Bečići beach guide

Most first-time visitors to the Budva riviera picture a small cove. Bečići is the opposite: a long, uninterrupted band of shoreline running from the edge of Budva to Rafailovići, backed for almost its entire length by hotels rather than pine woods or cliffs. It is the closest thing this coast has to a resort beach in the western European sense, and that is exactly what makes it work well for families who want a full day in and out of the water without hunting for shade, a toilet or lunch.

Where Bečići sits between Budva and Rafailovići

Bečići is a small settlement rather than a town in its own right, effectively a hotel strip that grew up along one beach. Walking the promenade south-east from Budva Old Town, the built-up seafront of Budva gives way to Bečići within about fifteen minutes on foot, and Bečići in turn merges into Rafailovići with no clear break other than a change of hotel signage. Sveti Stefan and Miločer beach are a short drive further along the same road, and the islet-hotel itself is worth knowing about before you go: it has been closed to the public since 2021 and is now viewed from the road or the neighbouring beach rather than entered.

The beach faces roughly south-west and is reasonably sheltered by the shape of the bay, which is part of why the water tends to stay calmer here than on more exposed stretches of coast further south towards Petrovac or Bar.

Sand, shingle and the shape of the beach

Calling Bečići a sand beach is not quite accurate, and it is worth knowing before you arrive with expectations set by the name alone. The shoreline is a mix of fine sand and fine shingle, and while it is not the soft, dry sand of a Caribbean postcard, the grain is genuinely finer underfoot than the coarse pebble found at many Montenegrin beaches, which is why it is routinely rated among the better-textured beaches on this part of the coast. Walking barefoot is comfortable in most sections; water shoes are still sensible for anyone sensitive to loose shingle patches or the occasional sea urchin near the rockier margins.

The beach is wide by local standards, giving hotels and beach clubs enough room to lay out several rows of sunbeds without the whole strip feeling like a single wall-to-wall mat, at least outside the first three weeks of August. For a broader sense of how Bečići compares to sand-only and pebble-only beaches elsewhere on the coast, the sand versus pebble beaches guide is useful before you commit to a base for the week.

Why families rate the swimming here

The single biggest practical difference between Bečići and many Montenegrin beaches is the entry gradient. Rather than a beach that drops away quickly, as parts of Mogren and several Budva-side coves do, Bečići shelves gradually, so a young child can walk out ten or fifteen metres and still be within their depth. Wave action is generally light thanks to the shelter of the bay, though it does pick up on windy afternoons, particularly if a summer storm is building over the mountains behind Budva.

None of this makes the sea entirely risk-free. Lifeguard cover, where present, is concentrated on the main hotel-run sections rather than the full length of the beach, and it thins out or stops entirely outside the core June-to-September season. Sea urchins can be present on the rockier stretches towards either end of the beach, which is the one recurring hazard worth mentioning to children before they run in. For a wider comparison of which Montenegrin beaches suit young families best, see the best beaches near Kotor guide and the dedicated Kotor with kids itinerary.

a half-day beach-hopping trip along the Budva riviera that takes in Bečići and its neighbouring coves with time to swim at each stop

The hotel row and beach clubs

What sets Bečići apart visually is the hotel wall behind it: a near-continuous run of three- and four-star properties, most built during the socialist-era tourism boom and renovated since, with a scattering of newer beach clubs slotted between them. Each hotel typically runs its own section of sunbeds and umbrellas directly in front of its building, and most of these sections are open to non-guests for a fee, alongside a handful of independent beach bars.

Section type	Who it suits	What to expect
Hotel sunbed rows	Guests staying at that hotel, or day visitors paying to use them	Consistent rows, showers and toilets close by, food service from the hotel
Independent beach clubs	Visitors wanting music, cocktails or a livelier daytime scene	Higher prices, later opening hours, less focused on families
Unmarked public strips	Anyone bringing their own towel and shade	Free but limited, mostly at the far ends of the beach, first-come basis

Prices for a sunbed-and-umbrella set follow the same broad pattern as the rest of the coast: cheapest in June and the second half of September, most expensive in the last two weeks of July and the first two of August, when arriving before 9am is close to essential if you want a spot near the water rather than at the back near the promenade. A coffee on the beachfront runs close to the upper end of what you would pay in Kotor Old Town, while a full meal at one of the hotel terraces sits above what the same dish would cost a few streets back from the sea.

Getting to Bečići from Kotor and around the bay

Bečići is roughly 30 to 35 minutes from Kotor by car, following the coast road through Tivat or over Vrmac and down into Budva, then continuing a few minutes further along the same road. The coastal bus service connecting Kotor, Budva and Tivat also stops here, though there is no centralised online booking system for it and timetables are best confirmed locally rather than assumed from an app. Anyone driving themselves should budget extra time in July and August, when the coast road through Budva slows to a crawl during the afternoon changeover of beach traffic.

Parking directly behind the beach is limited and mostly attached to specific hotels; arriving by taxi, bus, or on foot from a Budva base avoids the search entirely. For visitors staying in Kotor rather than on the riviera itself, the Kotor versus Budva guide sets out the trade-offs of each base for a beach-focused week, and the Montenegro without a car itinerary covers how to string together beach days using public transport alone.

When to visit: crowds, heat and sunbed availability

Sea temperature climbs through the summer and stays swimmable well into autumn, which is part of why late spring and early autumn are worth weighing against the obvious choice of July or August.

Period	Sea and weather	What to expect at Bečići
Late May to mid-June	Warming, sea comfortable for most swimmers	Beach clubs open, sunbeds easy to get, prices below peak
July to mid-August	Hottest, sea around 25-26°C in August	Full hotel-front sections by mid-morning, premium pricing, crowded promenade
Late August to September	Sea still around 23-24°C	Noticeably calmer than July, better value, water still warm
October onward	Cooling quickly	Most beach clubs close for the season, beach itself still walkable

For a full seasonal breakdown across the whole bay rather than this beach alone, see Montenegro by season and the best time to visit Kotor guide.

Bečići, Budva or Rafailovići: which to choose

The three run into each other, but they are not interchangeable for a beach day. Budva’s town beach sits directly under the walls of the old town, which means nightlife and restaurants are a two-minute walk away but the beach itself is smaller and busier. Bečići trades that immediacy for length and space: more sunbeds, a gentler slope into the water, and a quieter, more residential feel once you step off the sand. Rafailovići, just beyond, is smaller again and slightly less developed, popular with visitors who want proximity to Bečići’s amenities without staying directly on its beach.

Families prioritising swimming conditions and space generally do better basing themselves in or near Bečići; travellers who want to walk out of their hotel straight into old-town bars and restaurants tend to prefer Budva itself. Budva nightlife and Budva restaurants cover that side of the comparison in more detail.

Beyond the sunbed: activities from Bečići

A full week on one beach is not for everyone, and Bečići’s location makes it a reasonable base for a few half-day breaks from sunbathing. Sveti Nikola Island, the wooded islet visible offshore from Budva and Bečići, is reachable by short taxi-boat or organised trip and offers a change of scenery with its own quieter coves.

a small-group kayak trip out to Sveti Nikola Island and its sea caves, launching from the Budva riviera

For a view of the whole bay from above, tandem paragliding flights operate from the hills behind the coast and land back on the beach, which is as close as this stretch of coast comes to an adrenaline activity that starts and ends within walking distance of your sunbed.

a tandem paragliding flight over Bečići and the Budva riviera for a different perspective on the coastline

Travellers with a car, or teenagers who have had enough of the beach for one afternoon, sometimes head inland for a half-day quad tour through the hills above the coast before returning for a late swim.

a guided quad bike tour through the countryside above the Budva riviera, useful as a half-day break from the beach

Eating near the beach

Hotel terraces directly on the sand are convenient but priced accordingly, closer to the upper end of what a beachfront table in Kotor’s old town would cost than to an ordinary neighbourhood restaurant. Walking two or three streets back from the promenade, or into central Budva itself, brings prices down noticeably for the same grilled fish or calamari that the coast is generally reliable for. Anyone planning a beach-based week rather than a single day should factor this into a daily budget; the Montenegro daily budget guide sets out realistic ranges for food, sunbeds and transport together.

Practical tips for a day or a stay

Bring cash in euros for sunbeds and smaller beach bars, since card acceptance is inconsistent at the more informal stalls. Water shoes are worth packing given the shingle sections and occasional urchins. Shade is at a premium in peak season, so a beach umbrella or an early arrival matters more here than at a shorter, cove-style beach where a spare patch of sand is easier to find. Drivers should note that the coast road through Bečići and Budva is the single busiest stretch on this part of the coast in July and August, and that parking close to the beach cannot be relied on; arriving by bus, taxi or on foot from a nearby hotel avoids most of the frustration.

Questions about Bečići beach

How long is Bečići beach?

Bečići runs as one continuous strip of roughly 1.5 kilometres between the edge of Budva and Rafailovići, making it one of the longest single beaches on this stretch of coast rather than a series of separate coves.

Is Bečići beach sand or pebble?

It is a mix of fine sand and fine shingle rather than pure sand throughout, though long sections are soft enough underfoot that it is often rated as one of the finer-grained beaches on the Budva riviera.

Is Bečići good for young children?

Yes, in most sections. The seabed shelves gradually rather than dropping off, and the bay is sheltered enough that waves are usually small, though sunbeds and shade need to be booked or claimed early in July and August.

Do I have to pay to use the beach at Bečići?

The beach itself is public and free to walk and swim from, but almost every metre of usable sand between the hotels is rented out as sunbed and umbrella rows in season, so a free unshaded patch of sand is hard to find between June and September.

How far is Bečići from Kotor?

About 30 to 35 minutes by car along the coast road through Budva, or a similar time by the coastal bus that runs between Kotor, Budva and Tivat, though it is not a service you can book online in advance.

Is Bečići better than Budva beach for a family holiday?

For swimming with children, generally yes: Bečići’s entry is gentler and its hotel row is quieter than the harbour and nightlife strip of Budva, though Budva Old Town is a short walk or drive away for evenings out.