Montenegro may be small, but it’s astonishing how much it fits into one easy-to-love corner of Europe: timeworn towns crowned with medieval churches, beaches for every mood, restorative spa retreats, pocket-sized bays lined with fish restaurants, plus mountains and national parks that feel worlds away from the coast. Here, nature and history don’t just coexist — they travel side by side. And wherever you base yourself, each region reveals its own distinct rhythm and a handful of places that feel entirely its own.
Darya Lushina is a stylist and makeup artist with 17 years of experience. She’s called Montenegro home for the past seven years and, thanks to her work, has criss-crossed the country from shoreline to highlands. Over time she’s built a personal shortlist of spots that are simply non-negotiable. For Locals Insider, Darya shares the pins she’d drop on your map — the places to go if you want to truly feel Montenegro, and fall a little bit in love with it.
Mogren Beach, Budva
If you’re anywhere near Budva, make a point of stopping by this beach. You reach it via a walkway carved along the cliffs straight from the Old Town, and once you arrive, it’s all dramatic rock faces, greenery, and that unmistakable Adriatic glow.
The sand here is fine and pebbly, the water impressively clear — clear enough to spot fish as you swim. For a bit of fun, there are paddleboards, pedal boats, and small boats for hire, plus a handful of cafés right on the spot. The mood is pleasantly secluded, calm, and easy.
Come at sunset, when the light turns especially flattering. For dinner, you can stay on the beach and choose one of the restaurants, or wander back to the Old Town.
2. Perast
Perast is a miniature town in the Bay of Kotor — small and beautiful in a way that feels almost like a film set. Baroque palaces, churches, and old cobbled lanes have been carefully preserved, and everything here invites you to slow down.
It’s perfect for quiet moments and sea views. Just off Perast, there are two small islands: St George’s Island, crowned by a picturesque Benedictine abbey, and Our Lady of the Rocks (Gospa od Škrpjela).
From Our Lady of the Rocks, the views over the bay — and back towards Perast itself — are spectacular. I also recommend driving the full loop around the bay from Kotor: the route closes with a ferry crossing, so you can take your car across the water.
Along the way you’ll see one beautiful scene after another — mountains, tiny fishing towns, and oyster farms. Make a stop in Orahovac at Školjke Boke — an oyster and mussel farm with a café set right at the mouth of the Ljuta River, between Orahovac and Kotor.
The owners cultivate the seafood right in the bay and serve it at peak freshness — often straight from the water. It’s not a restaurant in the traditional sense: it’s simple, authentic, and wonderfully unpolished. You sit on the pier or deck, with the sound of waves and boats in the background, eating the freshest oysters imaginable.
Bring cash — sometimes they don’t accept cards.
Sveti Stefan and Miločer Park
