Budva

Budva is a coastal tourist resort in Montenegro. It is often called "Montenegrin Miami", because it is the most crowded and most popular tourist resort in Montenegro, with beaches and vibrant nightlife.

Understand

Budva is on the central part of Montenegrin coast, called "Budvanska Rivijera". It has developed around a small peninsula, on which the old town is situated. It is by far most visited destination in Montenegro, attracting mostly domestic, Russian, Serbian and other Eastern European tourists with an old town, bars and nightclubs, and beaches mostly consisting of small rocks. It is base for mass tourism, while in it's near vicinity there are luxury resorts such as Sveti Stefan or Miločer.

There are as many as 35 beaches in the greater area, mostly rock and a little sand (8 beaches are marked with blue flags).

During the summer in particular, the day and night-life offers opportunities to enjoy theatre plays and performances, music events and entertainment programs.

Many nightclubs use half prostitutes to attract customers, and families might be offended by the open display of almost naked girls in the street. There is mainly one street, the main promenade, where all the action happens.

Budva appears to be undergoing poorly planned, unchecked growth with towering unattractive apartment buildings and hotels being built wherever there is open space - which unfortunately includes building directly on the seaside. As of the summer of 2009, the most notable of such developments includes a multi-storey building under construction directly outside the walls of old town that blocks what was once a stunning view of the beach, sea and sky from the stone paved area around old town, and greatly detracts from the beauty of the old town area.

Many tourists may find Budva disappointing and cheesy because of the over-crowded beaches filled with chairs, umbrellas and constantly thumping house music, the carnival atmosphere, the litter on the streets, beaches and inside of old town, and the excessively high prices in relation to quality for accommodation, drinks, food and taxi service.

Getting there

By plane

Tivat Airport is 8km away. The following airlines operate to/from Tivat Airport: Air Moldova (Chiṣinǎu, seasonal), Jat Airways (Belgrade), KrasAir (Moscow-Domodedovo), Montenegro Airlines (Belgrade, Copenhagen, London-Gatwick, Moscow-Domodedovo, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Pristina, Rome-Fiumicino, Skopje, St Petersburg), Moskovia Airlines (Moscow-Domodedovo) Rossiya (St Petersburg), S7 Airlines (Moscow-Domodedovo), Transaero Airlines (Moscow-Domodedovo)

Podgorica airport is 65km away, and has flights throughout the year to Belgrade, Budapest, Zurich, Frankfurt, Ljubljana, Paris, Rome, Vienna and as of October 2008, London- Gatwick. Buses run between Podgorica and Budva year round. Taxis run €50 to €100. (Fix a price beforehand, do not just accept the meter!)

Dubrovnik airport (DBV) in Croatia is around 80km away from Budva, and maintains flights to many European destinations throughout the year, providing a good alternative to the Montenegrin airports.

By bus

Budva is very well connected by bus with cities within Montenegro and major cities in neighboring countries. Buses are usually on schedule though the schedules vary from season to season, with more buses running during the summer. There is no good online source for the frequently changing schedules so it's best to call the bus station directly at +382 33 456 000.

The bus station is a 20 minute walk, or €5 taxi ride, from the old town.

Buses to Sarajevo run daily at 8:10 (Balkan Express minibus) and the journey takes about 7 hours, stopping at Podgorica and other cities. €16.5 one-way.

Buses to Herceg Novi (and vice-versa) run daily approximately every 30 minutes. The journey takes 1.5 hours and costs around €6 one-way.

Buses to Dubrovnik continuing to Split runs 3 times a week. There are daily buses during the summer in the morning (check current bus schedule for accurate time) which can get full quickly so arrive early to get a ticket. The journey takes around 3 hours. There is a spectacular view from the bus during this route.

In the summer, Olimpia Express run reasonably priced shuttle buses from just outside old town to Jaz beach (every 2-3 hours ), Petrovac (every 2 hours), and Sveti Stefan (every 30 minutes or less for 1.50€):

You can also get into Inter-City-Busses,for example Igalo-Bar etc.

Traveling around

By car

If you came to Budva with your own car, use it inside the city only when you have to. Traffic is terribly congested during the summer, and parking space around the old town is almost impossible to find, and very expensive when you do.

By train

A little tourist "train" operates between Budva and nearby Bečići through the main Budva promenade.

By taxi

Taxis are abundant in Budva, but are not cheap - a ride anywhere within Budva will cost you around €5 - and prices vary depending on which taxi company you happen to get. Try to choose a taxi that has a rate card displayed and a meter visible on the dash - and then watch to insure the meter is set appropriately when starting - to avoid getting ripped off.

By boat

There are many tourist boats that dock in Budva harbor which offer rides to nearby beaches, Sv. Nikola island, or one-day trips to various destinations on Montenegrin coast, but these are also expensive. Unlike other seaside cities, there are no €1 water taxis here.

See

• Stari Grad (Old Town), on the peninsula in Budva center, The old town of Budva lies on a little island that was linked to the land by a sandbar and in time turned into a peninsula. It is surrounded by ramparts originating from the XV century including a medieval fortification system with city gates, defense walls and towers. The Old Town consists of narrow streets and alleys and small squares with precious monuments of different Mediterranean cultures that have marked the development of this town. You can enter in Old Town from one of five entrance doors.

• Mogren Beach, near the old town, secluded beach

• Budva Citadel, Soutehrn part of old town, Reconstructed after earthquake. Museuem has Budva historical items.

• Church of Saint John , Seat of the Budva bishopric till 1828. In 1867 the belfry was added to the north side of the church and it still exists. Among preserved monuments the most important ones are the icon “Madonna in Punta” and the rich archives and library. Among its holdings is the Chronicle of Budva most comprehensive source of data and events in Budva between 1796 and 1842. Operating church.

• Church of Holy Trinity , single nave construction with a dome. It was built in 1804 and modeled on one of two churches of the Podostrog monastery. In front of Church you can see tomb of famous writer and politician Stjepan Mitrov Ljubisa. Church is parish church and its operating.

• Church of Saint Sava , This is small single nave church whose dimensions are 5 x 3 m. It is supposed to have been built during the 14 century. During the Venetian and Austrian occupations the most valuable possessions of this church disappeared. Today there is almost no traces of decorations with icons, frescoes and sculptures. It’s not operating.

• Dancing Girl Statue, Outside the Old Town on your way to Mogren beach, Some people say that this is statue of young girl who is drowned on this place but others says that this is just ordinary statue. Anyway this is spot where people come to take picture with panorama of Old Town in back.

Things to do

• Boat trip around Boka Kotorska

Eat

There is a wide choice of places to eat at in Budva. In old town you will find almost anything: from pizza-places, bakeries to seafood and Chinese restaurants. Across the harbor, at the very coast, there are some premium fresh seafood restaurants, notably "Jadran" and "Donna".

Along the entire promenade there are many fast food places, offering barbecue, giros, pancakes, slices of pizza, icecream...with affordable prices. A McDonalds seasonal restaurant is open on the promenade during the summer.

• Demižana, Slovenska Obala 3, Slovenska Obala 3, fish restaurant.

• Hong Kong, +382 33 452-725, Vuka Karadžića 1, Chinese food.

• Jadran, +382 33 451-028, Slovenska Obala 10, A family restaurant since 1976. Specialties from the sea prepared in a local way. Complete meat offer as well as the Italian cuisine. Restaurant has 3 terraces each with a special ambience.

• Maša, +382 33 453-777, Gradska luka bb

• O Sole Mio , +382 (0)86 457 713, Slovenska obala 15, near the Old Town, Huge pizzas but overpriced.

• Pizzaria Big Blue

• Porat (Rafailovici), 033.471.145, Breakfast-Late dinner, Pastrovska Ulica and Becicka Plaza, Follow Pastrovska Ulica down to the Adriatic. Porat Restauant is on the left., Exquisite seafood restaurant, with equally delicious meatier alternatives, complimented by a well-chosen wine list, surrounded by beautiful gardens and a gorgeous view of the Adriatic.

• Porto, +382 69 025-850, fish restaurant.

Drink

Budva is full of cafes, bars and nightclubs. During the high season it is hard to find a place to sit. Espresso will cost from €1 to €1.50. Coke and other soft drinks and juices will cost from €1.50 up to €3.50. Local beer costs an average of €2.50 and mixed drinks can go from €7 and up.

• Garden Cafe

• Millenivm

• Palma

• Rabello , +382 67 355-555, Jadranski put

• Ričardova Glava - Richard's Head

• Chest O'Shea's Irish Pub , +38269579468, Stari Grad, 30 meters into the old town from the marina, Good Guinness, live sports and friendly English speaking staff

Nightlife

There are a variety of bars and clubs to go out in Budva. There are many outdoor bars and cafes just located outside the walls outside of Stari Grad. Most play loud club style music.

• Caffe Greco , Stari Grad, no cover charge and DJ'd music

• Caffe Jef , Stari Grad, no cover charge and DJ'd music

• Maine, folk music

• Rafaello

• Renaissance

• Torine, Bečići, folk music

• Trocadero

Bars are allowed to play music until 1AM, when the crowds move to some of the nightclubs.

Always ask for a bill, as they must provide it by law. If you don't - it's likely that they'll overcharge your drinks, especially if they see you are a foreigner!

Sleep

Accommodation in Budva is abundant, and varies from renting a room for €10 to handsomely priced five-star hotels.

There are big differences in prices of accommodation - not only between types of accommodation but for same accommodation during different times of the year. For example, a hostel-like room that rents for €7 per person/per night during the off-season can rent for €20 and up per person/per night during July and August.

There are 84, mostly three- and four-star hotels (capacity of over 13,000 beds), about 100 private villas and bed and breakfast inns and private accommodation (60,000 beds) of various options.

Budget

During the summer it is easy just to come to the bus station and find local people offering rooms. Be aware, though, that there is a problem with water in Budva, and you should confirm that the accommodation you choose insures the availability of water.

The prices range from €7 to €15 for a person/night/private room, with the cheaper rooms requiring a shared bathroom and/or kitchen.

• Hippo Hostel , Open only during the high season. A converted private residence. Rooms are crowded as bunk beds are crammed in.

Mid range

• Avala Resort & Villas

• Bip Besko-Bau, +382 33 458-322, +382 33 458-322, Veljka Vlahovića 2, 105 beds. Basic.

• Blue Star

• Fineso , +382 33 454-120, 45 beds.

• Hotel Astoria

• Hotel Mogren , +382 (33) 451 102, Slovenska Obala, in front the Old City and distanced 50 meters from the sea, Three star hotel with 100 beds.

• Hotel Slovenska Plaža

• Hotel Villa Montenegro

• Max Prestige , +382 33 458-330

• Suzana

Buy

Old town is packed primarily with boutiques selling very expensive shoes and clothing, but beware of counterfeited variants of world famous brands.

The main Budva promenade has a long string of stands with very cheap - in quality, not always in price - clothing, sunglasses, souvenirs, etc.

Friendly service in Budva shops is not the norm. Service people usually do not smile or make eye contact and are often brusque.

Contact

Within Stari Grad, the old city, you can find wi-fi internet access at The Prince English Pub.

Get out

• Walk the 10km long hiking path to Sveti Stefan. At first the path follows the Slovenska Plaza and then passes the village of Becici until it reaches the village of Rafailovici. Here the path continues through a recently built tunnel, passes the Kamenovo beach area and follows the coast to a place called Zoff’s fish restaurant. Now the path turns to the left and up to the main road. Turn right at the Kusta grill restaurant and walk along the main road for about 300 metres. Before the end of the viaduct there are steps leading down to Przno beach. Walk through the local beach restaurants and keep your eyes open for signs saying hotel Maestral. Enter through the arch gate. Keep walking, and after the next hotel, Kraljicina Plaza, you can either continue along the same road or choose the more beautiful beach path. Both options take you all the way to Sveti Stefan.

• Nearby beaches: Bečići, Miločer, Pržno, Kamenovo

• Kotor

• Bar