Montenegro: Old Towns, beaches, mountains, and Mediterranean sun, what more could you want! I was able to spend a week in Montenegro exploring the cities of Budva and Kotor. My week went by fast as I explored the Old Towns of both cities, relaxed on the beach, and was able to enjoy the views from a mountainous hike.
I traveled to Montenegro on a 12-hour overnight bus from Belgrade and that was an adventure itself. When looking at ways to get from Belgrade, Serbia to the coast in Montenegro there were limited options and they all involved a long travel day. When deciding which transportation and timing to choose I decided on the overnight bus because it would not only save on accommodation for a night but also, I was hoping that the ride would feel faster during the night instead of during the day. This didn’t end up working out as great as I had hoped as it turned out to be a very long, sleepless night but an adventure nonetheless. A great reminder during long travel days is that not everything about travel is always super fun and glamorous. However, in the end, I ended up in the sunny coastal town of Budva, Montenegro and that is all that matters.
Budva has a cute, quaint, Old Town with narrow streets and plenty of tourist shops. Along with the Old Town, Budva also has multiple beautiful beaches and so, after exploring, I headed to the beach. I spent almost two full days in Budva relaxing on a beach and in the crystal-clear turquoise waters. Spending time in the water was a great way to relax after a ver, busy three weeks exploring larger cities. For anyone not on as much of a budget or wanting to do more than just relax on a beach, Budva has lots of different water activities to offer, from kayaking to boat rides and even more.
My next stop in Montenegro was Kotor, which is another touristy city in Montenegro. Since Montenegro is a smaller country, Kotor was only a short 30-minute bus ride away. It has a lot of similarities to Budva, however it is a larger city with an even bigger Old Town that is sometimes described as a smaller, cheaper Dubrovnik. When I first got to Kotor I had the exciting task of needing to do my laundry, a fun reality of long-term travel. Since there were no washing machines, I had to hand wash all my clothes in a bucket, which was made better by the amazing views of the bay and the mountains.
The next day I was able to explore and wander around the Old Town and saw some of the churches within the city. After thoroughly exploring, I wandered along the waterfront and looked at the different boat tours being offered until I found the best one for the best price. That afternoon I went on a three-hour boat tour that went past the city of Perast, then to Our Lady of the Rock, a rocky island with one lonely church. On the island there was time to get off the boat and wander around and take in the views. Next, the boat went to Submarine Tunnel, which was built by the Soviets during World War II as a place to hide submarines. The Soviets built multiple of these tunnels, but this is the one on the tourist track. After the Submarine Tunnel, the next stop was the blue caves, where the boat was able to drive through the caves and then we were given time to swim.
On my last day in Kotor, I spent the morning wandering through the Old Town, again, this time looking for small souvenirs for my family. I then spent time resting before my evening plans, a hike to St. John’s Fortress on top of the mountain above Kotor. After the blazing hot midday sun passed I headed for the mountain with Suvi, a woman I met at my hostel. There are two different ways to get to the fortress; one is a paid version with stairs that starts in the Old Town and the other is a free version that can be easily found with a quick Google Maps search. We opted for the free version, and I am very glad we did because the free path was much easier to climb than the stairs would have been.
The hike to the top of St. John’s Fortress had amazing views and was a lot of fun, especially since we made sure to take breaks when needed. On the path to the free entrance into the fortress there were two different little family run stores where you could stop for beer or water, as well as an abandoned church. To enter the fortress there was a ladder that led to an opening in the fortress. This entrance looked questionable and scary from afar, but it was a fun adventure getting in and not as hard as it looked. Once we got to the top, the views overlooking the Bay of Kotor and the city were spectacular. By the time we got there it was dusk and by the time we were leaving it was fully dark and the city was illuminated with all the lights on, which made the views even better.
After exploring the top of the fortress, we headed back down, this time down the route that most people take up, the paid tourist route. There were a lot of steps down and they ended up being very steep at some points. Suvi, who I did the hike with, and I agreed that the route we took to the top was easier than the stairs going down, which would have been even harder going up. Overall, my time in Montenegro was a lot of fun and was a great opportunity to slow down and relax after the busy three weeks I had had. It also gave me a chance to rest before my next planned adventures.
“You are the one that possesses the keys to your being. You carry the passport to your own happiness.”
- Diane von Furstenberg
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