Dazzled by the Adriatic’s secret gem
MONTENEGRO has long been described as the Cinderella to her bigger, brasher sister Croatia. On my first trip to the country – and last jaunt before impending motherhood – it feels as if this undiscovered beauty is finally getting to go to the ball.
Many have been moved to write about Montenegro, a compact but mountainous country with a coastline to match the Cote d’Azur and Amalfi. Yet the tourist hordes have yet to cotton on. Byron talked of the pearls of nature been sown in abundance here; if so, the juiciest pearl is the tiny island of Sveti Stefan, home to the country’s most luxurious hotel and my ‘babymoon’ destination. With its narrow alleyways, winding stone steps and plunging fortress sea walls, this centuries-old fishing village could have come straight out of a childhood fairy tale.
Built by local tribesmen with gold plundered from a defeated Ottoman invasion, Sveti Stefan’s history is as dramatic as the precipitous rocks it perches on. Under Tito’s rule, Sveti Stefan became the playground of the 1950s’ rich and famous: Liz Taylor, Sophia Loren and Princess Margaret holidayed here in movie-star splendour.
Today, post-Balkans conflict, the Aman group has painstakingly restored the resort to its original village-like charm. Old fishing cottages are now hotel suites, each uniquely designed with pared-back stone walls and understated luxury. I loved exploring the tiny bougainvillea-clad lanes; some leading to the village piazza, others to the island’s three churches. There are two pine-shaded pools to flop by when the midday heat gets too much – which it did for me and my expanding belly – and three top-class restaurants.
Come night-time, the island glows with lanterns, a homage to the wives of old who would use them to illuminate the way home for their seafaring husbands. As we dined on freshly caught fish, we could have been on the deck of a majestic cruise liner, the twinkling lights of Montenegro’s coastline our stunning backdrop.
What makes staying here extra-special is that hotel residents have the whole island, plus three of the country’s best mainland beaches, and a luxury spa to themselves. No surprise that today’s A-list stars, such as tennis supremo Novak Djokovic, take over the entire resort for private parties.
As hard as it was to leave Sveti Stefan, I mustered the energy to drive an hour up the coast and check out the Unesco sites of Kotor and Perast – both beautiful medieval towns inspired by the Venetians and nestling on the stunning Bay of Kotor.
There are two picturesque islets off Perast. Both have charming chapels and are easily reached by boat. Also not to be missed is Kotor’s Old Town, wonderfully preserved and free from tourists. Could all that be about to change? With big hitters Four Seasons, Hilton and One and Only opening in Montenegro soon, my advice is to visit now, before everyone else does.