we saw while driving back that day from Sveti Stefan.
There are of course group tours you can take, but if you are traveling with friends this is a great option. You also get to decide the time and where you want to go. No need to pre-book a trip, there are many boats available by beach Greco that you can rent in the spur of the moment.
Other activities
There are lots of things to do, such as paragliding, paddleboarding, renting a kayak, hiking and scuba diving among others. What I do recommend you to try however is the seafood, it is very fresh and straight out of the water. It would be weird if it was not as the city is right by the ocean.
Rover Saga 