Our first full day in Montenegro was May 24, 2010. We spent the day enjoying the sea-side town of Budva. The Stari Grad (Old Town) inside the city walls may be smaller than the more famous Dubrovnik in Croatia, but it is just as beautiful! And the best part is that you can escape the tourist trap prices simply by going outside the Stari Grad walls.
We got sandwiches at a little shop near the beach for lunch and then walked along the path to the right of the main beach, which takes you around the coastline to another beach. The farther you walk, the better the view for taking photos looking back at Budva.
Budva really is a beautiful seaside town, and the prices in Montenegro are still a great deal. We arrived early in the tourist season, so many of the restaurants along the beach-side promenade were still putting on a fresh coat of paint and many of the bars and fast food stalls hadn’t opened yet.
One of the evenings we spent in Budva we had a set multi-course seafood dinner for a bargain price! It was beautiful sitting right along the beach and watching the sun set. Our favorite part of the meal was the local specialty of black risotto, which is colored with squid ink. Our meals came with so much food, including two fish each, that we weren’t even able to finish them.
If you’re looking for a beautiful and affordable country to visit along the Adriatic Coast, we highly recommend Montenegro!