6 Best Beach Towns in Montenegro to Visit or Where to Stay (+2 Towns to Skip)

You may be surprised to see my list of the best beach towns in Montenegro with strong recommendations for towns to skip. But I base them not on fleeting impressions from a quick visit, they are born from my extensive experience traveling in Montenegro and having deep connections with the coastal region of this country.

I visited all these towns on my own (many times in different seasons) and helped others plan travel there who appreciated my advice. Today, I am sharing my objective insights ensuring that more people receive well-informed recommendations that will help to decide where to stay in Montenegro to be close to the beach.

Best Montenegro Towns to Consider for a Beach Vacation

Becici & Rafailovici

By Montenegrin sizes, Becici and Rafailovici are towns, but for many people who come from large cities, they may look more like villages. I mention them together as they are essentially merged into one without clear borders where one of them flows into another. But both are beautiful towns where to live and visit, particularly for families who come on a beach vacation.

They both have beaches with fine pebbles and a gentle sea entry, the availability of both paid and free beach areas, and a splendid promenade with pedestrian tunnels connecting Becici town to Budva on one side and Rafailovici with Kamenovo Beach on another side.

So if you choose accommodation closer to the shore, it is easy enough to walk between all the areas if you don’t feel like using public transportation or taking a car to drive.

Also, both these towns have very good infrastructure with grocery stores, many excellent restaurants, and easy access to schools and clinics (if you plan to be there long-term).

As for restaurants, my favorite ones are Tulip (where I like a variety of dishes, including main courses, pizza, mango tea, and ice cream), Restaurant Porat offering an authentic Montenegrin dining experience specializing in seafood, and Restaurant Tri Ribara with great fresh Adriatic fish dishes.

The best part about these coastal towns is that they are very centrally located and if you come specifically for the beach, choose Kuljače village above Kamenovo Beach (in my opinion one of the most beautiful beaches in Montenegro).

Pržno Beach Town

Next town along the coast south of Rafailovici is Pržno, a more upscale destination with a beautiful resort-style area (that includes Maestral Resort & Casino 5-star hotel) that has its own tennis courts, cozy grounds, and prices noticeably above the country’s average.

It is an extraordinarily beautiful and romantic town, as much as a former fishing village can be. Narrow stone streets, a cozy promenade, winding paths and staircases going up and down, and clean mountain air that mixes with the aromas of the sea, olives, pomegranates, pines, and other vegetation.

The beach here (the main one called Pržno Beach) is just gorgeous with yellow sand and a smooth entrance into the water. But part of it belongs to Maestral Resort, so you get access there either through the stay or when coming early to reserve a spot before everyone else comes.

If you are looking for a quiet romantic place where to stay (and are ready to pay above the average prices), this beach town on Montenegro coast is probably the best pick. And the opposite, if you like parties, young crowd, and bars, this place is not really a good choice.

Sveti Stefan – Quiet Beach Town With Stunning Views

Among all the beach towns in Budva Riviera (without beach towns in the Kotor Bay area), Sveti Stefan is the quietest one. It is not as developed as previous towns on this list and accommodation choices are rather modest (they consist mainly of guest houses and apartments). There isn’t even a large supermarket here.

Many people come to visit the area during the day mainly to see the island and adjacent beaches, but not many choose it as a base which becomes a reason why Sveti Stefan is very quiet. It is a nice town where to stay for families with kids and anyone who loves solitude.

Almost all properties have beautiful views of the famous island with the same name and easy access to a large Milocher Park that has coniferous trees (with very fresh and yummy air). So if you choose Sveti Stefan as a place to live or where to spend a vacation, you’ll have the benefit of living in almost an ecological place which is also one of the most photogenic spots in the country.

On the downside, in Sveti Stefan, you do want to have a car to feel comfortable (as a decent grocery store is a bit far as well as a variety of bakeries and restaurants) and to be able to drive around to different beaches (as besides the main town beaches, other beach areas are rocky).

Kumbor Town

Kumbor is a settlement in Herceg Novi Province that is a lesser-crowded beach destination in Montenegro in summer. I like it for the fact that it offers a great mixture of budget and upscale accommodation together with sandy (mainly coarse sand) and concrete beaches (where you get into the water using a ladder from the concrete platform).

It is in Kumbor where you’ll find a 5-star hotel (One & Only Portonovi) and new upscale apartments in the resort area Portonovi (with premium services) but there is a wide array of budget accommodations as well.

So even if you stay in guesthouses above the highway (this area is considered the cheapest), you can still come to spend time in Portonovi or any beach along the shore. 

Kumbor is great in that way that it meets different budgets, is very walkable, and sits in a good location. From there, it is very easy to go explore Herceg Novi with its cool restaurants and bars or bike (and even walk!) to nearby Baosici and then to Bijela town, both with more budget accommodation, some beautiful hidden beaches of Montenegro and cheap places to dine.

FURTHER READING: If you are interested in beach towns in the Bay of Kotor, then read my post about the best places where to stay in Kotor Bay.

Sutomore 

Located in the heart of the Adriatic coast, the beach town of Sutomore is the cheapest beach town in Montenegro where to plan a vacation. The number of budget apartments is so high that it never poses a problem to book something even if you do it at the last minute.

It is also exceptionally accessible and well-connected by good roads and railway lines. To preserve the environment, entry by private car is prohibited there during summer (June 1st to September 15th).

It is not as ‘popular’ as beach towns around Budva and therefore doesn’t see as many people in the peak season (yet, keep in mind, in July and August, it is still crowded and finding a spot on the beach is difficult). The main gem there is its main extensive beach, covered with a mix of sand and small pebbles, and moderate prices for accommodation in cozy private villas and family hotels.

Nature is impressive too and because of the convenient location, it is a nice spot where to base yourself to explore the country. From Sutomore you can literally travel anywhere within a short period of time. Skadar Lake, Ulcinj, Bar, Budva, and even Tivat are just a quick drive away.

And then if you want to combine a beach holiday with the mountains of Montenegro, Sutomore also makes a great base since you can jump on a highway and drive for a day or a few hours to Podgorica and then to Kolasin from where to explore the Komovi mountains, Prokletije National Park, or drive further to hike in Durmitor.

Beach Towns in Montenegro That I Recommend Avoiding 

Petrovac

For many years, this town used to be a better alternative to Budva Riviera with a better option of comfortable apartments and fewer tourists.

However, this has changed a lot and Petrovac turned into an overcrowded area with limited space for relaxation. Beaches in Petrovac are very small and in summer, you can’t even find a tiny spot where to put a towel. Vacation turns into annoyance and disappointment.

Yes, there are panoramic views on different sides and grocery stores around, there are some beautiful walking trails in the area as well as easy access to main roads. Lucice Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in the country with water so blue that you feel like you are on the finest beaches in Bodrum or somewhere in Sicilia.

But most accommodations are on the hills far from the beach and you need to walk up and downhill in the heat (unless you have a car, but then there is a real challenge to park in summer). Overall, living or just staying in Petrovac town for a long time in summer becomes difficult since the number of cars and people is just overwhelming.

For some reason, until this day Petrovac continues to be actively promoted as a Montenegrin resort town for family vacations (even though it is already overly popular) which is why every year beaches get full of children.

Many of these kids pee in the sea (don’t laugh, this is a real thing as many families don’t teach their kids hygiene education or cultural norms) creating a high risk for others to contract a virus like norovirus (it’s not a joke or exaggeration, this has been a problem in local hospitals in the last couple of summers). And if you or your children catch that, you’ll need a minimum of 3-4 days for recovery.

So, this brings me to a conclusion – Petrovac is a fantastic beach town in Montenegro but only during the off-season (April or May and more so in September and October), avoid it in summer.

In spring, you can’t really swim in the sea since the water is still cold (starting to warm up at the end of May only), but fall in this part of Montenegro is a fantastic season because part of it is a Velvet season when the sea is incredibly warm and beaches are empty. Winters are fine too, but accommodation options here in winter are cold.

Budva

Well, Budva is already considered a big city by Montenegrin standards, but I thought to put it on the list as it is not really a good beach place in Montenegro for the summer season.

From the end of June to the first week in September, Budva gets just brutal with the number of people. It is already overcrowded during any time of the year with constant construction happening all over the city (and more and more people moving in), but in summer that number explodes. (Photos you see above were taken at the end of September).

There is an ongoing problem with parking (to the point that even restaurants and cafes in Budva Old Town stop being able to offer food from the menu as they face supply challenges due to the lack of parking availability for delivery vehicles in the vicinity), with prices (they increase a few times), and number of tourists from morning to night.

Beaches also get overcrowded and you can’t even appreciate their beauty (even though some of Budva’s beaches are among the most beautiful ones). 

I’d personally recommend avoiding Budva at any time of the year (it is worth visiting it only for half a day or so to see its Old Town and Vista Vidikovac Restaurant, panoramic restaurant with awesome views and delicious cuisine), but other than that I wouldn’t even consider it as a beach town where to stay. 

More Montenegro Helpful Tips

• 7 Days in Montenegro Itinerary – for those who plan to travel around Montenegro from Herceg Novi
• 5 Days in Montenegro – if you arrive in Podgorica
• Is Herceg Novi Worth Visiting? – when it is & when it’s not, honest answer
• How Many Days in Montenegro – helpful questionnaire to help you decide
• Is Montenegro Safe? – Honest Answers to Important Questions
• Best Day Trips From Kotor – where to go and what to skip
• Must-Do Hikes in Montenegro – if you love this type of activity