A Day Trip Along Montenegro’s Coast

On a day trip from Dubrovnik to the south we chose to drive the length of Montenegro’s Adriatic coastline.  As one of the newer countries in the world, Montenegro gained independence from Serbia in 2006.  Compared to Slovenia and Croatia, Montenegro is less developed but as tourism continues to increase here, this will likely change.  Driving in Montenegro felt like you were driving in a video game at times.  It seemed like hazard after hazard had to be avoided whether it was a pedestrian walking across the middle of a busy street, a car backing out of a driveway or an animal randomly meandering across the road.

Aside from the difficult driving at times, the Montenegro coast is quite a spectacle.  The coastline of Montenegro appeared to be a bit more dramatic then Croatia’s with taller mountains rising up from the glistening sea below.  The Bay of Kotor, which is just a short drive past the border as you pass from Croatia to Montenegro, is a perfect example of this dramatic topography that you see in Montenegro.

Besides the impressive scenery, the one thing that is readily apparent along Montenegro’s coast is the Russian influence.  Russians are flocking to Montenegro’s coast in droves with daily charters from various points in Russia.  By some accounts, Russians own more than forty percent of the properties in Montenegro and well over twenty percent of the visitors to Montenegro are Russian.  Certainly the shared orthodox faith and similar language are contributing factors to this migration.  It seemed like atleast half of the billboards were in Russian as we drove along the coastline.

Real estate developments catering to Russians were numerous along the coast.  It became apparent real fast that Russia intends to make Montenegro its playground.  Budva, the coastal town which is the center of Montenegro’s tourism, has benefited from the influx of tourists but the growth hasn’t been without its problems.

Infrastructure around Budva is seriously lacking at times.  Reports of shortages in tap water and electricity outages run rampant.  Traffic through Budva was definitely heavy and poor urban planning has contributed to this.  Although the Russian economic engine has spread to Montenegro and created jobs and increased wealth, the infrastructure has a long way to go to be considered world class.

What will Montenegro’s coastline look like in ten years?  Without doubt, the Russian dominance of the coast will continue to increase. One can only hope that the real estate boom doesn’t ruin the charm and beauty of Montenegro’s coast although I have my doubts.

Tips: 1. If you drive just a few kilometer’s south from Budva make sure to stop around Sveti Stefan, a small peninsula that juts into the Adriatic which is home to a five star resort.  There is a nice turn out along the road just above Sveti Stefan which makes for a nice photo opportunity.

2. We enjoyed the coastline just south of Budva the most.  It was less developed and there were amazing views around every curve.