Southern Adriatic

Heading south along the Adriatic coast towards Albania there is a perceptible change in the buildings and landscape; houses become more eastern in appearance and the emerald-green pines and cypresses of the Budva Riviera give way to silvery-green olive groves which cover the hillsides. This region is the country's main olive growing area. With its 450,000 olive trees Montenegro was once the former Yugoslavia's main supplier of olive oil and efforts are currently being made to regenerate the industry. One of the world's most ancient olive trees, over 2,000 years old, can be seen in this area.

There are two ancient walled towns to explore on this part of the coast, Bar and Ulcinje. The buildings of Bar's old town lie in ruins, the result of Montenegrin fire in 1878 when they retook the town from the Turks. Ulcinje was also under the control of the Turks for several centuries and during this time gained notoriety as a pirate base. The town was also the centre of a thriving slave trade.

There are some wonderful beaches along this stretch of the coast, and plenty of opportunities for interesting snorkeling in the clear blue waters of the Adriatic.

Marking the Albanian border is the Bojana river. Many decades ago a schooner sank in the mouth of the river and the gradual build up of sand around the wreck eventually formed Ada Bojana, now a naturist island joined to the mainland only by a bridge. It is a particularly good spot for windsurfing.