Montenegro: Sveti Stefan

Sveti Stefan, Montenegro: from the highway
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Upon our return from Cetinje we quickly set out on a minibus to the oft-photographed resort of Sveti Stefan, located on a picture perfect peninsula connected to the mainland by an extremely narrow isthmus.

Sveti Stefan is normally shown in any Montenegro-related tourist poster or brochure, and has been the vacation destination of choice for many celebrities in Eastern Europe as well as the rest of the world.  Celebrities who have stayed in Sveti Stefan are Sofia Loren, Kirk Douglas, Slyvester Stallone, Claudia Schiffer, Bobby Fisher, and many more.

Sweaty Sveti Stefan

Sveti Stefan, Montenegro: yes, it's that perfect
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Originally a fishing village inhabinated continuously since the 15th century, Sveti Stefan turned into a resort during the 1950s, and the locals were all evicted.  It is still considered one of, if not the premier tourist destination in Montenegro.

We took a long walk from the highway above down into the town, through the beach which faces the resort, and crossed the isthmus to the main entrance.  They actually charge about 7 Euros (Montenegro's semi-official currency is the Euro) to wander around the grounds, but it's certainly worth it.

Sveti Stefan, Montenegro: a cottage at the resort
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The stone cottages are lined with a generous helping of bright flowers and ivy.  The entire resort seems incredibly peaceful, and I would have loved to stay there for at least a night.  We walked up to the small church at the top which provided views of the coast, and we also checked out the adequate pool area (the resort also has a casino).

It didn't seem like anyone was actually staying there, but I'm sure everyone was at the beach just over the isthmus.  The water, as was the case in most of Montenegro, was clear blue and seemingly devoid of any pollution.

Sveti Stefan, Montenegro: approaching the isthmus
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After getting more than a handful of pictures, we jumped back on the bus and headed into Budva for the rest of the night.