A Road Trip Along The Adriatic Coast To Stari Bar

One of the best ways to explore Montenegro is by car! The drive along the Adriatic Coast is stunning!

There are so many lovely spots you can stop off along the way. Here is our drive from our hotel in Budva to the town, Stari Bar:

Sveti Stefan

This stop is recommended for people who are driving from the Bay of Kotor or Budva to Stari Bar. There is a little viewpoint along the coastal road, that looks over onto Sveti Stefan.

Sveti Stefan is a 5-star hotel, located on a small island, just off the Adriatic coast. The whole island belongs to the hotel. There are only 2 ways to be allowed to visit the private island. The most obvious one, be a guest at their hotel. If the price tag for a night in the hotel is too steep, you can book yourself in for a meal at their restaurant. We decided to save our pennies and enjoyed the view from above, off the coastal road.

World’s Largest Olive Tree

Montenegro is home to one of the world’s largest olive trees, Stara Maslina. The tree is located just outside Stari Bar and is said to be over 2,000 years old.

The tree is surrounded by a fence to protect it. If you want to go inside the fence and stand up close, you have to pay a small fee.

Stari Bar

Stari Bar, meaning Old Bar, is a small town, located not too far from the Adriatic coast. It is located just a few miles inland, from the new city of Bar, resting on Londša hill, at the foot of Mount Rumija. Stari Bar got badly affected by the 1979 earthquake. Today, you can quite clearly see, the town is still recovering from the earthquake. It is now 40 years on from the earthquake. Will the town ever fully recover again?

Stari Bar is only a small town. This place is run down with a lot of abandoned homes. However, it still holds a lot of character and charm. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant that had no running water. Please do not let this put you off from eating here. The food was delicious.

If you are arriving by car, car parking was a bit hectic. We basically got told where to park by the local men and charged a small fee for a day ticket. The streets are narrow and get blocked by cars trying to pass through them. The local men seem to have some kind of parking system, which works for them. Just don’t expect to find a car parking lot; you will be squeezed into a parking spot down their narrow streets.