Budva Guide

August 15, 2018 City Guide 0 comment

BUDVA CITY GUIDE
Perfect for …
The nightlife capital An Old Town to rival Kotor’s Plenty of beaches

Each country has its own place to go all out and party: there’s Ibiza in Spain, Pattaya in Thailand, Las Vegas in the United States… You get my point.

Of course, Montenegro is no exception! With names like Omnia nightclub, the Sea Dance Festival (voted one of the Top 10 Europe Summer Festivals by Forbes!), and Top Hill, Budva is the place for nightlife.

In fact, I wasn’t too keen on adding Budva to our itinerary because we aren’t party people, but I’m glad I changed my mind. Although Budva might be primarily associated with nightlife, it’s much more than that!

Even if you don’t plan to go out past 9 PM, there’s still a ton of things to do. We spent the first day walking around and admiring the walls of Budva’s Old Town — it’s more than 2,500 years old! — and checking out Sveti Stefan the day after. Of course, there were plenty of cafes, seaside strolls, shopping, and visits to museums in between.

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How many days do I need in Budva?

One or two days is plenty if Budva is part of a larger itinerary. However, Budva is an excellent ‘home base’ if you want to explore the rest of Montenegro but want to stay in one place.

Prefer something with a touch of luxury? There are also all-inclusive resorts all along the Montenegrin Riviera — I have plenty of recommendations below 🙂

HOW TO GET TO BUDVA

If Budva is your first destination in Montenegro, I recommend flying to Tivat airport (TIV) — from there, it’s a short drive to the city of Budva. For those flying into Montenegro’s second airport, Podgorica (TGD), it’s a bit further out and takes a little over an hour to get to Budva. Make sure to choose wisely when booking your airline tickets. 🙂

Traveling to Budva from other cities? Thanks to its central location, Budva can be accessed from virtually any city in Montenegro. Here are some examples so that you can see the distance and approximate travel time (by bus/car):

TRANSPORTATION & GETTING AROUND BUDVA

Although Budva is slightly larger than its sister city, Kotor, getting around Budva is still a breeze. The entire city can be explored on foot and it should take most people a leisurely 30 or 40 minutes to get from one end of the city to the other.

If you want to stay close to all of the attractions, I recommend staying near the waterfront (i.e. anywhere from Budva Old Town to Slovenska Plaža) as that’s where all the action happens.

Likewise, if you plan to visit the postcard-perfect Sveti Stefan, you can take an Olimpia Express bus from the main street that runs outside the Old Town for 2.50 EUR one way. It also stops at Jaz Beach and Petrovac if you want to check them out too.

WHAT TO DO IN BUDVA

Ahh, the age old question: What are some of the best things to do in Budva? Although I originally thought that Budva was only good for nightlife and partying, it turns out that there’s so much more to this city!

Get Lost in the Old Town

… And when I said ‘get lost’ in Budva’s Old Town, I really mean it: it feels like a maze once you’re deep inside! We spent around 30 minutes trying to find a specific store before realizing we were going in circles.

Budva’s historical center is similar to Kotor’s Old Town but smaller and more compact: you’ll find plenty of explorable alleys that lead you to secret nooks and crannies, cobblestoned plazas to take a quick break, and fantastic finds in local boutique stores.

If you’re wondering what to do in Budva’s Old Town, I recommend checking out the city museum (listed simply as Muzej on Google Maps), sitting in the plaza and checking out the nearby Saint Ivan Church, or relaxing on Old Town Beach. For amazing views, you can check out the Citadel.

The beauty of Budva’s Old Town is that you can spend hours slowly strolling around and taking in the sights, sounds, and atmosphere of the place. 🙂

See the Famous Ballerina Statue

The quintessential symbol of the city, Budva’s Ballerina Statue has been featured on virtually every brochure and travel guide to the city. Funnily enough, people aren’t sure if she’s really a ballerina or actually a gymnast!

The statue has at least a dozen legends, including a story about a local gymnast who fell into the water and died, or a young couple who were playing near the water and the boy drowned. However, the most popular story is that of a young couple: the girl was a dancer and the boy was a sailor who had to sail one day on a mission. The girl waited by the water every day, hoping that he would return soon, but he never did.

Nonetheless, the statue’s sculptor, Gradimir Aleksić, was so inspired by the legend that he created this work of art that quickly became one of Budva’s most recognizable symbols. Isn’t that lovely?

Enjoy a night out and experience Budva nightlife

Of course, we can’t forget Budva’s legendary nightlife. As I mentioned in the beginning of this section, Budva is considered the party capital of Montenegro, especially during the summer season (June through August). Here are a few spots to check out if you want to spend a night out:

Budva Old Town — Surprise, surprise! Although the Old Town is a great tourist attraction during the day, it’s also a fantastic place to pre-game or pub crawl during the evening as well. Get the party started at one of the pubs and bars found in the old town, or enjoy a quieter night out by drinking craft beer at the aptly-named Old Town Pub.

Top Hill — Located at the top of a hill, you’ll need to take a taxi to get to this nightclub. However, this is one of Budva’s best nightclubs and definitely the place to go clubbing.

Maltez Budva — Ever wanted to party on a pirate ship? Here’s the closest thing to doing so Don’t forget to grab a drink at the ship-themed bar!

Omnia Night Club — Although it doesn’t quite reach the status of the nightclub with the same name in Las Vegas, Omnia is located right in the center of Budva and often features top guest DJs.

Sea Dance Festival — Did you know that Budva has one of the best festivals in Europe? That’s right: it was named one of the Top 10 Europe Summer Festivals by Forbes, which catapulted Montenegro from off the beaten path to an unmissable destination in the last few years. Sea Dance has had plenty of celebrity headliners like Skrillex, Sean Paul, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, and David Guetta — who will you catch at this year’s festival?

Travel tip: Most nightclubs in the Balkans don’t have a ‘dance floor’ per se. Instead, there are tables scattered around the club where you and your group can hang out, dance, and order drinks/food.

… And then chill out on the beach

Work hard, relax harder, right? After a night out on the town, it’s time to recover and nurse your hangover with a relaxing day at the beach.

Thankfully, Budva has more than 30 beaches in its vicinity! Here are just a few of the top beaches in Budva to get you started:

Mogren Beach — Arguably the most popular beach in Budva, Mogren is actually made up of two separate beaches (conveniently named Mogren I and Mogren II ) connected by a tunnel. It’s a scenic 10-minute walk from the Old Town, and you can rent a sunbed and/or umbrella, or bring your own towel to lay on the sand for free.

Jaz Beach — Located 6 km west of Budva is this lovely beach, which has 1.2 km of coastline and plenty of activities. It’s great for families or day trippers because there are cafes and restaurants nearby, plenty of parking, and kiosks where you can rent a paddleboat, kayak, or even a jet ski.

Richard’s Head Beach — Don’t want to spend time walking to far-off beaches? No problem – Richard’s Head beach is located right off to the side of Budva’s Old Town! Although it’s smaller than other beaches, it’s convenient to access and has everything you need (as well as being pet friendly).

Becici Beach — Clear water, beautiful views, and convenient amenities – what’s not to like? If you’re visiting in the summer, be sure to get here early and grab the best spot.

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Be a Foodie
Thanks to its popularity and guests from all over the world, Budva is quickly becoming a melting pot of cuisines. When we stopped in Budva for a few days, we were surprised at how many ‘foodie’ cafes and restaurants there were! If you’ve always wanted to try a country’s cuisine but didn’t want to pay for an expensive plane ticket, let me give you a little tour of Budva

Start off with a traditional Turkish breakfast at Smyrna (Turkish cuisine) before heading over to try a delicious bowl of Tom Yum soup at Taste of Asia (Thai / Asian fusion cuisine). For something a little closer to the Balkans, Restoran Sarajevo (Bosnian cuisine) makes mouth-watering ćevapčići (their national dish!), or for a taste of Russia, Alinka cafe. Heck, you can even try Californian cuisine at Bermuda cafe, which specializes in smoothies and healthy dishes.

DAY TRIPS FROM BUDVA

Sveti Stefan — One of Montenegro’s famous attractions is the half-island of Sveti Stefan. It originally used to be a fishing village in the 15th century, fell into disrepair, and was renovated into a luxury resort. Sveti Stefan’s guest sheet reads like a list of celebrities, from famous actors to musicians, writers, sportsmen, and more. Who knows, maybe you might have shared the same room as Orson Welles, Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, or even Marilyn Monroe?

Although the actual grounds of Sveti Stefan are off limits to everybody except hotel guests (prices start around 800 EUR/night), you can take a paid walking tour or admire the islet from afar. There are plenty of fantastic viewpoints near the road to get that perfect shot, as well as mini hiking trails.

Hawaii island — Did you know that you can visit the island of Hawaii without leaving Montenegro? That’s right!

Located just one kilometer off the coast of Budva is Saint Nikola Island, or better yet known as Hawaii thanks to its blue waters and sandy beaches scattered around the island. You can catch a ferry to the island for around 3 EUR per person, and visit as a quick trip or spend an entire day exploring.

Sveti Stefan Guide

15Aug

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Budva Guide