Ulcinj lies on the far south of the Montenegrin coast, almost at the Albanian border, and it has a different character from the towns further north. The old town sits on a rocky headland above the sea, and for centuries it was a base for corsairs and traders. The population here is largely Albanian, minarets share the skyline with church towers, and the cafés serve strong coffee and sweet pastries. The Cervantes legend says that Miguel de Cervantes was held captive here, and the town likes to remind visitors that Don Quixote's author may have been a prisoner in its harbour.
The long sandy beach, Velika Plaža, stretches for around twelve kilometres south-east of town and is the longest on the Montenegrin coast. In summer it fills with holidaymakers and kitesurfers, and the water is shallow and warm. Behind it lie the salt pans of Ulcinj, a wetland of international importance for birds, where flamingos and pelicans can be seen at some seasons. The mix of sea, marsh, olive terraces and mountain backdrop is unusual for the Adriatic.
Getting here by bike means following the coastal road from Bar, which climbs over a ridge and then drops toward the Bojana river plain, with fine views of the sea. The corners are relaxed, the surface is mostly decent, and traffic is steady in summer, particularly on weekends. Heat can be strong from June to September, and the best hours are early morning and evening, when the light turns the old walls golden. Spring and autumn are quieter, and the sea stays warm into October.
Ulcinj has more than ten thousand people, so you can expect fuel, banks, shops and plenty of restaurants, with fish and seafood on every terrace. Parking in the old town is limited, and the streets are steep and cobbled, so leave the bike in the lower town and walk up if you want to see the citadel. From the walls you can look down over the harbour and across the water toward the long beach. It is a good place to end a ride on the Montenegrin coast, or to turn inland toward Lake Skadar and Albania.