“Montenegro 🇲🇪 ~We Made Our Way to the Sea”
While we have loved, loved our time in North and Central Montenegro, we were ready to leave the canyons and mountains, to get to the Adriatic Sea and enjoy the views offered up there!
As is the norm for us, we drive and drive and drive, then by dinner time, we need to figure out our lodging. We never just drive to a destination, since there are so many side roads worthy of taking.
Montenegro is stunning in every way. Coming from less traveled locations, to the more popular touristy towns of the coast, we ran into a lot more closed hotels and apartments. The coastline is also more expensive, even during the plandemic, since those that are open, are gouging. We looked for an hour for lodging, but the prices were sky high, and not very nice, either. We finally settled on one that was 44 euro per night, and 1.5 euro for breakfast. It was a newer hotel and nice. This was a first time we spent over 30 euros (sometimes under) for a stay, since being in the Balkans. Reluctantly, when I told the gal what our budget was, she said 44 for a double was their price, I agreed. After getting settled, unpacked, and the sun was down, I went to the desk to get another key card, and the gal said, Oh sorry, I want you to know the rate is 44 euro per person. WHAT? I said, “no way.” She said, “sorry, my English is not so good.” I told her, had we known, we would not have stayed. 88 Euros a night? We felt so stuck. I did tell the gal, we would then, only be staying one night, instead of two or three. We will see this morning, at checkout how much they will try to charge us. We had hoped to base ourselves out of Kotor for our touring, but we are getting the heck out of this area, and will stay in a village, someplace in our travels around the sea.
The overpriced Franca Hotel. (our view from room) If we were going to spend over a hundred bucks a night in Kotor, we could have stayed right on the bay! I’m not trying sound snobby, but we don’t pay this high of a price for hotels over here.
I told Daryl the bad news at dinner, and the normal gentle giant, was not happy and he made some noise. He told the gal to expect a bad review on Trip Advisor, too! We ate dinner, and had chicken. Mine was cooked fine, but Daryl’s was raw in the middle. (obviously did not eat it) Again, he complained, and they ended comping our dinners. Later, the A/C wouldn’t cool the room off, though running. (remember it’s around 100 degrees during the day). Also, the Wifi hot spot in our room kept turning off every 30 minutes. Yep, my teddy bear continued talking about how we were overpaying, and then not getting amenities, promised. He wrote a letter to the management. A staff member said he would be checking on our room rate to see what could be done.
Such is the life of full-time travels. As glorious as our lifestyle is, life still happens; the good, the bad and the ugly. We just have to roll with it, the best we can.
UPDATE:
Franca Hotel did the right thing and honored the price for the room we were quote at check-in. They comped our dinner and breakfast, so they really stepped up to the plate and we feel like they took care of us in the end, when we checked-out. They did not get a bad review on Trip Advisor.
Coming out of the Mountains, on yet another “Panoramic Road” we found, we headed to the Adriatic Highway. This was extra special, because of having been here, three years ago and visited the impressive Kotar Fort.
We also went to Our Lady of the Rock (amazing) in Perast, and will share another link for that, too. However, our day today will take us back to Perast, as there is more in that scenic village than we got to see the first time. There are also several other villages we will drive/walk through between today and tomorrow. We loved this area when we were here and knew there was so much more to see! Daryl was still working, so it was an actual vacation, and we were on a great tour.
Now, we have plenty of time to explore, further!
Yesterday, was full of wonder and awe, as everyday has been, since we arrived in the Balkans. I hope you enjoy the photos and the history!
Besar Castle. It is still being restored, but we came for the view!
Nice, right? From down there, plenty of water taxis will take you to “Our Lady of the Rock.” It is not to be missed. We loved it! Here is the link from our visit there, three years ago.
The Panoramic Road systems, live up to their names!
Another hidden-away Monastery; circa 1233! It was locked up, but the area was pretty. After this find, on another off- the-beaten-path, the big guy said; no more. I’m done! I concurred.
The roads are not great and one never knows how far the roads goes to make it. Sometimes we have ventured and never even found the church. When locked up, it’s a bit of a let down. The insides are what we want to see.
We have managed at least six of these different road system. One can’t go wrong with any of them!
There she is! The Adriatic Sea!
This little gem is called “Sveti Stefan.” It’s a high- end resort that costs from 1500 (close to 2 grand) euros a night to about 3500. Nope, those numbers are not a typo.
The resort includes the islet of Sveti Stefan and part of the mainland, where the Villa Miločer part of the resort is located.
An Adriatic playground for the rich and famous from the 1960s to the 1980s, the hotel is now a 5-star franchise hotel of the international group of Aman Resorts, completed in 2009 and operating under a 30 year lease.
Formerly an island, Sveti Stefan is now connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus. The resort in total contains 50 rooms, cottages and suites on the island and Eight grand suites at the Villa Miločer.
At the foot of the Lovcen Mountains, in one of the most exotic encounters of land and sea, stands the island of Sveti Stefan.
As legend has it, a fort was built on the island in 1442, when it was first settled. The island was fortified by walls so families from the surrounding villages could find shelter from Turkish and Pirate attacks.
According to legend, the settlement was founded after a Pastrovic band bested the crew of a Turkish galley, and with the booty, seized the Fort, which was built with one house for each of the twelve Pastrovic clans. On the terrace above the entrance to Sveti Stefan the Pastrovic court meted out justice and resolved disputes. This spot was known as the “place of justice.”
The island of Sveti Stefan has three churches: the church of St. Stephen, after which the island was named, which is located on the highest point on the island. Then, there is the church of Alexander Nevski, and the smallest one dedicated to the Transfiguration; at the very entrance to the town, joined by a narrow embankment with the mainland.
The settlement slowly lost importance towards the end of the 19th century when the inhabitants, mostly fishermen, began to emigrate. During the Balkan wars, only about thirty families still lived on the island.
Complete re-settlement took place in 1955, when the island was totally renovated and converted into the world’s most unusual “town-hotel.” The streets, walls, roofs, facades retain their former appearance, while the interior of the houses acquired modern hotel amenities.
Today, it is an attractive combination of an ancient exterior and a sumptuous interior, intended for the upscale tourist trade. For centuries on Sveti Stefan periods of turbulence and glory, brilliance and misery succeeded one another.
We drank our four euro iced coffee, per person, at a splurge; and enjoyed the view of the ritzy property.
This water will blow your mind!
We took a small hike along the craggy coastline, through a pine forest. It smelled like Christmas! I lovee the pine scent.
From here we could see Budva, which is next to the island of Sveti Stefan. I think you can see why we will he exploring the coastal locations, before moving on
Here tales of pride and patriotism were told; history blending harmoniously with the beautiful environs.
In their long history Sveti Stefan, Milocer and Budva have been visited by many travelers, coming to admire the splendors of a small spot, offering an experience of unprecedented beauty. This magnificent region has always welcomed all travelers, known and unknown, who have come to admire its rare beauty, giving generously to those who know how to appreciate its values, ever ennobling, awakening in everyone a feeling for all that is eternal and indestructible.
Budva is a small coastal city of some twenty thousand inhabitants, and once was a former fishering Village.
Sandy beach along Budva is one of the most beautiful in Europe. Beaches in Buljarica, Petrovac, Bečići, Slovenska or Jaz are some of major reasons tourists spend their vacation in this particular part of Mediterranean.
Budva’s pearl is most certainly its Old Town, which is more than 2.500 years old and a treasure of Montenegrin cultural heritage.
Going back towards our starting point, we got on the car and cranked the A/C up!
We will need to get creative to find places for the vista photos. The Adriatic Highway is really pretty, but pull- outs are not available. We will need to find roadways that take us up in the mountains for some good shots.
If you can find Kotor, you will see some of the stops we made. We will exploring any place that is near the water
Here are links you might want to check out, from our previous trip to the Adriatic. On that trip we visited Croatia, Bosnia and Slovenia, as well as Montenegro (see the links below for additions stops in Montenegro) Fabulous trip. One of our favorites!
Here is a link to our visit in 2016 to “Our Lady of the Rock.” Wow, just wow! We took a boat ride from Perast:
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About Us
Hello and Welcome to our Travel Blog Website, We enjoy writing about our experiences and taking photos of our adventuring along the way. Our names are: Daryl and Pen, but Daryl calls me “Bunny.” We met, quite randomly, whilst both… Read More