Budva is one of the oldest towns on the Adriatic, and it carries the claim lightly, between nightclubs. The walled old town sits on a small rocky peninsula, a tight cluster of stone houses, churches and narrow lanes protected by a ring of Venetian walls, and tradition suggests that a settlement has stood here for about two and a half thousand years. In 1979 a strong earthquake damaged much of it, and the rebuilt streets have a slightly too-neat look. The citadel on the seaward side, with its small museum, gives a view along the coast.
Around the old town, modern Budva has grown into the main resort of Montenegro, with a long strip of beaches, hotels, bars and restaurants known as the Budva Riviera. Some of the beaches, such as Mogren, are small coves reached by a short path from the old town, and the water is clear and warm in summer. A short drive south, the former fishing village of Sveti Stefan, built on a tiny island linked to the mainland by a causeway, is one of the most photographed sights on the coast. Behind the shore, steep mountains rise toward the highlands of the Lovćen national park.
The road along the coast is a classic. From Budva you can head north through the Sozina tunnel or along the coast toward Kotor, with sections that climb above the sea and give views over the bay and islands, with sharp bends and drops. Roads inland, climbing to the old royal capital of Cetinje and the mountain of Lovćen, with its famous serpentine road of many hairpins, are steeper and more demanding. Surfaces are generally acceptable, but traffic in July and August is dense, with tourist buses, scooters and cars crowding the road, and the heat can be fierce.
Budva has fuel stations and workshops, and an enormous number of restaurants serving grilled fish, octopus salad and cheese-filled pastries. It is a late-night town in summer, so noise can be a problem in hotels near the centre. The best months for riding are May, June and September, when the sea is warm enough for a swim, the air is mild and the road is easier. Evening walks around the old town walls give the best light on the stone.