With our bad experience in Budva behind us, we hired a taxi to take us to the seaside town of Bar. We made a reservation the night before and found a hotel across the street from the beach. While a little more expensive, we were so excited to have a better beach experience. Upon check-in, we were not disappointed. The owner greeted us with enthusiasm about how much we were going to enjoy our stay, walked us to our room and told us about their lovely breakfast the next morning. We were so relived to find a great place along the Montenegrin coast.
The Casablanca Restaurant across from our hotel has a lovely sun deck with a pool. They rent two beach chairs with an umbrella for 5 Euros. We sent 2 days enjoying the beach at The Casablanca. During the two evenings we spent in Bar, we walked along the beach; stopping to eat at a café and watch the beautiful sunsets.
On our last morning in Bar, we took a taxi to Stari Grad Bar (Old Town Bar). We were so glad we did. The historical center has been preserved and turned into a living museum. There is an entrance fee of 2 Euros but there are no restaurants, shops or homes in the historical area. Stari Grad Bar is a completely walled city. What remains from centuries before are ruins of a town that once was buzzing with life. Wandering the streets of this ruined city was a huge European highlight for us. It was amazing to see an entire city preserved in that way. Below are some of the pictures from our visit to Stari Grad Bar:
After our lovely visit to Bar, we headed to Ulcinj. Another seaside town in the southern part of Montenegro. It is very well known for its beautiful coastline and vibrant nightlife. There is a bus route that goes directly from Bar to Ulcinj. We purchased the tickets for 2 Euros each. The ride took about 1.
5 hours through the curvy roads along the coast. We arrived at the Ulcinj bus station in the early afternoon and took a taxi to our Airbnb apartment. Without going Into great detail… it was awful. So we left that place and checked into the hotel next door. It all worked out fine in the end as the hotel we ended up at had a lot better view and was $22 per night less with breakfast.
After exploring the Ulcinj Beach area, we discovered two distinct beach experiences within walking distance of our hotel. Along the main corridor there is large beach that is completely packed full of locals and vacationers laying on the beach…yes, I mean LAYING in the sand. And just a quarter mile south is Aquarius Beach which is a cl
ub open to the public offering a totally different experience. As I’m sure you guessed, we chose the Aquarius Beach Club. Chairs with an umbrella can be rented for 5 Euros each or a sunbed for two can be rented for 20 Euros per day. We went for the full luxury experience and it was worth every penny. We spent two days at the beach just chilling. It was amazing. We would recommend that if your are planning a trip to Montenegro, go to Ulcinj and visit one of the beach clubs.
During our 5 night stay in Ulcinj we visited Stari Grad Ulcinj (Old Town Ulcinj) but found out there is nothing there except restaurants and apartments; not even a single shop. The reward for climbing the very tall hill was a beautiful view.
It was a bit of a rollercoaster ride while in Montenegro but in the end we really enjoyed our 12 days here. Next stop is Durres, Albania.
Is your tentative itinerary posted in here?