There is something both disconcerting and fascinating about the road trip to Budva in the height of summer.
On one side lies the Adriatic, surprisingly calm, blue and bright. On the other, almost clinging to the shoreline, rise Montenegro’s mountains. Between them runs a road that in July and August seems unable to cope with the sheer number of cars, buses and tourists heading to one of the destinations that is most rapidly gaining prominence in this part of Europe.
Budva is one of the clearest examples of that transformation. The city combines a walled medieval old town with beaches, hotels, restaurants, terraces and a vibrant nightlife.
During the summer months its streets fill with tourists and, when the sun goes down, much of the seafront promenade takes on a different personality.
Music, bars, packed terraces and groups of young people roaming the city until the early hours create an atmosphere that, for a Spanish traveller of a certain generation, may feel surprisingly familiar.
