Croatia, Montenegro – two victims of overtourism? (page 5 of 11)

I recently saw a report on the growth of tourism along the Albanian coast... it’s scary! 😱 (and it doesn’t make you want to go)

Yes, you should go off-season when all the temporary summer infrastructure has been packed up.🤪

Another early wake-up call (or almost...), the island of Korčula awaits us!

No underwater tunnel or suspension bridge to reach it, despite the short distance between the port of Orebić and that of Dominče.

So, we have to do it the old-fashioned way and take the ferry.

The crossings aren’t very frequent—rarely more than one per hour in this shoulder season.

What’s more, the number of spots for vehicles is limited, and you can’t reserve in advance (for a specific time).

So we arrive early in the queue, early enough to be among the first.

We buy our tickets—50 euros round-trip for a car and its two passengers—then wait while strolling around the port.



Hey, isn’t that our ferry arriving?

The line of cars is now quite long.

Will they all fit on the ferry?

The boat’s mouth opens, spitting out its cargo of pedestrians and vehicles.

The new batch boards, and thankfully, it doesn’t fill up completely.

We leave the Scirocco on the upper deck and watch the landscape go by.





Fifteen minutes later, we’ve already arrived!

Hmm, there seem to be a lot more people going the other way.

We won’t leave too late—don’t want to get stuck on Korčula!

The island is quite large, nearly 50 kilometers long.

It’s hilly, with winding roads.

So we won’t be able to crisscross it like we do on Pelješac.

First, we decide to head to Pupnatska Luka beach, reputed to be the most beautiful on the island.

We arrive mid-morning—the parking lot (paid...) and the beach are still far from full.

We park the Scirocco, rush down the stairs, set up the umbrella, and dash into the water.

Still pebbles, still that stunning water...



Honestly, the Croatian coast is really more for the eyes than for beach lovers!

The spot is pretty but not exactly wild, with its sunbeds and other facilities.

Not bad on this June day, but it could be a nightmare on August 15th...



Next, we venture into the heart of the island in search of a restaurant.

The main town of Blato is sweltering in the heat, its streets and avenues deserted.





Will the restaurant even be open?

But yes!

It’s even a celebration meal for the locals!

We have lunch to the sound of the accordion and some singing—a bit more typical than a beach bar...

I don’t think we have time to go any further if we don’t want to miss the ferry!

And off we go—back to the town that gave the island its name, Korčula.

Or was it the other way around?

After being relieved of a few euros by the ever-present human, mechanical, or virtual cash collectors lurking at every parking spot, we stroll within the walls.

The crowds aren’t overwhelming, but once again, it’s the transformation of village spaces into tourist hubs that’s the real issue.

Especially in the sea-view areas!

The number of restaurants, cafés, and souvenir shops should really be limited...

That said, the visit was still very enjoyable, and we’ll keep great memories of this day.















And yep, it’s already time to head back!





Once again, we made sure to arrive early, which guarantees us a spot for the return trip—much busier than the way there.

As every evening, a stroll under Luka’s twinkling lights will wrap up this lovely day!

See you tomorrow...

One last day on Pelješac, one last swim.

We slip into our swimsuits and drive to the end of the road that serves Luka.

A beach in its natural state, still pebbly, stretches along the coast.

A narrow arm of the sea separates us from Bosnia-Herzegovina, with oyster and mussel farms bobbing in the water.



No paid parking, no sun loungers to rent at a premium—just one other family besides us.

Sure, it’s not the most stunning spot on the Croatian coast, but we’re miles away from overtourism, and that feels great!



After a few more strokes, we head back for a late lunch and a lazy start to the afternoon.

We’ll need our energy for what’s ahead: the Great Wall of Ston!

We’ll begin our (very partial) assault on this defensive structure at the entrance near Mali Ston.

The village is reachable via a pleasant hike starting at the Chapel of the Sacred Heart, where we park the Scirocco.



Not a soul on the trail, no one in the outskirts of the town—we almost wake up the ticket attendant at the booth.



Past the entrance tower, the visit continues along the top of the stone wall. Like medieval warriors, we now take our turn on lookout duty.





Thankfully, we’re dressed more lightly—between the heat and the climb, I can’t imagine walking a few kilometers in chainmail or a padded doublet...

We won’t run into many visitors—fair to say we’re here just before closing time, and not many people stay overnight around here!

The wall walk now descends toward Ston.



The view of the fortified town, the sea, and the salt pans is unbeatable—our efforts are rewarded!







Just a few more steps, a few more paces, and we leave the place behind.

We head back to Mali Ston via a trail parallel to the road, then explore the village a bit.



A few more steps, still hardly anyone around, and we’re back at our starting point.

A really lovely end to the afternoon!

We’ll return to Ston for dinner, but the restaurant we chose won’t live up to our expectations.

The right to make mistakes on this trip...

I’ll let you repack your bags—tomorrow we leave Croatia for its neighbor, Montenegro! !

This wall-walk path is so nice! The good news from the travel journal is that it confirms you can still find preserved spots in any country 🙂

Yes, that quarter-turn of the ramparts and the walk will remain a great memory from this trip.

There are more visitors when starting from Ston, which has large parking lots accessible to buses. But earlier in the day.

Pack your bags again, tomorrow we're leaving Croatia for its neighbor, Montenegro!

Oh! I'm curious! :)

The rest of the trip will be more in the green than along the blue...

The rest of the trip will be more in the green than along the blue...

We’re kinda going from Lake Aydat to Godivelle, in a way ;)

Even the green areas might be crowded in Montenegro...😉 But you can also drive for miles without seeing a soul.

Really enjoyed this travel journal, adding Croatia in June to my wish list... Can’t wait for retirement! !

Love this round walk! The good news from the travel journal is that it confirms we can still find preserved spots in every country 🙂

I'm this close to packing my bags!!

It's 08:00.

We double-check that we haven't left anything behind and slam the door of the little house shut.

The Scirocco follows the signs for Dubrovnik, then Cavtat.

I then check Google Maps to see which of the two border crossings to Montenegro is the least busy.

Indeed, Schengen is a thing of the past!

More or less thorough checks are to be expected, and the reputation of border staff isn’t exactly stellar when it comes to productivity...

On certain days and at certain times, the queue can stretch for several kilometers, and we want to avoid that!

The red (indicating traffic) doesn’t extend much beyond the Karasovići crossing, so we opt for this route, allowing quick access to the Bay of Kotor.

The crossing ultimately takes little more than half an hour—perfect!

We’re now in Montenegro, a small Balkan country that’s only been independent since 2006.

Driving quickly proves a bit more chaotic than in Croatia, but it’s mainly the lack of cleanliness that soon catches the eye!

Illegal dumps, trash tossed along the road, old vehicles left to rust at the end of a garden or in the bushes—southern Italians wouldn’t feel out of place here...

Okay, it’s still much less grimy than in Puglia because the dumps are in more isolated spots.

We make our first stop at Savina Monastery.

The secondary church has beautiful frescoes, and the adjoining cemetery offers stunning views of the Bay of Kotor.





(That last photo reminds me of Mexico, where graves are adorned with the pleasures the deceased enjoyed in life—apparently, wine is a thing here too...)



Watch out—you need to dress modestly to enter the buildings!

That means knees and shoulders covered. My partner’s shorts will leave him waiting outside the church...

We continue along the coast in search of a restaurant for lunch.

The sea winds between the mountains, sometimes like a lake, sometimes like a wide river.

Its color is gorgeous—this could be paradise!



The flip side of the postcard is the excessive tourist exploitation, which, to be completely honest, is still quite manageable on this side of the bay in June.

The restaurant has a lovely terrace by the water, and the prices are pretty reasonable given its location.



A pleasant break!

We then gain some elevation to discover breathtaking panoramas of the Bay of Kotor.

The P11 doesn’t descend back toward the sea, so we either have to turn around or take a tiny secondary road full of hairpin turns.

You can guess which option we chose...

Some of my predecessors mention the poor road conditions and the need for a 4x4.

I get the feeling they’ve never left the highway... or they own a Ferrari...

Sure, the pavement is missing in some sections, but recommending a 4x4 is a stretch...

The Scirocco still felt a bit uneasy in 2 or 3 tricky spots. A Sandero would’ve been perfect here!

Montenegro’s road network is regularly rough once you leave the main routes, so I’d strongly advise renting a rugged Dacia instead of a Mustang convertible.

Less stylish, sure, but way more versatile!

We touch down in Risan and drive to the very touristy village of Perast.

The village authorities had the good idea to close streets to traffic but didn’t build enough parking lots.

Owners of any available roadside space have taken advantage of this to pad their wallets.

Some offer a parking spot in exchange for a boat ride—what price, who knows?

We pass through the village and eventually find a spot (free, no less...) a kilometer further on.

The village, stretched along the coast, follows the shoreline.



It’s pretty cute but a tad too polished and cash-grabby for my taste.

About fifteen kilometers later, we arrive in Kotor.

We booked a studio with a parking spot not too far from the city center.

We leave the Scirocco in the shade, our suitcases under the air conditioning, and set off to explore the medieval heart of this fortified city.



















It’s even more crowded here than in Split or Dubrovnik.

I think there can’t be more than a handful of residents left within the city walls...



I knew what to expect, so I’m not too bothered and just enjoy the beauty of this museum-like town.

That’s the secret to visiting overtourism hotspots: expect the worst so you end up pleasantly surprised instead of completely disappointed!

We’ll end this delicious, albeit overcrowded, day at a restaurant packed with every nationality that’s pushed Montenegrins outside the walls...

The Great Replacement?

I didn’t think Kotor was this touristy.

I went to your profile to check out your Thailand travel journal, and when I clicked on it, it brought me right back here. All week I’ve been dealing with bugs like this—it really doesn’t make me want to keep using VF. 🙁

Yeah, I noticed those bugs too.🙁

The little stretch of Montenegrin coast is very touristy.

The Bay of Kotor is also a popular day-trip destination from Dubrovnik, and the "sea HLM" (cruise ships) stop there.