Island & Beach
Sveti Nikola Island and Chapel
Budva · Budva & Central Coast
QUICK INFORMATION
- CATEGORY
- Island & Beach
- COUNTRY
- Montenegro
- REGION
- Budva · Budva & Central Coast
- DURATION
- 1–2 days
ABOUT THIS ATTRACTION
Sveti Nikola is the low, wooded island that sits opposite Budva across the bay, closing the view from the old town and giving the resort its green backdrop. It is the largest island off the Montenegrin coast, covered in pine and cypress, with a handful of small beaches along its shore and a tiny chapel dedicated to St Nicholas. In season, boats run from Budva’s waterfront to the island’s beaches, and the crossing is short; out of season, the island is quiet and the boats stop. It is the natural counterpoint to the walled peninsula — a wilder, greener place across the water — but everything about a visit depends on the boats, the weather and the season, and nothing on the island should be treated as guaranteed.
HISTORY & BACKGROUND
The story behind it
Sveti Nikola has been a feature of the Budva seascape since antiquity, the wooded island that shelters the bay and gives the old town its outlook. The chapel on the island is dedicated to St Nicholas, the patron of sailors and fishermen, reflecting the island’s long association with the seafaring community of the coast. The island has never been permanently settled on any scale, and its use has shifted between grazing, occasional monastic presence and, in the modern era, day-trip tourism with seasonal beach facilities. Its beaches — popularly known by names including Hawaii — draw day-trippers in summer, but the island itself remains largely pine forest and shoreline.
WHAT TO SEE
What to see here
The island’s beaches — small coves of pebble and sand along the shore, popularly known by names including Hawaii, served by seasonal beach facilities.
The chapel of St Nicholas — the small island church dedicated to the patron of sailors, the religious focus of the island.
The pine and cypress cover — the wooded interior that gives the island its green character and its shelter from the sun.
The view back to Budva — the walled peninsula and the modern resort seen across the water, the reverse of the classic Budva outlook.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
Sveti Nikola is the green island that defines the Budva seascape — the backdrop to every view from the old town and the wilder counterpoint to the walled peninsula. For a visitor it offers beaches and a chapel within a short boat ride, but it is entirely dependent on seasonal boat operation and safe sea conditions, and it should be treated as a conditional trip rather than a guaranteed stop.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before you go
THROUGH THE LENS
From the road
MAP & LOCATION
Sveti Nikola Island and Chapel
Sveti Nikola Island and Chapel, Budva, Budva & Central Coast, Montenegro
42.2656, 18.8524
MORE ATTRACTIONS
More to see in Budva
THINGS TO DO
Things to do nearby
FOOD & DRINK
Where to eat nearby
Jadran — seafood beside the old town walls
Olimp — Mediterranean dining near the marina
Old Town konobas — seafood, grilled fish and Montenegrin dishes in the lanes around the old town
HOTELS & STAYS
Where to stay nearby
Hotel Avala — on a cliff above the old town and beach
Hostel Montenegro — a budget base near the old town
Budva waterfront apartments — quieter rooms and apartments within walking distance or a short local ride of the old town
NEARBY DESTINATIONS
Continue the journey
INTERESTS
Explore by what you love
ROUTES
Routes through here
Budva Riviera Scenic Road — Old Town to Buljarica
A careful one-day scenic run along Montenegro's central coast from Budva Old Town, via Pržno and the Sveti Stefan islet, the Reževići monastery and Petrovac's harbour, to the long beach and coastal plain of Buljarica.
1 days · moderate
VIEW ROUTEPaštrovići Heritage Circuit — Budva, Praskvica, Reževići and Gradište
A realistic two-day heritage road-trip through the Paštrovići coast and its monastery landscape — Budva and the northern sites on Day 1, Reževići, Gradište and Buljarica on Day 2.
2 days · moderate
VIEW ROUTEPART OF
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