Montenegro Beach Holidays - Best Destinations, Resorts and Hidden Gems

Discover the best destinations for your Montenegro beach holiday. Choose from buzzing resorts, quiet hamlets and under-the-radar beach hot spots.

Montenegro is a great destination for a beach holiday. With just under 300km (183mi) of coastline, there are a lot of beaches for you to choose from. Summer weather is consistently hot and sunny and the whole coast is geared up for summer tourists.

When you’re looking for a Montenegro beach holiday, the first thing to do is choose where you want to stay. Different parts of the coast offer vastly different experiences. You’ll find busy beach resorts with great nightlife, romantic seaside hamlets, family-friendly beach towns and emerging beach destinations that are popular with intrepid travelers. 

Below I’ll give you an overview of all the beach destinations along the coast to help you decide where would suit you best. I’ll also give you accommodation and holiday recommendations to help you find your perfect Montenegro beach holiday.

But first, a word of warning. When you’re looking for accommodation watch out for places that aren’t where they say they are. It’s not uncommon to see a hotel listed as being in Sveti Stefan because that’s a well-known destination, but when you look on a map, you see that it’s actually in Pržno. The same happens with accommodation that says it’s in Petrovac, but really it’s by Buljarica Beach. The two places are very different; Petrovac is more polished and has a lot of restaurants and amenities, but aren’t many restaurants or amenities around Buljarica Beach. There’s nothing wrong with Pržno or Buljarica, but it’s important you know exactly where your accommodation is before you book it.

With that said, let's go find your perfect Montenegro beach holiday!

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Budva Riviera | Bay of Kotor | Luštica Peninsula | Bar | Ulcinj
Montenegro Beach Holiday Packages

Budva Riviera

Budva

Budva is Montenegro’s top beach holiday destination. This is a great place to base yourself if you want to be in a bustling centre. Here you’ve got great beaches, Budva’s 2,000 year old town, dozens of good restaurants, attractions and the country’s best nightlife all on your doorstep.

Slovenska Plaža is Budva’s main beach and it runs the length of the town between Budva old town and Zavala Cape. The main hotel here is Hotel Slovenska Plaža, a three-star hotel with a village feel. If you like something more upmarket Hotel Tre Canne has unbeatable views from their top floor pool and Dukley Hotel and Resort offers absolute luxury on Zavala Cape, overlooking Slovenska Plaža.

On the other side of the old town you’ll find Richard’s Head Beach (Ričardova Glava) where you can stay at Avala Hotel and Resort. Surprisingly, you’ll also find cheaper accommodation in this prime location; Hotel Mogren lies just outside the old town walls. 

If you follow the seaside path from Richard’s Head Beach you’ll come to Mogren Beach, so you have three beaches within walking distance of Budva old town. 

If you want a beach holiday in Budva I recommend staying within walking distance of the beach. Summer traffic (July and August) is very busy through the town and parking can be hard to find. Budva is an ideal location if you don’t want to hire a car; it’s very easy to get around by bus, taxi and walking if you’re staying near the beach. And if you want to do some sightseeing you can hire a car or join tours like the popular Full-Day Montenegro Tour or North Montenegro Tour. 

Top Beach Holiday Resorts in Budva

Bečići Beach

Bečići Beach is a 2km (1.25mi) stretch of sand and small pebble beach that’s just 2km from Budva’s bustling centre. So if you’d like to stay near the action, not right in the action, Bečići would be a great choice for you. 

Bečići has lots of beachfront resorts and smaller hotels to choose from. Splendid Conference and Spa Resort is a sprawling resort with indoor pools, outdoor pools and it’s just a few steps from the beach. Mediteran Hotel and Resort is popular with families because it has its own aqua park. 

A seaside promenade connects Bečići with Budva, so you can easily walk to Budva. You’ll also find taxis are relatively inexpensive and there’s a regular bus if you don’t want to hire a car for your stay. If you do decide to hire a car, Bečići is very central so you’ll be able to visit some of Montenegro’s top attractions, like Kotor, Perast, Sveti Stefan and Lovćen and Skadar Lake National Parks in relaxed day trips – that’s if you can drag yourself off the beach!

Top Beach Holiday Resorts in BEČIĆI BEACH

Sveti Stefan

Sveti Stefan is a great spot for a Montenegro beach holiday. In fact, it was a favourite with Hollywood stars like Sofia Loren and Elizabeth Taylor in the 60's.

Aman Sveti Stefan is a five star resort that takes up the islet and has a beach for guests adjoining it. This is where you can rub shoulders with the likes of Novak Djoković and Maria Sharapova.

Staying off island also has its benefits. You get that magnificent view of Sveti Stefan Island and on the other side of the island there’s a stunning pink pebble, public beach. Hotel California is the ultimate beachfront hotel here, but there are more good-quality hotels like Hotel Azimut and Hotel Adrović in the hamlet.

Top Beach Holiday resorts in Sveti Stefan

Petrovac

Petrovac is another good destination for a Montenegro beach holiday. It’s around 30 minutes’ drive south of Budva and it’s a great destination if you’re travelling with kids or you want a relaxed beach holiday. 

Petrovac is a small hamlet wrapped around a long cove. There aren’t really any attractions in Petrovac except for the 16th century Venetian fortress on the seaside, so this is a true beach holiday destination. You’ll find some excellent hotels here like the five star Melia Budva Petrovac, four star Hotel Riva and Monte Casa Spa and Wellness.

There are restaurants along the promenade, a supermarket and ATM, so there’s no need to leave the hamlet unless you want to. If you do, Petrovac is very central and you’ll be able to see a lot of Montenegro’s attractions in day trips. 

Top Beach Holiday Resorts in Petrovac

More Budva Riviera Beach Holiday Destinations

Aside from these top beachside destinations, there are few more little hamlets and resorts that are ideal for a beach holiday. These tend to be smaller places and hidden gems where you can have a fantastic beach holiday without the crowds.

Pržno

Pržno is very small, very pretty hamlet between Bečići and Sveti Stefan. The top place to stay here is Maestral Resort and Casino, where you can spend your days wandering between the beach, pool and spa centre.

Top Beach Holiday Resorts in PRŽNO

Reževići

Reževići isn’t immediately obvious as a beach holiday location. The cliffs here are steep and there’s not much beach to speak of. But out of sight of the main road, there are a couple of beaches here where you can enjoy a laid-back beach holiday without crowds of tourists.

Drobnji Pijesak is a small pebble beach. There’ a restaurant and you can hire loungers. The access road is pretty steep and I recommend parking on the walking on the main road and walking down, but it’s worth it for this rugged, natural beach with crystal clear water.

On the south side of Reževići, Perazića Do is another semi-hidden pebble beach. You can hire loungers and the beach at the bottom of the cliffs would be idyllic if it weren’t for the half-finished hotel and abandoned crane that overshadows it.

Ānanti Resort, Residences and Beach Club has five star accommodation and exclusive beach space in Reževići.

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Bay of Kotor

Montenegro’s next top destination for beach holidays is the Bay of Kotor. ‘Boka’, as locals call it, has calm seas, quaint fishing hamlets and dramatic mountains. Almost everywhere you stay here has great sea views; it’s no wonder it’s so popular.

What it doesn’t have a lot of is beaches. The beaches tend to be small and mostly pebbly, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a beach holiday here. Rather than sprawling resorts like you find on the Budva Riviera, in Kotor Bay you’ll mostly find small seaside hotels with their own guest beaches.

The weather on the coast in Montenegro is almost always hot and dry in July and August so catching the sun isn’t necessary. But if you’re looking for a beach holiday during off season, you’ll need to choose your destination more carefully. The Bay of Kotor’s mountains mean that some places don’t get a lot of sun. The sunniest spots are Perast and the Herceg Novi Riviera between Igalo and Kamenari. 

Kotor

Although Kotor is the major drawcard in the Bay of Kotor, it’s not ideal for a Montenegro beach holiday. Directly in front of the town the waterfront is taken up by Kotor port and marina. The closest beaches are in Dobrota, which starts 750m from the old town.

If you want a beach holiday near Kotor, there are lots of very good hotels along the Dobrota seafront. HUMA Kotor Bay is the largest and has its own beach. Hotel Casa del Mare Essenza and Corso Levante Luxury Suites Dobrota are also good choices. 

Perast

Perast is very beautiful and very popular, both as a place to stay and a tourist attraction. And, as mentioned, it’s one of the sunniest spots in the Bay of Kotor. But Perast only has one beach and the amount of boat traffic from boats visiting Our Lady of the Rocks, which lies just offshore, means it’s not the best place for a beach holiday.

If you’re looking for a beach holiday and you want to stay in Perast, the Iberostar Grand Perast has a seafront area for guests and a free speed boat transfer to a nearby beach club.

Top Beach Holiday Packages in Perast

herceg Novi

The Herceg Novi Riviera (between Igalo and Kamenari) is the best place in the Bay of Kotor for a beach holiday. Herceg Novi has the best beaches in the bay and because it’s south-facing, it gets lots of sun. 

Igalo is a tourist favourite, with a large, sandy-bottom, shallow beach and plenty of restaurants and nightlife. The top hotels for beach holidays in Igalo are Hotel Palmon Bay and Iberostar Herceg Novi, which is around 3km away in Njivice.

If you prefer somewhere quiet, I recommend Savina and Meljine. They’re close enough to town that you can walk there in 15-20 minutes, but you won’t be disturbed by music from beach clubs or nightclubs in Igalo. My top picks to stay here are Hotel Perla, Hotel RR and five-star Lazure Hotel and Marina, all of which are beachfront.

Further along the Herceg Novi Riviera, Hotel Casa del Mare Blanche and Hotel Park in Bijela are good destinations for a beach holiday, as is Hotel Casa del Mare Mediterraneo in Kamenari.

Top Beach Holiday Resorts in Herceg Novi

Tivat

Tivat has very few beaches, but you can still have a beach holiday here. Like Kotor, Tivat’s waterfront is mainly for boats, but either side of the marinas you’ll find seafront hotels and accommodation. Close to the town centre the seafront is a concrete bathing area and from Seljanovo to Donja Lastva (on the other side of Porto Montenegro) there are pebble beaches. If you have a rental car, one of Montenegro’s top beaches, Blue Horizons (Plavi Horizonti), is a 20 minute drive from town.

Since Tivat centre is only 5km from Tivat airport, a 10 minute drive from Kotor and a 30 minute drive from Budva, Tivat is a really good place to stay. It’s also compact and very easy to get around on foot. It has a wide range of good restaurants, regular events and nightlife. 

If that sounds good to you and you want a beach holiday, Boutique Hotel La Roche has a guest area with loungers on the concrete bathing area. A 10 minute walk from the centre, in Seljanovo, Eco Hotel Carrubba and Waikiki Apartments are good choices for a beach holiday.

Top Beach Holiday Resorts in Tivat

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Luštica Peninsula

Luštica Peninsula is mostly rugged, but it’s a charming and authentic place. In a way it’s ideal for a Montenegro beach holiday, because there’s nothing much else to do but enjoy the sun and sea. Luštica is ideal if you’d like a more rustic beach holiday without the beach resort.

Luštica Peninsula actually has one of Montenegro’s finest beaches, Blue Horizons, which is a shallow, sandy cove. Another beach, Oblatno Beach, is also sandy and has a cool beach club where you can hire loungers, get cocktails and eat at their upmarket restaurant. The only complaint with this beach is that there can be a lot of wasps. 

There’s no accommodation on these beaches at the moment, but near to both the Chedi Luštica Bay is a stunning five star hotel that’s part of the high-end development, Luštica Bay. The Chedi also has its own guest beach. 

On the Bay of Kotor side of the peninsula, the Krašići coastline is a popular seaside destination. La Perla Hotel and Villlas is the best hotel here, but you’ll also find little rustic and authentic accommodation like the Fisherman House.

Žanjice and Mirište Beaches are popular beaches further out on the peninsula. Hotel Art Media, on Žanjice Beach, is right on the seaside and lies next to upmarket restaurant, Ribarsko Selo.

Top Beach Holiday Resorts on Luštica Peninsula

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Bar

Bar is off the beaten track for most tourists that come from outside the Balkans. Bar has a long pebble beach near the town centre and the Hotel Princess has good quality accommodation on the beach front. 

Sutomore, 7km from Bar centre, is a popular beach holiday destination, with hotels like Apart Hotel Sea Fort right on the beach, but tourists often complain about the rubbish and blaring music here.

If you’d like a quiet alternative, I’d recommend choosing somewhere like Dobra Voda, where Kalamper Hotel and Spa has nice beachfront accommodation. 

Utjeha is another popular beach holiday destination and Utjeha’s Uvala Maslina beach is a very busy beach in the summer, especially in July and August. The coastline here is mostly rocky with pebble beaches. Hiring a seaside villa like Villa Yukka, where you are steps from your own beach, is a great way to enjoy a relaxing Montenegro beach holiday.

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Ulcinj

Ulcinj is the southernmost town on the Montenegrin coast. While it’s much less popular than the Budva Riviera or Bay of Kotor, it has Velika Plaža, a 12km long sandy beach that’s 5km from the town centre. Velika Plaža is known for its great conditions for kite surfing.

Ulcinj isn’t as polished as the Budva Riviera and Bay of Kotor. It doesn’t have big, fancy resorts or five star hotels on the beach. The accommodation on Velika Plaža is mainly camping or rustic accommodation. Saranda Beach Bungalow has wooden bungalows right on Velika Plaža and MCM has a campsite on the beach. Ulcinj is the place to go if you’re looking for a beach holiday on a budget! You’ll also find good quality hotels just back from the beach and in town. 

If you’re looking for good quality hotels or self-catering accommodation, you’ll find them closer to the town centre. There’s a smaller beach, called Mala Plaža, right by Ulcinj’s old town so you can also have a beach holiday in the centre of town. You can stay somewhere like Hotel Prova, which is right across the road from the beach or stay somewhere like Hotel Mediterraneo Liman, which is just outside of town and has its own beach.

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Montenegro Beach Holiday Packages

One of the easiest ways to book a Montenegro beach holiday is by booking a holiday package. These packages are mainly from the UK. If you’re coming from outside the UK I recommend booking your own trip or visiting your local travel agent to see what they can offer. 

There are some great advantages to booking a package holiday to Montenegro:

• Booking a package saves you lots of time. You just choose your accommodation and your flights and transfers are automatically included
• Your flight, transfer and accommodation arrangements are all in one place
• Most holiday packages to Montenegro are beach holidays, so you have a wide range of excellent accommodation to choose from, including five star hotels and all-inclusive resorts
• There are flights from all over the UK and Ireland to Tivat, Podgorica and Dubrovnik airports
• Sometimes you can book your holiday with a very small, or even no, deposit
• There are packages where kids go free
• ABTA and ATOL protection means you won’t be stranded if your holiday company gets in financial trouble
• Airport and in-resort reps mean there’s always someone to answer your questions or help if things don’t go to plan

Tips for Booking Montenegro Beach Holiday Packages

• Book online: It’s cheaper to book your holiday package online. For example, with Balkan Holidays you save £138.63 on a holiday package for two people when you book online
• Fly into Tivat: You can also save money by choosing to fly into Dubrovnik Airport instead of Tivat Airport. In this case I’d recommend spending the extra to fly into Tivat. It’s worth it to save yourself at least two hours each way on your transfers, likely a lot more in summer when the border crossings are busiest
• Compare prices: Many tour operators offer the same hotels. Compare prices, flights, board basis (how many meals are included), luggage allowances and flight times to make sure you get the holiday that best suits you

Best Montenegro Beach Holiday Packages

Balkan Holidays

Balkan Holidays has been offering holidays in the Balkans for over 50 years – that’s a lot of experience with the Balkans! 

They’re a well-established and popular tour operator here. Since they specialize in the Balkans, they have the biggest range of accommodation options, and you’ll find both hotels and self-catering options on Balkan Holidays.

Balkan Holidays fly into both Podgorica and Tivat, meaning you avoid the border crossing with Croatia, which can add a lot of time to your airport transfers in summer. They also fly from a range of airports around the UK and Ireland.

Related Articles

Best Budva Beaches

Best Herceg Novi Beaches

Best Beaches in Kotor

Best Sveti Stefan Beaches

Best Montenegro Beaches

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About Sarah

I'm a New Zealander who's lived in Montenegro since 2008. I love exploring this beautiful country and sharing the best of it with you!

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