Budva
Travelling for a long period of time definitely takes it out of you. I am obviously very privileged to be able to do it, however I had a few uni assignments due and after a while solo travelling can be a little bit exhausting. This is why I booked to stay in Budva for three full days (technically 4 with the travel on either side).
I knew that it had a reputation as being the party town of Montenegro so for someone who doesn’t drink I was a little bit concerned about this. However, I was pleasantly surprised that because I visited in the shoulder season, it wasn’t chaotic. It was also a great town to be in for a few days as most things were quite affordable, there was enough to do that I didn’t get “bored” but was able to relax and tick things off slowly.
Prior to arriving in Budva, I had been in Bar to break up my journey from Shkodër. I then caught an early morning bus which was booked through FlixBus and it was a very easy journey from there. The bus was on a larger mini-van and sat about 15 people. The journey takes you along the coast so you will get some gorgeous views if you sit on the left.
First thing is first, I stayed in a great location. It was right near the bus station but only a 10 minute walk to the promenade and had lots of restaurants and grocery stores near me. I booked through Booking.com at Saly’s Apartment and loved it. It was more of a studio but it had everything I needed to be comfortable for a few nights stay.
I am not going to blabber on about how I spent each day because for the most part I did do quite a bit of uni, which will be very boring for you as a reader. Instead, the below is a list of everything that I did and what I would recommend if you decide to travel to Budva. The suggestions are in no particular order.
Things to do
Walk around the Old Town
The Old Town is located to one end of Budva. In terms of expectations I went in with them at a high level based on other European towns I had been to. I will admit I left slightly disappointed as it wasn’t as lively when I walked through (maybe I went at a bad time), but it didn’t attract my attention too much. In saying that, it was probably the most peaceful Old Town I have visited as the streets are quite narrow and cut in and out throughout.
There are many restaurants and bars in this area, but again when I went most seemed to be closed. I would recommend walking through on your way to my next recommendation.
Relax on Mogren Beach (and visit Fort Mogren)
There is a path located just behind Avala Beach Bar which is located next to the Old Town that will take you to two beautiful beaches in Budva. This path will walk you passed the Budva Ballerina and you might see many people trying to replicate the pose as well. You’ll come across the first beach (Mogren) which was more crowded than I would have hoped but luckily there is Mogren 2 Beach further along. This is divided by a small path in the rock face and it was quite cool to walk through as it’s a small little cave.
Mogren 2 Beach wasn’t as busy on the day I went, but something to note is that the water wasn’t as accessible (slightly rocky) here compared to the first Mogren beach which you could enter the water easily from any section. It can get quite hot in Budva so I do recommend putting this on your list if you are someone who likes to cool off in the beach.
**I wasn’t able to visit when I went however, further along the coast there is Jaz Beach which is also meant to be quite beautiful.
Walk/Run along the promenade to Becici
This was probably my favourite thing that I did whilst in Budva. I ran along the promenade to Becici twice and loved it. Depending on where you start on the promenade it will slightly alter the length but if you begin from about half way down the one-way route is roughly 2.6 km (a loop being 5.2 KM).
The views were very pretty and it was an easy run to navigate without getting completely lost. A pedestrian tunnel connects the two towns which I thought was pretty cool to run through and if you wanted a longer run, the path continues to Sveti Stefan but this is a much longer run.
If you aren’t keen on running this, there are beach bars and restaurants along the way that you can stop at.
Visit Sveti Stefan
I passed Sveti Stefan as I was travelling from Bar on the bus. I didn’t have enough time myself to get back there and explore, however from the window it looked beautiful. Sveti Stefan is a little fortified island (connected by a road) and unfortunately for many people you won’t actually be able to visit the island itself as it is only reserved for paying guests at Aman Sveti Stefan Resort.
However, there is a public beach on the main land, including restaurants and eateries.
Day trip to Kotor
Now if you’re wanting to get out of Budva for the day, then the easiest day trip to do is to Kotor. Bus services run frequently and in my honest opinion I wouldn’t worry too much about having brought your ticket beforehand. Whilst I do still advise it, I was able to book a ticket at the booth easily for a bus that was leaving within 5 minutes.
Kotor itself is a UNESCO-listed heritage town and is located in a bay surrounded by mountains on either side. In Kotor you can visit one of the many restaurants, chill by a beach, or book yourself a tour to visit Church of Our Lady Rocks and the Blue Lagoon. I did stay in Kotor for much more than a day and can say the tour was quite fun (mainly the blue lagoon).
Visit Podmaine Monastery
If you are in Budva for a few days than you might want to walk up to Podmaine Monastery. This is a 15th-century monastery which is relatively small, however in many of the reviews the frescoes are said to be quite impressive. The walk from the middle of Budva to Podmaine takes about 15 minutes but to note it will be uphill.
You can also drive, however it is said the roads are extremely narrow and there is limited parking available onsite.
Visit any of the other nearby beaches
On the other hand, if you’d rather lie on a beach during those extra days in Budva, it will not disappoint. So we’ve already given mentions to the two Mogren beaches and Becici. These are beautiful but if you want to try something a little bit different, you could look at driving/busing it to Jaz beach. Jaz beach does look divine and a bit more open than the other two.
Sveti Stefan also has it’s own beach which is worth checking out as you can then kill two birds with one stone
Where to eat
I would like to preface this with the fact that I cooked at my studio most days - there was a pretty good Voli (supermarket) in Budva so I was able to get a lot of vegetarian and vegan options here. In saying my very first recommendation is an all vegan restaurant and it did not disappoint. I went here three times during my stay and LOVED every single option.
It’s not fine dining and I don’t think I would even call it a proper restaurant, but the food was delicious and varied. It is very much buffet style food in that you ask for each item and then the price will be based on the weight of what you pick so you can mix and match a lot of things. I did this most evenings and left feeling very content.
Miśko Poslastičarnie Ice cream
There is no website or social media link for this little gelato store. The main premise is obviously ice cream, however I actually went in for their sweet treats. They had a small variety of things and the price was ridiculously cheap. I did see plenty of people eating ice creams from here too so I can’t imagine it would be bad.
Other recommendations (*I didn’t eat here but they are well-reviewed)
🌼 Lokal
Overall, I found Budva to be a great spot to stop for a few days and relax. It isn’t a fancy town with a million attractions, but it is a town with lovely beached and an AMAZING vegan restaurant 🤤
*I may earn money if bookings are made via links in this blog at no cost to the reader.
