Sveti Stefan is a seaside town in Budva Riviera, a 35-km stretch of the Adriatic Coast in Montenegro. It’s one of the most photographed destinations in Budva, because of its unmistakable fortified island, located just offshore.
Not only does Sveti Stefan boast a remarkably scenic beach with crystal-clear waters, it also harbors some of the best hotels in the Budva Riviera including beachfront Hotel California (where we stayed), Boutique Hotel Villa Geba, and nearby Hotel Vivid Blue Serenity Resort (where we stayed), and ĀNANTI Resort.
We’d argue that Sveti Stefan is the best destination in Budva Riviera for a beach getaway, especially for couples.
If you’re following our 2-Week Montenegro Road Trip, we recommend basing yourself in Sveti Stefan for 2 nights after visiting Kotor.
In this Sveti Stefan travel guide, you’ll learn about Sveti Stefan island access, best viewpoints, neighboring beaches, where to eat, and where to stay.
- When to Visit: May – October. We recommend visiting in shoulder season (May, September, October).
- Closest Airports to Sveti Stefan: Podgorica Airport, Tivat Airport, and Dubrovnik Airport
- Where to Stay in Sveti Stefan Village: Apartments and Rooms Drago (midrange), Hotel California (luxury), and Boutique Hotel Villa Geba (luxury)
- Places to Stay near Sveti Stefan Village: Harmonia Bungalows & Pool (budget), Blanche Cliff Apartments (seafront midrange-luxury), Hotel Vivid Blue Serenity Resort (midrange-luxury), ĀNANTI Resort (luxury), and Maestral Resort & Casino (luxury)
Sveti Stefan Island: History and Access
Sveti Stefan Island is connected to the mainland by a short stone causeway.
The fortified rocky island is heavily built-up with Venetian-style stone buildings with terracotta roofs. A tiny chapel occupies the highest point. Pine and cypress defiantly grow between the buildings and cobbled lanes.
From near and far, Sveti Stefan Island is an eye-catching vision of orange, beige, and green, surrounded by the bluest of blues.
Back in the 15th century, Sveti Stefan was a fishing village, home to the Paštrovići tribe. To safeguard the village from pirate and Ottoman attacks, the Paštrović community funded a wall, thus turning the island into a fortress.
Later on, Sveti Stefan island served as an important trading center. By the mid 20th century, the island was abandoned.
In the 1950s-60s, the Yugoslav government transformed the deserted island into a luxury resort, frequented by high-profile royalty, politicians, and celebrities. Despite its previous success, the resort faced a downturn following the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.
In 2007, The Montenegrin Government leased Sveti Stefan island to the Aman Group, which reopened the resort as Aman Sveti Stefan in 2010 after careful renovations. Sadly, the resort was closed in 2020 due to the pandemic.
As of summer 2024, the island is completely closed to the public.
Though Sveti Stefan island is inaccessible, visitors can walk the length of the isthmus to the island’s gated entrance. From the pathway, there are picture-perfect views of the mountains.
We do not know if there’s a concrete plan in place to re-open the resort. Aman’s official website hopefully states: “Aman Sveti Stefan and Villa Miločer are currently closed. We hope to announce reopening dates soon.”
Sveti Stefan Beach
Bisected by the stone causeway leading to Sveti Stefan Island, the Sveti Stefan Beach is divided into two red pebbly crescent beaches.
The beach area directly north and south of the causeway is open to the public. Between the private beach area of Hotel California and the causeway, there are rentable beach loungers and umbrellas.
The beach is pebbly, ranging from small pebbles to rather large smooth stones. We recommend wearing water booties for a more comfortable beach experience. Though not a complete necessity, booties would have made our swimming entrances and exits far more graceful.
The area closest to the causeway has the smallest pebbles (almost sandy).
Overall, swimming is very safe and comfortable. This beach is suitable for children.
Beach Restaurants
Olive | The casual seafront Olive Restaurant offers great food accompanied by stellar views of Sveti Stefan Island. The restaurant is located at the northern-end of the beach along the pedestrian pathway that leads to Miločer beach. In terms of views and service, Olive is unbeatable. And, the prices will not break the bank. Exact Location: Google Maps.
Hotel California Beach Bar | Hotel California Beach Bar is located next to Hotel California and is open to the public. The beach bar serves a range of drinks and food (e.g. pizza, salads, pastas). Though the location is wonderful, the service is painfully slow and apathetic. Exact Location: Google Maps.
St. Stefan Beach Bar | This beachside bar is located just south of Hotel California. Exact Location: Google Maps.
Additionally, there is a kiosk selling drinks and ice cream on the southern beach next to the lifeguard chair.
There are more places to eat in the village including Caffe Caffe (Google Maps) and Famelja Kentera (Google Maps).
Beach Code of Conduct
Littering is forbidden.
Waste water discharge into the sea is forbidden
Camping on the beach is not allowed.
Open fire on the beach is not allowed.
Pets on the beach are forbidden.
Shampoo use is not allowed in the beach showers.
Vehicles on the beach are forbidden.
Use of jet skis in the swimming area is forbidden.
Nearby Beaches
A compelling reason to stay in Sveti Stefan is that it’s linked to other picturesque beaches by a pedestrian walkway.
From the northern-end of Sveti Stefan beach, this coastal path leads through a patch of mixed cedar and pine forest to Miločer beach and onwards to Kraljičina Beach, otherwise known as the Queen’s Beach.
Miločer Beach
The first thing you’ll notice about Miločer beach (aka the King’s Beach) is Villa Miločer, the elegant stone residence behind the promenade. This was the former summer residence of Queen Marija Karađorđević, Queen of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (1922 to 1929) and Queen of Yugoslavia (1929 to 1934).
In the 1960s, the royal residence was converted into a luxury hotel.
Like Sveti Stefan Island, Villa Miločer and Miločer beach are the property of Aman Sveti Stefan. When the hotel was open, the villa housed several elegant suites and spa facilities.
Most online resources state that the beach is reserved exclusively for the guests of Aman Sveti Stefan, which is outdated information. When we visited (summer 2024), the beach was open and accessible to the public.
There are no sun chairs, sunbeds, or umbrellas.
Note: if Aman Sveti Stefan opens again, beach access may change. If you experience any changes, please let us know by leaving us a comment.
The Queen’s Beach
If you continue walking north along the coastal footpath, you will arrive at Queen’s Beach, or Kraljičina Plaza.
Tucked away and seemingly hidden, this small pristine cove is a lovely destination for those that enjoy natural areas, free of beach bars, loungers, and facilities.
Like the other beaches around Sveti Stefan, the beach is pebbly.
Best Sveti Stefan Viewpoints
Church of Saint Sava Panoramic Viewpoint
St. Sava Church is located in Đenaši village in the hills above Sveti Stefan. The hilltop chapel was originally built in the 17th century.
Before, or after visiting Sveti Stefan, we recommend driving up the mountain road to this stone chapel for an unforgettable bird’s-eye view of Sveti Stefan Island and the coast.
The road branches off the main coastal highway (E65) near St. Jovan Church, south of Sveti Stefan.
Location | Google Maps
Sveti Stefan Hotels
Hotel California
Hotel California is a luxury beachfront hotel in Sveti Stefan with a private beach area, on-site restaurant and bar, and sea-view rooms.
Hotel California’s restaurant and bar spills out into an outdoor terrace, which overlooks the pebbly shoreline and Sveti Stefan Island. A staircase leads from the terrace down to the private beach area, spread with immaculate umbrellas and loungers. An attendant hands out towels near the base of the stairs.
The hotel’s exclusive beachside location is unbeatable and provides the greatest ease. You don’t have to worry about navigating to the beach, paying for parking, packing beach towels, claiming and paying for loungers and umbrellas, etc…
And when you need a break from the heat, you can retreat to the shady terrace overlooking the sea for refreshments and food, or to your room.
The hassle-free experience of relaxing and swimming in one of the most beautiful places in Montenegro was priceless.
Our only criticism is the beachside service. The private beach area is serviced by the public Hotel California Beach Bar, rather than the hotel’s bar and restaurant. We had to wait an awfully long time to order and receive drinks and food.
We stayed in a sea-view room. Though simple, the room was perfectly adequate.
A large breakfast buffet is laid out across multiple tables in the restaurant. Unless the weather is uncooperative, guests eat breakfast on the terrace. The breakfast was very good, but could be improved with more coffee machines and made-to-order egg dishes. All in all, it’s hard to complain when you’re eating breakfast to the sound of lapping waves with views of Sveti Stefan Island.
Front Desk | 24-hour front desk
Beach Access on Departure Days | You can use the beach area as long as you want on your day of departure.
Parking | On-site parking is complimentary with reservation. When you drive down to the hotel, an attendant will park your car for you and transfer your luggage to the hotel.
Room Air-Conditioning | Yes
Check availability at Hotel California.
Boutique Hotel Villa Geba
Boutique Hotel Villa Geba is a 5-star hotel in Sveti Stefan with designer rooms and suites (7 total) and one villa. Rooms are spacious and lavishly furnished.
Though this Sveti Stefan hotel does not have direct beach access, it does have sea-view rooms and a sea-facing swimming pool. Additionally, guests have access to a decadent spa with a hammam, sauna, and hot tub. Treatments and massages are available.
The hillside Boutique Hotel Villa Geba is a 5-minute walk to Sveti Stefan beach. The hotel also offers a complimentary shuttle service to Galija Beach.
The hotel’s fine dining restaurant serves international cuisine and caters to vegetarians and vegans.
Guests praise the quality of the service.
Front Desk | 24-hour front desk
Parking | On-site parking is available with reservation for a fee.
Room Air-Conditioning | Yes
Check availability at Boutique Hotel Villa Geba
Hotel Vivid Blue Serenity Resort
Hotel Vivid Blue Serenity Resort is a 4-star hotel, located just off the coastal highway E65, south of Sveti Stefan Village.
From its hillside perch, hotel guests enjoy sweeping views of both the Adriatic Sea and the mountains. Sunsets are simply glorious.
This modern and stylish hotel offers luxuriously-furnished rooms with air-conditioning. Our room was spacious and extremely comfortable. However, the most compelling reason to stay at Hotel Vivid Blue is perhaps the dreamy hotel terrace and drool-worthy infinity pool overlooking the glistening sea, backed by rolling mountains.
The hotel layout flows from one area to another, allowing guests to relax, eat, and drink in various, inter-connected areas.
The chic hotel bar and lounge spills into the covered outdoor terrace, which in turn extends out to the sun-drenched terrace and pool area.
Guests can eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the bright sun-drenched terrace, or in the cooler, covered terrace with floor-to-ceiling windows.
The breakfast buffet is supplemented with deluxe made-to-order breakfast dishes including eggs benedict.
The on-site à la carte restaurant serves salads, soups, risotto and pasta, seafood and fish. It’s so gratifying to end the day with dinner on the terrace whilst watching the sunset.
Hotel Vivid Blue Serenity Resort is a great place to stay in terms of ease of access.
With plentiful on-site parking along the E65, guests can zip in and out without any stress.
In high-season when parking is limited in Sveti Stefan, we recommend hiring a taxi. Hotel Vivid Blue partners with a local taxi company with fixed rates for all hotel guests.
Guests can also take advantage of the complimentary hotel shuttle to Drobni Pijesak beach.
Overall, service is extremely polished and professional.
Spa Treatments | A range of treatments are available on-site.
Beach Towels | You can rent as many beach towels as you want during your stay. There’s a 10 EUR deposit per towel.
Parking | Free on-site parking.
Good to Know | This is an adults-only hotel (ages 12+)
Check availability at Hotel Vivid Blue
More Accommodations
More accommodations in Sveti Stefan Village: Apartments and Rooms Drago (midrange)
More accommodations in the Sveti Stefan Hills: Harmonia Bungalows & Pool (budget)
More accommodations in neighboring Przno beach: Blanche Cliff Apartments (seafront midrange-luxury) and Maestral Resort & Casino (luxury)
Look for accommodation in Sveti Stefan.
More Montenegro Travel Guides
Travel:
- Montenegro Travel Guide
- Where to Stay in Montenegro
- 2-Week Montenegro Road Trip
- Best Places to Visit in Montenegro
Kotor:
- Things to Do in Kotor
- Where to Stay in Kotor
- Best Hikes in Kotor
- Ladder of Kotor
- Kotor Fortress Hike
- Vrmac Ridge Trail
- Pestingrad Peak Hike
Hiking:
Durmitor National Park:
- Durmitor National Park Hiking Guide
- Žabljak Hotel and Accommodation Guide
- Mount Prutaš Hiking Trail
- Bobotov Kuk Hike
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