OCTOBER 2023
If you are looking for the picture perfect postcard of Montenegro, you must go to Sveti Stefan. Sveti Stefan for me was one of the reasons I wanted to visit Montenegro and I was happy that we made it to this beautiful spot. Don’t be fooled by the little houses on the island, it actually is a resort style hotel, which you are not allowed to enter if you don’t stay there. You could still go for a swim though, and that is exactly what we did!
Practical information
Sveti Stefan is a little town at the Montenegrin coast, which is famous for the picturesque island that is lying in front of it. The island actually is a five star hotel and is only accessible when you stay there. That doesn’t mean that it is not worth it to go and visit. In front of the island you will find a pebble beach, from which you have beautiful views of the hotel. The best view however can be found from the road which is situated up hill, you will pass it if you travel Budva to Sveti Stefan. Sveti Stefan itself is very small, but it is possible to stay there as you will find some hotels directly at the coastline. We didn’t choose to do an overnight in the area, but visited as a daytrip. When we arrived at 11AM there was still plenty of parking, but this did come at a very steep price. I don’t remember exactly but we paid about 10-12 euros per hour, which is insane! Luckily, the beach itself was free, so that did cancel out some of the cost.
Sveti Stefan
If you just come for swimming I think it is sufficient to plan for 1-2 hours, which is enough to take a dip and enjoy the view. I must warn you that Sveti Stefan is located at a very cool area of the Adriatic and that the water was cold compared to Croatia.
We also had lunch at the restaurant that overlooks Sveti Stefan to make good use of our time there. The food wasn’t too expensive or interesting, but we definitely enjoyed our view!
Camp Krupac
From Sveti Stefan we traveled onwards to Bosnia-Hercegovina. About half way we made a stop at Camp Krupac, which is an eco campsite that has recently been developed. This campsite is located at a beautiful lake with a heavinly temperature. This campsite definitely added to our experience of Montenegro as you can join for a small scale home-cooked meal for 7 euros. I also loved our drive from the coast to Bosnia, because we passed through beautiful nature reserves, which made want to explore the outback of Montenegro.
