A Weekend in Budva, Montenegro

I went to Budva expecting a party town and not much else. That reputation is real at the peak of summer, but it sells the place short. The best things to do in Budva are split between a tiny walled old town, a run of beaches and a fortress with a view, and you can see all of it on foot in a day or two.

Is Budva worth visiting?

Yes, with one thought about timing. Budva is the busiest resort on the Montenegrin coast, and in July and August the old town lanes and the main beach fill right up. Come in late spring or September and you get the same warm sea, the same marble streets and far fewer people. I would give it two days, more if you want to use it as a base for the rest of the coast. The setting is hard to argue with: a medieval core on a small peninsula, mountains behind it and clear Adriatic water in front.

Budva old town

The old town, Stari Grad, is the reason to come. It sits on a little peninsula ringed by stone walls, and inside it is a knot of narrow marble streets, small squares and old churches you can walk end to end in fifteen minutes. That is part of the charm. You get lost on purpose, come out at a sea gate, double back past a church and find a quiet courtyard you missed the first time.

Head for the cluster of churches near the tip, including the old Santa Maria in Punta and the church of St John. Parts of the walls are walkable, and the whole place is at its best early in the morning or after sunset, before and after the day crowd moves through.

Budva beaches

Budva beaches come in two types. The main town beach, Slovenska plaza, is a long stretch of sand and pebble lined with loungers, bars and rental umbrellas. It is convenient and it is busy, and in high summer you are paying for a sunbed inside a wall of other sunbeds.

For something better, walk to Mogren beach. A narrow cliff path starts near the old town and curls around the headland to two small coves, Mogren I and Mogren II, linked by a short tunnel through the rock. The water is clear, the cliffs give it some shelter, and it feels a world away from the main drag even though it is a ten minute walk. Go early to get a spot.

The citadel and the walls

At the tip of the old town sits the Citadela, the fortress that guards the peninsula. You pay a small entry fee and climb up for the best view in town, out over the terracotta roofs, the church domes and the sea. There is a small museum and an old library inside. It is the one paid sight in the old town I would not skip, mostly for the view and the sense of how the place was built to defend itself.

Budva nightlife, and a word on the crowds

Budva is the nightlife capital of Montenegro and it does not hide it. In July and August the beach bars run late, there are big open-air clubs up on the hills above town, and the old town squares stay full until the early hours. If that is what you came for, you will not be short of options.

If it is not, time your trip. The same town in June or September is calm, the restaurants are relaxed and you can actually hear yourself in the old town at night. Either way, eat well while you are here. The coast does good grilled fish, fresh calamari and Montenegrin grilled meats, usually with a view of the water.

Day trip to Sveti Stefan

The one short trip I always recommend is Sveti Stefan, about ten minutes down the coast. It is a tiny fortified island village joined to the shore by a narrow causeway, and it has been turned into a private resort, so you cannot wander in. You do not need to. The view of it from the mainland, a cluster of stone houses and red roofs on its own little island, is one of the most photographed scenes in the country, and it costs nothing. There is a viewpoint on the road above and public beaches on either side of the causeway.

Plan your Budva trip

Budva works as a two day stop or as a base for the wider coast. It is easy to reach by bus from Kotor and Tivat, and Tivat airport is close. The old town, the beaches and the citadel are all walkable, so you only need a car or a bus for day trips like Sveti Stefan.

My Montenegro guides cover where to go next along the coast and into the mountains. If you are building a longer Adriatic trip, my guide to Croatia is easy to combine with Montenegro.