Budva is the most famous resort on the Montenegrin coast, and that can be said in both a good and a bad sense. Its old town is among the loveliest on the Adriatic and the sea is clean, but in summer the town fills with people and prices go up. For citizens of Azerbaijan the visa regime is comfortable, and the flight lands at Tivat or Podgorica. Below I have written where to stay and when to come.
The old town and the fortress walls
The old town sits on a small peninsula and is enclosed by stone walls. Inside there are narrow streets, three churches and small squares, and you can walk all of it in half an hour. There is a ticket for the fortress called the Citadel, and from the top of the wall the sea and the roofs appear together. In the evening, when the lights come on, it becomes the loveliest spot in town.
The statue of the ballerina beside the wall looks out to the water and is Budva’s best-known shot. Go there at sunset.
The beaches and Sveti Stefan
The town beach, Slovenska Plaza, is long but gets very crowded in summer. You reach Mogren beach in ten minutes along the rock path behind the old town, and the water there is cleaner. Becici beach is in the next village and is comfortable for families. It is on pebbles, so water shoes come in useful.
The islet of Sveti Stefan is six kilometres from Budva and is the most photographed view in Montenegro. The island itself is a closed luxury hotel and you cannot go in, but looking at it from the shore and from the viewpoint above is free. Milocer beach nearby is public.
Kotor and Ostrog from Budva
The Bay of Kotor is forty minutes away by bus and is among the finest views in the Balkans. The fortress wall behind the old town is climbed by one thousand three hundred steps, and from the top the bay looks like a fjord. The village of Perast and the artificial island in the water are visited by boat.
Ostrog monastery is built into the rock and is the most visited place in the country, two hours away. Durmitor national park and the Tara canyon are further off and need a full day. Taking the day tours in advance is easier than wrestling with the bus timetable.
Read more: A Montenegro travel guide: the Bay of Kotor, Budva, Durmitor, the Tara canyon and the new visa rule
Season and budget in Budva
The swimming season runs from June to the end of September. June and September are the best months: the water is warm and the crowds are thin. In July and August the town fills, hotel prices double and finding a spot on the beach becomes hard work. In winter the resort all but closes.
At the peak of summer a three-star hotel is 80–140 euros, and 35–70 outside the season. Renting an apartment works out better value and comes with a kitchen; compare the options by their distance from the shore. Lunch in a restaurant is 10–18 euros and a sun lounger 10–20. Official tourism information is on the Montenegro Travel site.
Conclusion
Budva is a good base for a cheap Adriatic holiday, and the condition is choosing the dates properly. Plan for June or September, try Mogren beach, and give one day to Kotor. If you want to put Kotor and Ostrog into the route as well, look at Montenegro tour packages. For a visa and a route, fill in the application form.
Note: the prices in this article are those at the time of publication and may change with the season.
