CMM Montenegro an honest review

09.09.2020

Montenegro is quite honestly one of the most beautiful countries I’ve ever visited, and though I’m still fairly young, over the years I’ve been able to visit some of the world’s most amazing places including the Caribbean, Australia, and multiple countries throughout Europe. It’s still a fairly young country which is what makes it so unique, and though it’s pushing hard to become part of the EU, and there are increasing visitor numbers year on year, it’s still reasonably untouched by ‘hardcore tourism’.

I was only there for a fleeting visit across a couple of days, but as soon as I stepped off the plane and took the 45/50 minute drive from Podgorica to the coastal area where I’d be staying, it was obvious to see why there would be sites that are protected under UNESCO World Heritage. There isn’t much in terms of a transport infrastructure here yet, i.e. there’s no train service to the coast, plus there are no motorways, but these quite possibly work in Montenegro’s favour, as the country roads take you through some of the most exquisite mountainous scenery including the Skadar Lake National Park, famous for its wildlife, and highly informative visitors centre (which I didn’t have the chance to see, but was told about as we were heading through).

The first glimpse I got of the Montenegro I came to see however, was just over the mountain pass, and it was that of the very famous and highly exclusive Sveti Stefan Resort, reserved for the ultra-wealthy and elite few amongst us, and though unfortunately I wasn’t staying there (I wish), it’s a truly amazing site and you can see why the afore mentioned above choose to stay there. It was already late evening by the time I arrived, but still, there’s an air of elegance about it even at that time, with its access barred to the general public, right of way only if you’re staying on the Island, and the lights from the hotel & houses dimly shining like a faraway lantern in the middle of the sea.

My first port of call as it were was Budva, well Becici to be precise, which is a district of the Budva province and my accommodation, which was a recently built resort and spa apartment complex by CMM Montenegro (one of the main estate agencies and developers in Montenegro), and though nestled on a somewhat steep hill, it does offer beautiful mountain & sea views, plus a good size communal pool and further facilities for families to enjoy. Having met with clients, we then descended into Budva Old Town, and a restaurant right on the seafront, which had a great mix of both Montenegrin & European cuisine, at very affordable prices. The wonderful thing I noticed as I sat eating and drinking away, was that though there is a lot of Investment going on here to cater for the increased demand, the old town has still managed to retain it’s beauty and charm, with its cobbled streets, churches, castle and old fortifications. Certainly on that night, there was a hive of activity (not as much as normal, as I travelled during the months of Covid) but it was easy to tell what a normal Summer would be like, with it’s bars, restaurants and café’s full of locals and tourists immersing themselves in the evening’s entertainment.

My tour officially started the following day, and after a few meetings, followed by the most amazing lunch at a restaurant which offers splendid ‘aerial’ views of the Old Town, Port and picturesque sandy Beaches, we took the country road towards Tivat Airport (both Podgorica & Tivat offer International flights), and the new development ‘Lustica Bay’. Now, when I say new development, you might be thinking a couple of apartment blocks and a few villas, but you’d be so wrong. Lustica Bay is so much more than that, it’s a whole new City & Region that is being built by one of the world’s largest companies in the Real Estate sector, which develops and manages integrated towns, including hotels, private villas, apartment complexes, and leisure facilities such as golf courses, Marinas and supporting infrastructure. The town itself is being built on the site of an old Yugoslavian army base, and the rest will stretch over almost 690 hectares. It will mark the biggest investment in Montenegro yet, and after completion will host a few thousand residents, more than 1000 apartments, over 500 villas and townhouses, seven hotels, two Marina’s, Montenegro’s first signature 18 hole golf course, and a range of public facilities including a school and hospital. As they say so themselves, it will be a one of a kind community designed to blend seamlessly into its surroundings, combining Montenegro’s beauty and culture with the developers experience of cultivating environmentally-centred, luxury residential living where residents can create a home around the life they want to live, and from what I saw of what’s been built already, it will do just that! It’s an architectural masterclass, and will be an amazing, idyllic location once finished.

Wherever I went in Montenegro, not only did I know that I was in a special & naturally beautiful part of the world, but I also got that ‘millionaire feeling’ of having affordable luxury right on the doorstep, even though I’m not a millionaire myself. There’s no denying that they are looking towards attracting  the higher end of the market here, with areas that have 5* luxury hotels, shops such as Rolex & Gucci, and million euro plus villas, but – and here’s the good bit, you don’t have a millionaire yourself to visit here, holiday here, or even buy here, as hotel prices are very reasonable, there’s plenty of affordable rental options, and properties can start from as little as €60,000.

Anyways, back to the tour, and now Sunday which was my last day here – and the day in which I experienced Montenegro’s cultural & historical heritage with a trip right along the coastal road to Kotor. Forming an impressive landscape, and sweetly nestled in a submerged river canyon its surrounded by the old fortifications which were built during the Venetian period, and as previously mentioned, are just one of the sites which appear on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. With a history that dates back to the early middle ages, it’s one of the best preserved medieval old towns in the Adriatic, and you can forget any notion of high rise buildings here, as they just don’t exist. Here you live with nature & the history that surrounds you including the walls, the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon and the Castle of San Giovanni which will definitely be on my list of places to explore the next time I visit. There are the beginnings of modern investment and infrastructure here, as tourism grows year on year through the introduction of Cruise Ships to its bay a few years ago, but apart from that it’s few and far between as the attraction & the beauty of the town is in the history itself, so that’s unlikely to change anytime soon. As I was told by my guides, Kotor is also the city for hosting several summer events such as the Summer Carnival, and there is even a small theatre in the town for concerts and plays.

As my trip was coming to an end, there was time for just one more stop, much closer to the Sveti Stefan Island, which was the Queen’s beach & Summer House (now a Restaurant) – both of which were very picturesque and offered the perfect place to look out onto the Adriatic, and the Island itself, with a coffee & a much needed/deserved ice cream.

So, looking back on my trip to Montenegro on as a whole, did I fall in love with the country – YES, and will I be visiting again – YES! There’s so much more to see and do here, and though it’s only a small country, you need more than a weekend to visit it all! I can clearly see why it’s known as the ‘Jewel of the Adriatic’, I can clearly see why there’s so many people who want to visit here, and I can also clearly see why more and more people are looking to buy property in Montenegro. I think it’s got a massive future ahead of it, and if it can continue to find the right balance between the Investment needed to cater for an increasing touristic market and holiday home market, whilst still keeping its cultural traditions, historic nature & beautiful countryside, then it won’t have any issues.

I’ve already booked for next year, have you?