Who doesn’t like a good day trip? On our second day in Montenegro, we made a spur of the moment decision to venture out of Kotor to see more of the country.

At this point in our vacation, I had come to terms with the fact that there was a 100% chance that it was going to be hot outside. That day was no different. By 9 a.m. temperatures were in the 80s, so wherever we wanted to go, it needed to be near a beach.

We narrowed down our potential day trip destinations to three places: Perast, Budva, and Sveti Stefan. Parking in Perast sounded like a hassle, plus we had already stopped there on our boat tour. Budva is known for its nightlife, which wasn’t quite what we were looking for. That left us with Sveti Stefan. It’s the most photographed place in Montenegro, and it met our criteria of having a beach.

Let’s Talk About Sveti Stefan – The Run Down:

Time Spent in Sveti Stefan: A few hours

For the Traveller Who Likes: Beaches with a View

For those of you who don’t know anything about Sveti Stefan, here’s the lowdown – the main attraction here is an island that connects to the mainland with a sandbar. Sounds cool, right?  It is, but if you want to get on the island, you should probably plan ahead. Or just have lots of money. The island, which has been a celebrity getaway for decades, is owned by the Aman Resort and is not open to the public. There are two ways to gain access: by renting a room at the resort or by eating at the resort restaurant (reservations required).

Unsurprisingly, we didn’t have $1,000 to drop on a room at the 5-star luxury hotel. So, why did we even bother visiting Sveti Stefan? The beaches north and south of the island are open to the public – and you get to take in the view for a fraction of the price of staying there!

Like most Balkan beaches we visited, the water was stunning, but the beach was all pebbles. Unless you enjoy laying on tiny painful rocks, bring a towel or plan on renting a beach chair (around $10).

Other than the beach, there wasn’t much to see in Sveti Stefan. After a few hours of sunning and enjoying the water, we packed up and headed back to Kotor. Although we didn’t spot any celebrities, it was just the right amount of time to spend on a spontaneous getaway.