Budva Riviera: Bečići, Rafailovići, Pržno and Petrovac

The Budva Riviera is a chain of resorts running 18–19 kilometres by road from Budva to Petrovac, and according to Budva’s tourist board nearly all of its beaches are sand. The shingle is mostly in Budva itself, on Slovenska beach and at Jaz. Heading south from there come Bečići and Rafailovići, Kamenovo, Pržno, Sveti Stefan and Petrovac, and the further you go the quieter it gets.

This is the middle of Montenegro’s coast: the Bay of Kotor lies to the north, Bar and Ulcinj to the south, and Tivat airport is 20 km from Budva. The two questions people ask most have short answers. Bečići or Rafailovići? It is the same beach. Petrovac or Budva? That is a choice between peace and quiet and a night out.

In short

• Bečići: 3.3 km from Budva, a beach of almost 2 km, sand with fine shingle.
• Rafailovići: the eastern end of the same beach.
• Kamenovo: 330 m of sand, with daytime parties in summer.
• Pržno: 6 km from Budva, 260 m of sand, facing west, so you get the sun until it sets.
• Petrovac: 18–19 km, 25–30 minutes’ drive; 600 m of reddish sand.
• Bus: Budva to Sveti Stefan every 15–20 minutes, €2.50.

The riviera’s beaches at a glance

Beach	Length	Surface	Where
Slovenska	1,600 m	shingle, some sand	central Budva
Mogren	350 m, two beaches	sand	a few hundred metres from the Old Town
Jaz	about 800 m and 400 m	shingle, sandy seabed	2.5 km from Budva towards Tivat
Bečići and Rafailovići	almost 2 km	sand with fine shingle	3.3 km from Budva
Kamenovo	330 m	sand	between Rafailovići and Pržno
Pržno	260 m	sand, rocky in places	6 km from Budva
Miločer (Kraljeva plaža)	280 m	fine sand	by Sveti Stefan, 9 km
Petrovac	600 m	reddish sand	18–19 km from Budva
Lučice	220 m	fine golden sand	500 m south of Petrovac
Buljarica	about 2.2 km	sand near Petrovac, then shingle	2 km from Petrovac towards Bar

Lengths and surfaces are from Budva’s tourist board. “Sand” here often means sand mixed with fine shingle, but it does not mean rocks.

Bečići and Rafailovići: one beach, two names

The beach runs for almost two kilometres, from Cape Zavala to Cape Dževištine. The sand comes in several colours, washed down by four streams, and the beach is lined with top-category hotels. According to Budva’s tourist board, Bečići won a Grand Prix in Paris in 1935 as the best beach in Europe.

Rafailovići is the eastern end of the same beach. In the middle there is sand with shingle and a gentle slope into the sea; at the edges it turns to rock and the bottom drops away quickly. A rock known as the Green Rock stands by the way down to the beach.

It suits families: a long beach, calm water, and Budva within walking distance. Tandem paragliders land on the beach at Bečići, too; see paragliding in Montenegro.

Parking. The small private car parks by the Rafailovići marina fill up fast. It is easier to leave the car up on the main road and walk down.

Can you walk from Budva to Bečići?

Yes. A footpath starts at Slovenska beach in Budva, goes through a tunnel under Cape Zavala, follows Bečići and Rafailovići and ends at Kamenovo. From the Old Town to Bečići is about 3.7 km, some 50 minutes on foot; from Bečići to Pržno is another 2.7 km or so.

On the way, in a cove by Cape Zavala, is Guvance, a small sandy beach of 80 m, reached by paths from Budva and from Bečići.

Kamenovo

A 330-metre sandy beach between Rafailovići and Pržno. In summer it hosts daytime parties, and there is a car park nearby. From Bečići it is an easy walk along the promenade.

Pržno and Miločer

Pržno was a fishing village and is now an upmarket resort. Its beach is 260 m of sand, rocky in places, with olive trees behind it. It faces west, so the sun stays on it until sunset. It is 6 km from Budva.

Miločer is the next cove, below the former summer residence of the Karađorđević royal family. On the King’s Beach (Kraljeva plaža), 280 m of fine sand, a set of loungers costs €240. The Queen’s Beach (Kraljičina plaža) at Miločer is open only to hotel guests, from 8:00 to 20:00.

Next comes Sveti Stefan, 9 km from Budva. The island hotel reopened on 1 July 2026, and non-guests can see it on a guided tour, booked in advance; check the price and times when you book. The details are in Sveti Stefan.

Petrovac

The quiet end of the riviera, 18–19 km from Budva, 25–30 minutes by car. In the evening it is noticeably calmer, and most visitors are families and couples.

The town beach is 600 m of reddish sand with a gentle slope, easy for children. At its northern end, on the headland, stands Kastio, a 16th-century Venetian fortress built against pirates; there is a restaurant inside it now.

Offshore, 700–900 m out, lie the islets of Katič and Sveta Nedelja; the sea around them is a protected area.

Five hundred metres to the south, over a pine-covered headland, is Lučice: 220 m of fine golden sand, 10–15 minutes along a path, with shallow water. Further on, 2 km towards Bar, Buljarica is one of the longest beaches on the coast, about 2.2 km, with sand at the Petrovac end, shingle further along and campsites behind it.

The coves between Sveti Stefan and Petrovac

Crvena Glavica is a string of seven small beaches of reddish sand near Sveti Stefan. Drobni Pijesak is 250 m of yellow-white sand and shingle, hard to reach by land and much easier by sea. Perazića Do is a tiny beach below the Reževići monastery.

Places like these are best seen from a boat; see coves with no road.

Which resort should you choose?

	Budva	Bečići, Rafailovići	Pržno, Sveti Stefan	Petrovac
Beach	shingle; sand at Mogren	almost 2 km of sand with shingle	sand; some beaches belong to hotels	600 m of sand, plus Lučice
Evenings	clubs and bars	the promenade, quieter	restaurants	calm
Best for	first visit, nightlife	families	couples	families, peace
Transfer from Tivat airport	from €58	from €62	from €72 to Sveti Stefan	from €89

Transfer prices are for an economy car for up to four people, one way. You can book on the transfer page; the services are provided by independent companies, and you book and pay them directly. For resorts beyond the riviera, see where to stay in Montenegro.

Practicalities: season, loungers, parking

Swimming season runs from mid-May to mid-October. The sea is 18–20 °C in May, 25–26 °C in July and August, and 23–25 °C in September.

Loungers cost €15–30 a set (two loungers and a parasol); on Slovenska beach it is €10–15, rising to €20 at the peak.

Parking in Budva costs €1–2 an hour, up to €3 near the Old Town, and an unpaid ticket is €50. In Bečići and Petrovac spaces are scarce in summer, and the ones near the beaches go early in the morning.

Getting around without a car

Budva, Bečići and Rafailovići are joined by the promenade, so you can walk between them. The bus to Sveti Stefan runs every 15–20 minutes for €2.50, and the ride to Petrovac takes 20–40 minutes and costs €3.50.

With a car it is easier to reach the far beaches such as Buljarica and to carry on south: see car rental in Budva.

Seeing the riviera from the water

The riviera looks its best from the sea. A motorboat from Budva costs from €170 an hour, or from €355 for three hours, and that is the price for the whole boat and your group. The route out to the Petrovac islets is described in the coastal cruise, and boats are on the yacht charter page. Boats go out in season only; there are no trips in winter.

Budva itself, with its old town, citadel, Mogren and Jaz, has a guide of its own: Budva: old town and beaches.

Prices checked in September 2026. Sources: Budva Tourist Organisation (beach lengths and surfaces), distances calculated on OpenStreetMap.