A beach people drive to — when they could walk
Most visitors to Budva get to Mogren Beach the wrong way. They ask the hotel to call a taxi, pay €5 each way, and arrive sweaty ten minutes before half the beach bar crowd beats them there. The route hiding in plain sight is a twelve-minute walk from the west gate of the Old Town along a cliffside path, past one of the city's best-known statues, and through a tunnel carved into the limestone.
It's not a secret exactly — it's signposted — but the path gets overlooked because it starts behind the Old Town walls in a direction most tour groups don't head.
How to find the start
Leave the Old Town through the main sea-gate (the one facing the marina), walk north along the waterfront past the boat-tour kiosks, and keep going until the paving turns into a flagged coastal path. The road itself ends at the Avala Hotel complex; the path continues through an archway just past it.
From there the trail hugs the cliff edge for about 200 metres with the Adriatic directly below you. There's a metal railing the whole way. In July and August the path gets busy with families heading back from the beach at lunchtime; before 10:00 or after 17:00 you'll mostly have it to yourself.
The Ballerina Statue
Halfway along the path, on a rock outcrop that juts out over the water, stands the Statue of the Ballerina — a bronze figure mid-pirouette, balanced on one foot, arms stretched upward. It's become the most photographed non-architectural landmark in Budva and has a folk backstory that everybody tells and nobody can quite source: a local woman waiting every day for her sailor fiancé, who never returned from a voyage.
The statue itself was installed in 2007 by the Montenegrin sculptor Gradimir Aleksić. The legend is older than the statue — different versions of the same waiting-woman story are told all along the Adriatic coast — so it's possible the sculpture was made to fit an existing local memory rather than the other way round. Either way, it's the viewpoint for the classic photograph of Budva's walls from the sea side.
Through the tunnel
Thirty metres past the ballerina the path dips and enters a short tunnel carved into the cliff face. It's about 20 metres long, unlit, and cool even in the peak of summer. You'll know you're nearly at the beach when the tunnel ends because the echo of surf bounces off the walls before you see the water.
Mogren I — the first cove
Out of the tunnel you step onto Mogren I, the first of the two coves. It's a wide strip of fine pebble and sand backed by cliffs. A beach bar runs the length of the back wall selling drinks, ice cream and grilled food; sun loungers and umbrellas are rented by the day with rates posted on a board by the entrance.
Swimming entry is gentle and shallow at the near end, dropping to deeper water further along. The water here clears to a visibility of 8-10 metres on a calm day because there's no river drainage and minimal boat traffic.
Through to Mogren II
A second, shorter tunnel at the far end of Mogren I leads to Mogren II. This cove is smaller, quieter, and usually 20-30% less crowded than the first. The swimming is the same quality; the main difference is that Mogren II has no beach bar and no lounger rental, so you need to bring your own towel and water.
Mogren II is where locals go when the first cove is full. It's also the better option if you want to combine swimming with snorkelling — the rocks on the far side of the cove have a small reef system with wrasse, damselfish and the occasional octopus.
Practical notes
Open season: The path is open year-round. The beach bars on Mogren I operate May through September only.
Swimwear on the path: Montenegrin law requires swimwear to be covered outside designated beach areas. Walk in a cover-up, change at the beach.
Footwear: The path is flat but the tunnel floor is slightly uneven and often wet. Trainers or sturdy sandals beat flip-flops.
Getting back: Same route in reverse, or take a taxi from the hotel above Mogren I (€5 back to the Old Town).
Rain: Don't. The limestone gets slick and the tunnels drip. If it's raining, the path stays open but becomes mildly dangerous.
Pair it with the Old Town
The best plan for a half-day: morning coffee inside the Old Town walls, walk out to Mogren, swim and lunch at the beach bar, walk back along the same path in time for the Old Town golden-hour light. Total distance including return is under 2 km, everything flat, and you never need a car.
