One week before visiting Budva, I had never even heard of her.
I had been traveling through the Middle East: eating my way through Lebanon, solo traveling in Oman, and spending a casual day in Doha, when threats from the US began to rise toward Iran. Though nothing had happened yet, I knew I had to be proactive and make a decision to get out of the Middle East, despite future plans of heading to Bahrain and Kuwait. Needing a quick pivot, I found a $64 flight from Istanbul to Sarajevo, Bosnia. And 10 hours later, I landed in the Balkans.
I wasn’t annoyed about being in the Balkans, it’s just, I was completely unprepared. I had no intentions on ending up on this part of the world. However, it turned out to be a solid choice, because my first day in Bosnia, my worst fears came to fruition as the US and Israel bombed Iran, followed by a series of attacks by the Iranian government that would’ve hit the very places I had planned to be in.
So, what does all of this have to do with Budva? Well, I spent a few glorious days in Mostar, but eventually needed to make my way to Podgorica, Montenegro’s capital, to catch a flight to Italy. I decided to head to Montenegro a few days early to be by the sea, and that’s when I learned about this small seaside town called Budva. “That looks cute,” I thought. With a direct bus from Mostar, the rest is history, and I wound up in Budva.
The vibe of Budva
As soon as I arrived to the Budva bus station, I thought, “okay, I’m here! Now what??” I had booked a place in Old Town Budva, or Stari Gravi, because from my whole ten minutes of research, it seemed like that was the place to be. The walk to Old Town was 20 minutes from the bus station. As I dragged my suitcase on the cobblestone streets, Budva seemed like any other city: skyscrapers, a few quiet residential areas, and some cafes and bars. But as I approached Old Town, my jaw dropped from its beauty. The Budva Riviera has a nice dotting of palm trees, and offers that dramatic postcard-worthy scenery of where the mountains meet the sea. The entire town is completely surrounded by the Balkans, and paired up against the sparkling waters with plenty of fishing boats, it was quite the warm welcome.
Where to stay in Budva
I booked Beatrix Suites, and my room was centrally located right in Old Town, spacious, equipped with just enough amenities to make it work (a/c and heater, hairdryer, strong WiFi). However, if you’re looking for more of a traditional hotel, Astoria Hotel in Old Town, a four-star property, seemed to be where those with a little more money to spend were probably sleeping.
What to do in Budva
Despite the chaos that ensued of me getting to Montenegro, Budva wound up being a peaceful retreat. The town is incredibly sleepy. In all honesty, if you’re trying to “see everything in Budva,” you would maybe need a few hours. I spent five days there, and had consistently run into the same people and out of things to do. For that reason, I think Budva is a perfect place to go with no itinerary, which is possibly why I enjoyed it so much.
Budva Old Town is great for just walking around and getting a little lost. You’ll want to check out the City Museum of Budva, the Podmaine Monastery (a Serbian Orthodox Church), and the Church of Saint John the Baptist (where you’ll hear bells ringing every hour of the day!). The town is also surrounded by beaches and plenty of lookout points to see the sunset. It’s worth noting that most of the beaches here are pretty rocky and full of pebbles, so though they are picturesque, they’re not the best for laying out on. I was there in February and saw plenty of people get in the water, though!
Is Budva an affordable destination?
Unfortunately, outside of getting there and finding a decent place to stay on a budget, Budva is extremely expensive. I was quite shocked by this! Most coffees ran me $5-6, a glass of wine was $8-$11, and most meals started at 25 euros, or about 30 USD. It was nearly impossible to find affordable food to eat, which is wild for someone like me who thrives on doing even places like Monaco on a budget.
The people (and animals) of Budva
I found most people in Budva to be quite friendly. I can’t imagine the town sees tons of Americans, as most other tourists seemed to be coming from different parts of Europe, specifically the Balkans. That being said, I did face some stigma for being American, however, I was there during a time when the US was heavily destabilizing the Middle East. Needless to say, some moments were slightly uncomfortable, but overall manageable and I chalked it up to being something out of my control.
Aside from the mainly nice people (which, I’d like to emphasize, most were lovely), what I loved even more about Budva were the animals. Cats and dogs are plentiful here! This might sound silly, but the animals were a little on the heavier side, even when they were running around off-leash or essentially “unclaimed.” This lets me know the town collectively takes care of them, similar to the cats of Istanbul. And while we are talking about physical characteristics of Montenegrins, did you know Montenegro has the some of the tallest people in the world?
What to eat in Budva
I tried plenty of restaurants, cafes, take-out spots, and bars in Budva. Here’s the verdict:
For a sit-down meal:
- Old Fisherman’s Pub: I came here three times during my trip in Budva thanks to its convenient and beautiful location right on the water. The food is fine — nothing spectacular, but where it really shines is it’s just on the outskirts of Old Town and directly on the water. They also open early and I passed many mornings where people sat outside drinking their lattes and coffees.
- Sambra Pizzeria: This was, hands down, my favorite dining experience in Budva. Overall, the food in Budva is unfortunately nothing special and it is very overpriced. Sambra offered a prawn risotto for 18 euros (by far, the cheapest seafood dish I saw anywhere in town). It was full of seafood and absolutely incredible. Plus, it was made to order (so be patient as risotto takes a minute). The waitstaff was extremely friendly and my only regret is not revisiting Sambra during my stay!
For a quick bite/take-out:
- Pera Focaccia & Resto Bar: I got an incredible Chicken Caesar panino here for just 10 euros. While 10 euros for a panino in Italy would be insulting, in Budva, this was a steal. Plus, it was big enough that it lasted for two meals.
- Pizzeria Bocconcino: I simply could not believe my eyes when I saw that Budva was full of slice shops similar in style to those of New York City. I have never seen this anywhere in Europe, so my cold New York heart grew warm by this! I tried a plain cheese slice from Pizzeria Bocconcino and it did the trick.
- La Mia Pasta: Right next to where I stayed was a fresh pasta place called La Mia Pasta. This was my first meal in Budva, and I was excited at the prospect of fresh pasta made to order. However, for 15 euros a plate, they lost some points off the get-go, and they unfortunately lost even more points when I ordered Bolognese only to see it covered in some type of cream sauce. While traditional Bolognese does indeed include a small amount of dairy, these noodles were completely covered in a white Alfredo-type of sauce, and then topped with Bolognese. It wasn’t bad, it just was … different.
For a cafe:
- Cafe Beatrice: This is a lovely cafe with outdoor seating run by a sweet man from Türkiye. They won me over with their sign that said “ICED COFFEE,” because at the end of the day I am indeed a typical American. An iced latte here was about $5.50, which is pretty standard for Budva.
- Cafe Fiorino: Most mornings, I started my day at Cafe Fiorino, a lovely Italian-style cafe with bright orange decor planted throughout. Their double espresso is made strong! I came back one night here with my laptop and had an espresso martini while getting some boring housekeeping work done.
For a drink:
- Old Town Pub Budva: This is your standard run-of-the-mill pub, with draft beers and a super chill vibe. No food is served, but you’re allowed to bring outdoor food.
- Rakija & Wine Bar: I kept passing this wine bar everyday, where I’d see women crowded around smoking cigarettes and drinking wine. Those are my kind of people, I thought, and so I finally popped in. They have a decent selection of wine and spirits and it’s overall a charming place to grab a drink.
- Prince English Pub: I was walking to go get a panini when I passed Prince English Pub. I had no intentions on going in, but a very adorable golden retriever sat out front and immediately ran up to me for some pets. I then learned that he’s the face of the pub, and the interior has artwork and framed photos of him. So, for the doggo, I had a glass of wine here (twist my arm). Note that the dog isn’t here all the time, but it’s definitely worth stopping by if you want to pet a furry friend while having a drink.
How to get to Budva
If you’re looking for an off-the-beaten path destination, Budva is definitely a good one. It is a slight pain to get to, as your best bet from an international flying stance is to fly into Podgorica, of which there are no direct flights from the US, but many connecting flights throughout Europe (including but not limited to Milano, London, Istanbul, and Belgrade). Instead, what might be easier if you’re curious about Budva is to tie it in with a Balkan city hop. Budva is near plenty of other great cities in The Balkans like Dubrovnik, Mostar, and more, all of which are easily reachable by bus. And tickets are quite affordable.
Optional: Day Trips
Budva is a short jaunt from both Kotor, Montenegro and Dubrovnik, Croatia. You can book a day tour to either destination:
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