Budva, Montenegro: Booze, Boats, and Beaches

The summer was hot and getting hotter and I was ready for the beach—for those cool Montenegrin waters, for seafood and wine and sunsets and swimming.

So, rested and rejuvenated from my gloriously uneventful stay in Podgorica, I hopped on a bus and headed down to Budva, on Montengro’s Adriatic shore.

Whoa, Budva. I thought this would be the relaxing part of my summer travels. Turns out that Budva is a mad Russian mecca of skin and booze and beats and boats.

Budva has a carnival-like ambience at night, with pumping music and shouting tourists and beachy boozing. By day, it is only slightly less manic—the beaches full up quick and the streets of the Old Town are overrun with Russian tourists and boutique owners hawking expensive hats. My friend Liza and I set out to the beach early to enjoy it before the crowds came in, and returned around sunset, when most people had left. I preferred that—it was easier to relax. As an added bonus, the sea turned pink and purple as the sun went down. It was exceptionally lovely.

I met Liza through a fortuitous booking screw-up that left me in the room she’d booked as a private—we hit it off right away, thank goodness. Liza is Russian, but had no idea either that Budva was such a magnet for Russian tourists. She wasn’t so pleased that she’d left Russia to find herself in a summertime Russian exclave, but I was thankful to have her there—she could talk to everyone I couldn’t, and was great company.

Even though the beaches full of vacationers can feel a little overwhelming, Budva was more than redeemed by its inherent beauty—the Old Town winds and narrows and turns, and seems to get quainter and lovelier with every step.  The naturally stunning surroundings—the sparkling crystal-clear waters and the distant blue mountains—filled me with awe. Even the harbors brimming with yachts and sailboats added to the ambience. I dreamed of hopping on one of the boats and sailing away, down the Adriatic.

I didn’t have any wild nights out in Budva. I preferred our early mornings on the beach, and calmer nights drinking wine with Liza. But even skipping the “party” part of this party town, I still had a good time—I got my fix of seafood and wine and sunsets and swimming, and that made me a very cheerful Katrinka.