Sand — there is not much
Real sand exists in two places and both are in the south.
- Velika Plaža, Ulcinj — 12 km of it, dark grey from river silt, shallow for fifty metres. Warmest water in the country. The kitesurfing beach.
- Ada Bojana — an island of sand between two river arms and the sea. Naturist, with fish restaurants on stilts.
- Plavi Horizonti, Luštica — small, genuinely sandy, backed by pines that give the shade nothing else has.
Pebble — most of the coast
| Beach | Why |
|---|---|
| Kamenovo | Clearest water within reach of Budva |
| Mogren I & II | Under a cliff, reached by a walkway from Budva old town |
| Petrovac | Reddish pebble, sheltered bay, gentle entry |
| Lučice | Small cove ten minutes from Petrovac through pines |
| Buljarica | Two kilometres of almost nothing. Cheapest sunbeds on the coast. |
| Žanjice | White pebble on the Luštica outer coast, open sea, very clear |
| Jaz | Long, half free, north of Budva |
Concrete — where the locals swim
In the Bay of Kotor there is barely any beach at all. What there is instead is stone and concrete platforms with ladders straight into deep clear water, usually outside a café, usually free.
Dobrota, Prčanj, Stoliv and the whole Pet Danica promenade in Herceg Novi work this way. Anyone who can use a ladder gets better swimming than any beach on the coast, with no pebbles to cross and no sunbed to rent.
Rock — for people who like it
Much of the Luštica peninsula and the coast south of Petrovac is bare limestone shelving into deep water. No facilities, no shade, sometimes a rough path down. Mirište, the coves around Rose, and dozens of unnamed places reached by boat or a scramble.
This is the clearest water and the emptiest space, and it suits confident swimmers with water shoes and no children in tow.
The practical ranking
| If you want… | Go to |
|---|---|
| Sand and shallow water for children | Velika Plaža, or Plavi Horizonti |
| The clearest water | Žanjice or Kamenovo |
| Space to yourself in August | Buljarica or the eastern end of Jaz |
| To swim without a beach at all | Dobrota promenade |
| Shade | Plavi Horizonti — almost the only pines on a beach |
| The photograph | Sveti Stefan from the road above |
Two rules for all of them
Water shoes. Pebble hurts, rock is slippery, and sea urchins live on the concrete steps. This one item changes the whole holiday and costs five euros.
Every beach has a free public section by law. On a concession beach it is usually at one end, unmarked, with the sunbeds pushed up to its edge. You are entitled to be there and nobody will move you.
