The numbers
| Early October | Late October | |
|---|---|---|
| Air, coast | 22 – 25°C | 18 – 21°C |
| Sea | 22 – 23°C | 20 – 21°C |
| Air, Žabljak | 8 – 14°C | 3 – 9°C, first snow |
| Rain | Increasing | Wet, especially in Boka |
| Double room, Budva | €50 – €75 | €40 – €60 |
| Daylight | Dark by 18:30 | Dark by 17:30 after the clocks change |
Rafting on the Tara keeps running into early October before the operators wind down for the season.
The week it changes
Roughly the third week of October. Beach concessions pull in the sunbeds, seasonal restaurants on the smaller beaches shut for the winter, and boat trips drop to on-demand. It is not gradual — a beach that had ten businesses on it has two the following week.
What stays open
- Kotor, Budva old town, Tivat, Podgorica, Cetinje — all year
- Museums and monasteries — all year, with shorter hours
- Rafting — until roughly the end of the month, then stops
- Restaurants in the towns, as opposed to on the beaches
- Lake Skadar boat trips — reduced but running, and the autumn bird numbers are building
What closes
- Beach concessions and beach bars, from about the 20th
- Nevidio canyon, once the water rises
- Mountain huts and katuns — the herders came down in September
- The Durmitor ring road, with the first serious snow on Sedlo
- The Kotor–Lovćen road, when snow reaches the top
- Much of the Budva nightlife, which ended in early September anyway
The rain
October is when the wet season starts on the coast, and in the Bay of Kotor that is not a small thing. Crkvice, in the hills above the bay, is one of the wettest inhabited places in Europe. A grey pouring day in Kotor in October is normal weather, not misfortune.
Budva forty minutes away can be in sunshine on the same afternoon. That is also normal.
What October is good for
The north. The larches and beeches on Durmitor and Bjelasica turn, the air is clear, the trails are empty and the light is low all day. Biogradska Gora in the second week of October is the best it looks all year.
Kotor without ships. The cruise season is winding down and the old town starts belonging to the people who live in it again.
Prices. A room that was €140 in August is €50, and the sea is still warm enough to swim in.
Who it suits
Walkers, photographers, anyone who wants the coast without the crowd, and anyone who has been in August and did not enjoy it. Not people whose plan depends on a beach club being open, and not people who want a guaranteed dry fortnight.
