Budva is made up of a new town and an old town. We didn’t spend a lot of time in the new town. The new town was a place full of holiday resorts, restaurants, bars, and shops. We preferred the old town; a place full of history, quirky little alleyways, and a beautiful coastline. Old Town Budva is defiantly a place to visit!
Old Town Budva
Budva is a coastal town along the Adriatic Sea with 18 different beaches to choose from. The town is known for its lively nightlife. However, please do not let this put you off from visiting! There are two parts to Budva: the new town and the old town. Old Town Budva is beautiful. Situated on a small peninsula, filled with narrow streets, squares, and famous buildings. It is a fantastic place to go shopping for souvenirs. It’s a place not to be missed! Sadly, the town was badly damaged in the earthquake in 1979. Since then the town has been rebuilt, trying to keep it the same as how it was before it got destroyed.
Budva At Night
Budva is known for its nightlife. We happened to be there during its first-ever Oktoberfest!
The nightlife is good if you do like a good night out. Budva is home to its own Ibiza-style nightclub, Hill Top. Each week during the season they get big DJs to perform there. However, if you are somebody like me who’s not after partying into the early hours of the morning, you can still enjoy Budva. There are quieter areas to go for a drink and if you are staying at the Alva Hotel and Resorts, you can ask for a room on the quieter side of the hotel. We enjoyed cocktails at a lovely, quirky bar called Ice Club located in the square of Old Town Budva. Here we enjoyed our cocktails while relaxing on the swinging chairs, looking up at the beautiful church that has its bells ringing every hour.
The Ballerina
While visiting Old Town Budva, look out for the Ballerina from Budva. This statue has a few different names; Dancer from Budva, Gymnast from Budva, the Ballerina Statue.
There are a few different stories behind the dancing girl. My favourite story is the one were the statue is a symbol of eternal love. Where the statue annually enjoys immense popularity among millions of tourists, traveling from all over the world, as there is a belief that the desire conceived near the “Dancer” will come true. However, in another story I have read, which could be true; the statue is dedicated to the daughter of local wealthy spouses who went swimming in the sea and did not return.
To find the Ballerina, you need to head towards the rocks on the way to beach Mogren, passing Hotel Avala, the hotel in which we stayed in.
Aquapark
To me, a summer holiday is not complete without a waterpark. It was my partner’s 27th birthday so I decided to surprise him with a trip to Aquapark in Budva, the largest waterpark in Montenegro. The waterpark only opened at the beginning of the season this year, 2018. The waterpark is located on the hillside, providing fantastic views across Budva. The park has a mixture of slides and pools for all ages. For more details on what the waterpark has to offer, please click on the link: Aquapark
Location
Address: Topliski Put, Budva
You can get there by car, taxi or bus. It’s about a 10-minute car drive from Old Town Budva. For the bus information please see the link above. Their website has information about bus times and costs. If you are thinking about driving to the water park in your own car, there is a free car park at Aquapark. However, please note the car park is not very big. Therefore, at busy times it may get full quickly.
Admission
We visited the park in September which is classed ‘out of season’ in Montenegro. There were pros and cons to this. Some of the slides and pools were not open however, we got 30% off our admission tickets and there was hardly anybody at the waterpark so it meant no queuing for slides. Admission cost €16 per person and lockers were €3 each.
Food and Drinks
We stopped at their cafe for lunch, which during season sells a wide selection of food. However, out of season they only sell a limited range. Visiting out of season also means you get 30% of the food and drinks. We enjoyed a pizza and a cone of chips. You pay for your lunch on your wristband that was provided on admission. You have to remember to top up your wristband with cash before you can order your food. I forgot to do this!
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Further Reading
My book, How I Tamed the Wolf, Living with Lupus is available on Amazon via this link:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09M73X2JQ/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MWAF58981F0VVMNRV1WN
Enjoyed this blog and want to know what else there is to do in Montenegro? Head over to: Montenegro
