Budva beaches: description, rating of the best, selection tips

The coastline of Montenegro is mostly pebble, it is often even covered with clean gravel or just concrete, but this does not affect the number of vacationers here in the summer. To choose a suitable place and not be disappointed, you should learn as much as possible about the beaches of this country. Our article is dedicated to the beaches of the city of Budva.

The further you move to the south of Montenegro, the more likely it is to find a sandy beach here. In general, in the country there are several options for how these places for recreation can be organized.

Some of the most interesting beaches in Montenegro are not really them, but concrete slabs that extend from the rocky coast and often act as piers for fishermen and those who want to tie their boat. These types of beaches are popular north of the Bay of Kotor and to the Croatian border, and not only locals love them. They are usually small and equipped with a metal staircase that goes down to the water, like the one that the pools have. Since in these places the coast tends to be rocky, diving and jumping into the water is prohibited.

The most common type of beach in Montenegro consists of pebbles, which local businessmen try to cover with sand every summer just so that the sea will wash away everything before the end of the season.While the pebbles create a beautiful look and filter the water, making it cleaner, it is quite difficult to walk on it, so it is recommended to wear special shoes in which they bathe.

Pebble beaches are characteristic of the Adriatic coast and can be white, gray or even reddish pink. If we talk about convenience, they are better than sandy ones, since pebbles do not settle on wet feet, and a person goes home clean.

Several beaches in Montenegro are not even covered with pebbles, but with simple gravel. Such zones appeared where previously there was no coastline, but it was artificially created for commercial purposes.

Although sand here is not as common as in other countries, in Montenegro there are several sandy beaches, especially in the south of the country near Ulcinj and the border with Albania, which are worth a visit. The sand here is darker in color, sometimes even brownish-gray, and not white, which makes the beaches less attractive than pebble: they look like dirty water.

Some of the best beaches in Montenegro are small bays surrounded by cliffs and clear water. Sometimes you can get there only through narrow paths down the cliff or by boat in the water, so they are almost always free from a large number of tourists.

The beaches near Budva are the most famous in the whole country, this territory is usually called the Budva Riviera. Earlier, the city of Budva was a fishing village, but when the Balkan and Russian tourists began to arrive, this place was transformed. Its popularity is justified: the old city is beautiful, and behind the condominiums there are several small beautiful fishing villages and stunning beaches.

• Slavic. This is the main urban recreation area, which is conditionally divided into small sections. Each one bears the name of the restaurant that is located there, in fact, this is all one large object that starts from the old city and extends to the peninsula. The total length is 1600 meters, while the width of the coastline is 20 meters.

• Richard's chapter. This is a small (only 100 meters) beach, on the territory of which pebbles are scattered. It is a mistake to think that it is part of the Slavic beach, on the map it is marked with a separate object.

The territory got such a name thanks to the filming of a film about the Vikings that took place here. It is difficult to highlight something unusual in this object, it is just a great place for a beach holiday, there is everything you need nearby. It is separated from the Slavic beach by the pier. The disadvantage of the place is the need to rent an expensive sunbed, since there are practically no places for towels.

• Hawaii. This beach is located on the island of St. Nicholas, which is located just a kilometer from Budva. There are three beaches on the island's coastline, with a total area of ​​840 square meters. Their distinguishing feature is a lot of vegetation, which gives the impression that you are in real Hawaii.

• Bularitsa. This place is one of the longest beaches in the Budva Riviera, as well as one of the least developed. Since 2018, Bulyaritsa has been the venue for the dance festival. Restaurants, bars and loungers are available at one end of the beach - the one that is closer to the village, but most of it is empty and surrounded by fields.

Camping is provided here, which is not comfortable in the summer months due to the heat. The area is filled with gravel. Even according to the first assessment, it becomes clear that the place requires further development.

• Petrovac. It is one of the most famous beaches of Montenegro, because it is located near Budva, but the side that is further from the settlement is popular.It is also not very developed, so it still retains part of its original charm, despite the fact that it appeared on the map after the First World War.

While the main part of the beach is quite large and given to tourists for relaxation, old stone houses still stand at one end of it. The sea promenade, although small, but quite attractive, has all kinds of amenities, including sun loungers and umbrellas.

• Crvena Glavitsa. The name of this beach means "red head". This name comes from the color of the rocks that surround the beach. Getting to it is quite difficult, so it is considered a secluded place to relax. Pebbles and stones prevail here.

• Yaz. One of the largest beaches along the coastline of Montenegro. It is located 2.5 kilometers from the city, its total length is 1200 m. A distinctive feature of this place is that sand is poured here not only along the coastline, but also into the sea. Around you can see a ring of mountain ranges, on which abundant greens flaunts. Here, not only the sea is clean, but the air is simply amazing. There are several campgrounds nearby.

• Mogren. The length of this beach, which is divided into two zones, is only 350 meters. A tunnel runs between the individual parts. The most valuable thing here is the beauty of the surrounding nature.

• Duclay. Most often, this place is called a "small beach." It is located between Becici and Budva. This is one of the few sandy beaches that is very popular with tourists. A luxurious residential complex has been built here, which awaits guests all year round.

• Trsteno. Despite its small size, this place is very popular because it has a special charm and is located in a very picturesque and colorful bay. Of all the beaches, here is the most convenient gentle slope to the sea, for this reason most vacationers with children come here.

On the territory of Budva there are both paid and free beaches, and both are equally popular due to the large influx of vacationers. But when choosing a place to stay, you need to consider not only its cost, but also other factors:

• remoteness from the city;
• overcrowding;
• quality of descent;
• surface;
• availability of necessary amenities nearby;
• the infrastructure.

It is worth noting that there are differences between wild and equipped areas. Zones that are further away from a large crowd of people attract with their silence and solitude, but they are often dirty, as algae are thrown onto the shore. Near the hotels the territory is regularly cleaned, as is the water in the sea, so it’s more pleasant to swim here.

Most of Montenegro's beaches are covered with sun loungers and rental umbrellas. This fact confuses those who are not used to the European habit of paying for the use of the beach. You need to remember that there is always the opportunity to use the territory for free, if it is not bought out, you just need to find a place for a towel, and this is quite difficult.

Most beaches have their own bar or restaurant. Thus, you can enjoy drinks, snacks and even nutritious meals right there. In well-maintained areas there are also toilets, changing cabins and showers that allow you to flush salt from your skin. There is nothing like this on a wild beach, so you have to adapt to the conditions existing there.

There are special beaches that are marked with blue flags. The Blue Flag is an organization that confers on the territory a special status as an environmentally friendly, safe place.In this case, it refers to clean water, the availability of necessary conditions and accessibility.

To comfortably relax and sunbathe, it is always worth remembering that on the territory of pebble beaches it will be difficult to lie on a towel because of the sharpness of the stones. Here, the optimal choice would be to rent a deck chair. In an attempt to save money, you can always go to the sandy shore, but you should not expect whiteness from it: the sand here is gray and unattractive.

By law, beaches in Montenegro are open to everyone, they are public and free, however, as numerous reviews of tourists indicate, there are several exceptions to this rule. For example, if you stay at the Aman Sveti Stefan Hotel (the country's most famous attraction), you will have access to three beaches of the resort, two of which are available only for those who can pay for a sunbed and umbrella, and the third is created exclusively for guests and even fenced.

This usually happens on the territory in front of the hotels, despite the fact that, by law, 50% of each beach should remain free for all vacationers to put a towel on. In this case, you need to understand that in the summer months the beaches of Montenegro are so popular and crowdedthat it’s hard to find free space, so sun loungers are ultimately the only option. Prices for sunbeds and umbrellas can vary from 10 to 120 euros.

When a place is rented, payment is made for the period during which it is supposed to be on the beach. If you free the sunbed, say, for lunch, it will be easily given to someone else, so such circumstances should be discussed separately with the owner or you can leave your towel on it.

In general, a beach holiday in Montenegro in the Budva region will bring a lot of pleasant impressions, since here everyone can find the perfect option for themselves. The most expensive one involves renting apartments on the beach with your own piece of beach, where no one will come. If you want to retire, then you can ask the locals where the secluded beaches are and the easiest way to get to them. People here are friendly and always happy to make contact.

All about the beaches of Budva, see the next video.