Budva, Sveti Stefan, and Petrovac (Montenegro)

It’s no wonder Budva is on every tourist brochure for Montenegro. With its beach stretching as far as the eye can see, Budva is one of the pearls of the Adriatic Sea. Well, on paper.

My first impression of Budva wasn’t very positive. Despite a sunset worthy of a Hollywood movie, I first noticed its concrete buildings under construction, before noticing its historic old town and then its beach.

Part 1: Travel Journal
Part 2: Practical Tips

Part 1: Travel Journal

However, we chose Budva for the second part of our stay in Montenegro, to enjoy a calm sea view while being close to restaurants (always open). I’ve given you a tour of our Airbnb here. From my apartment, I can enjoy this view every day. In the photo, you can see the snowy peaks, or rather icy ones. It happens from time to time, but throughout February, the average temperature is more like 15 degrees.

It’s not uncommon to see the Moon reflecting on the very calm waters of the Adriatic Sea, or to see planets and stars. Less than in Kotor, but it happens. One night, there was a power cut, and I could observe a beautiful starry sky thanks to the absence of light pollution.

Budva has everything you need. I think it’s the second most well-equipped city in the country after Podgorica. There are several shopping malls, tons of restaurants, many luxury hotels, and all the services you need. It’s not by chance that there are so many buildings reserved for wealthy tourists by the water. And hotel resorts so exclusive that just laying a towel on their beach will cost you 130€.

Viewpoints

There are several viewpoints for taking beautiful photos of Budva’s historic old town. The first is from the fortress (type Jaz Battery, Fort Mogren on Google Maps). If the fortress is in ruins, given the number of beer bottles next to it, it seems to be a popular hangout for young people. You can clearly see how significant the elevation change is. Apparently, you go from 0 to 1200m in altitude in just 1km as the crow flies.

The second viewpoint is at the restaurant Vista Vidikovac, very well rated, but I couldn’t try it. They have a terrace with a very nice view, and below there’s a pool. Taking the path along the beach, you can see the statue of a ballerina (Statua Ballerina), which reminds me a bit of a statue at the Petit Palais in Paris. You can see that Budva’s historic old town is tiny, but it’s very pretty, like the one in Kotor.

The third viewpoint is at the top of the mountain, marked “Panorama of Budva” on Google Maps. All the viewpoints are available on my custom Google Map at the end of the article, don’t worry! The sunset right now is around 4:47 PM, so you need to be there around 4:30 PM because the sun turns into an egg yolk and disappears very quickly behind the horizon.

The last viewpoint is from the ramparts of the Citadel of Budva, inside the old town (3.5€/person). From here, you can see not only the red roofs of the stone houses, but also the small beach of Budva and the island next to it (and its small beach).

Budva’s Historic Old Town

A must-see: the central square, with a Catholic church and an Orthodox church. Unfortunately, everything is closed right now, but given the number of tables and chairs stacked to the side, this square must be very lively in summer.

Feel free to get lost in this little city. There are plenty of stray cats. Follow them! They might lead you to discover some secret spots. For example, we found a shortcut to the beach thanks to a cat, like in Dubrovnik.

Sveti Nikola

Sveti Nikola is the island you see in the distance. It’s the largest in Montenegro (2km wide). In high season, you can take a boat to its small beach for cheap (3€ from Slovenska Plaza, departing every 30 minutes). If you don’t like waiting, you can charter a boat from the port for 15€. All of this reminds me of Dubrovnik, but smaller. Dubrovnik also has a charming old town and an island just opposite.

From the old town, you can see our Airbnb! It’s in the Harmonia hotel complex (Booking link). Right next to it are residences for wealthy retirees, Dukley. At Dukley, there are electric cars that take you to the parking lot, a dental clinic, doctors and nurses on site, and a nursery. I checked the prices, and even in winter, you’d need to shell out between 2000€ and 3000€/month to live there. But the view is incredible, and you’ll get the most beautiful sunset in the world every day.

The port is way too quiet today, due to most restaurants being closed.

Restaurants

Speaking of restaurants, there are more than in Kotor, but I don’t know if it’s because of Covid or the low season, it’s quite hard to find good seafood restaurants still open. My favorite restaurant is PORAT.

In Kotor, there are plenty of oyster farmers, but their tasting stand is closed in winter. It’s only at Porat that I can taste Adriatic Sea oysters. I’m very disappointed because they are tiny and very expensive (4€/oyster), but I’m glad I tried them anyway. I’ve eaten French, American, Moroccan, Norwegian oysters… and my favorites are the Moroccan oysters, big and cheap.

However, the rest of the dishes are generous and super tasty. The Montenegrin mussels are fresh (mussel farms just next door), and their beef tartare is very innovative. There’s an aquarium facing the street that keeps the fish cool until the fateful moment. It’s not visible in winter (to protect the fish), but the waiter showed it to me. Normally, you can see the aquarium in summer. The whole restaurant is decorated like a boat. Impeccable service, and prices are high but acceptable for the quality (around €15 per dish).

In Budva’s old town, with no tourists around, almost nothing is open. JB found a stand selling pizza by the slice (for €3). Here, they do Italian dishes very well. In fact, many Montenegrins speak Italian.

A week after we arrived in Budva, the government imposed new restrictions, including the closure of restaurants. Only takeaway is allowed. I’m forced to cook again, something I do reluctantly.

I found Asian ingredients at Cogimar, allowing me to make nems and spring rolls. To keep the neighbors less bothered by the fish sauce smell, the filling of the nems is marinated without fish sauce, but with salt. Thus, when frying, the typical fish sauce smell is absent; you only smell the frying. On the other hand, the dipping sauce must compensate and be saltier (so more concentrated in fish sauce). This is a technique we use to correct the marinade of fillings (too salty or not salty enough). During the lunar new year week, JB really enjoyed these exceptional dishes.

Petrovac

Petrovac is a lovely little surprise. Its small port and Venetian fortress contrast with its long seaside promenade, perfect for learning to skateboard or rollerblade.

In the distance, there’s a beautiful little island with a church perched on top of the rocks. I zoom in so you can see it. It’s even more beautiful in person! With that blue, transparent water. It’s such a peaceful little spot.

We saw a cute cat there. I explained that I had cat food in the car and signaled for it to follow us to the parking lot. And it understood! It followed us along the promenade. Unfortunately, when it entered another cat’s territory (a much bigger cat), it had to flee and give up its quest. Our can of cat food stayed in the trunk, waiting for a better opportunity. Ever since I saw stray cats in Montenegro, I’ve bought several cans of wet food and paper plates to feed them. According to stray cat feeders, it’s better to give wet food because it provides them with some water, whereas dry kibble makes them thirsty and they don’t necessarily have access to good-quality water.

After Budva, we went skiing at Durmitor.

Part 2: Practical Tips

• Recommended accommodations:
  • for longer stays: Hotel apartment Harmonia (Booking link) with beach access from the complex & outdoor pools: from €60 in high season. You can walk along the beach to the historic old town. Supermarkets nearby
  • for shorter stays:
    • Fontana Lux Apartments (Booking link) : €70/night, even closer to the historic old town
    • Maestral (Booking link), 5-star hotel. €100/night in low season. We spent Christmas there and really enjoyed their spa. Out-of-the-way location. Private beach
    • Apartment Sunset Beach (Booking link) €90/night. Ideal location: balcony overlooking the beach with views of Sveti Stefan
• Budva Citadel: €3.5/person

Check out activities in Montenegro offered by Civitatis (link) and Viator (link, a Tripadvisor company)

All addresses and places mentioned in this article are on our custom Google Map. You can access it for free by clicking here