All along the coastline, from the village of Kamenari to the Croatian border you can find cozy places for swimming. Let us start from the tiny town of Zelenika, and go up North through the coast to Sutorina river. Tiny but comfortable beach of Marinero Cafe is in close proximity to the former railway station in Zelenika, so you get a bit of the local history in addition to cold drinks and lively music.
If you want silence and privacy, go along the old road towards Herceg Novi, leaving the pedestrian tunnel on the right. When the path turns up the hill, look down: steep steps lead you to a cozy sandy beach. There are no amenities, no changing cabins, showers or toilets, just a nameless lane of sand between the rocks. But there is also no tourists. And you can hide from the scorching sun in the shade of the trees and enjoy the mesmerizing view of Lustica peninsula.
From here we continue to Meljine, to the sandy city beach, the concrete beach of RR Hotel and the pebble beach of the elegant Lasure Hotel & Marina: all of them are great for a lazy pastime, well equipped, and with cafes and bars just a few steps away.
It should be noted that any vacation in Montenegro is inextricably linked with the local tradition of drinking coffee.Therefore, this review will not be complete without a brief description of cafes. Enjoy your cup — and delicious pizza or homemade ice cream — on the terrace of Laguna Beach Pizzeria next to Meljine public beach, at the cool restaurant of the RR Hotel, or slurp a milkshake at the Lasure seaside bar.
It is time to move on. Immediately after the Lasure Hotel, begins a sleepy part of the shoreline, with quiet places to swim and relax. Cozy sandy beaches are hidden between the heaps of stones, modest concrete beaches lay near the coffee shops, then the sand emerges again.
If you are planning to swim here, be sure to bring along rubber slippers: sea urchins like to settle between the rocks. Collisions with these spiky creatures are not fatal, but definitely unpleasant.
A monument to King Stephen guards Žalo beach right at the walls of the ancient Forte Mare fortress. Further, behind an outdoor pool, a sandy beach lolls under pine trees, followed by shiny pebbles of the Yachting Club 32 restaurant property.
Concrete or rocky shoreline leads us to the old railway tunnel. In front of the tunnel you can find yet another beach with a statue. In this case, it is not a national leader, but a girl waiting for her beau sailor. This romantic spot is perfect for tourists not too fond of tan, a sheer cliff here provides a shadow in a hot summer day.
Just a few dozen meters away from the tunnel seat Bolivar Bar, Lobelia Cafe and People's Bar. All of them have their own charming immaculate beaches, and you do not need to choose, it is easy to stroll from one to another without ceasing to sunbathe.
Now we are already walking along the shoreline of the village of Igalo. The picture is familiar: concrete piers and rocks up to the very edge of bay. At the end of the promenade stretches Igalo’s public beach. It is worth a special attention.
First, it has sand, and pebbles, and concrete platforms with convenient descents into the sea. Second, the water here is very shallow, you can walk about a hundred meters without dampen your shorts. It is a great place to just wet your feet when it is cold to swim, in early spring, but you miss the sea. And third, near the river Sutorina estuary, the beach became swampy and muddy, and this mud — according to local residents — treats all kind of diseases.
And if you wish to change a scenery, sail to Lustica peninsula. Several boats run daily from the moorings near the Old Town of Herceg Novi to Zanjice, a favorite beach of Josip Broz Tito, the former communist leader of Yugoslavia. The water there is incredibly clear and a bit cooler than at the bay, and the view to the Adriatic is enchanting.
Now we wish you a long vacation and plenty of time to visit all these beaches we told you about and choose the best one. Or better yet, find a new, unknown place and fall in love with it!