A beach girl at heart, you know I had to check out this area of the country. Having spent considerable time in Budva and Tivat, I am curious to see how Bar compares. While not a huge fan of a rocky beach, if that’s all that available, then I’ll take it. A day trip to the beaches at Bar Montenegro is just what I need this summer.
Getting There
Currently staying in Podgorica, I want to try out the Montenegrin train system. This is a perfect opportunity to do just that. There are multiple departure times beginning as early as 5am, and afternoon departures times leaving Bar, starting at 2:15pm.
The train station in Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro is underwhelming. An old building in disrepair, it still serves it purpose however. Tickets can be purchased at the counter before your journey. Cost to Bar from the city is currently €2.80 each way.
My train this day is a newer model, and it even has A/C! A blessing in these sweltering summer days where the temperature in the city seems to be averaging 35 degrees Celsius. The ride is comfortable; windows are dirty and there are no toilets. A ticket agent will come around at the beginning of the trip to check and mark your ticket.
Bar Train Station
Pulling into Bar, the place looks desolate. The train station is actually quite a ways from the beach area, a forty-minute walk in fact. You will pass by a huge Voli hypermarket though, the perfect place to pick up those beach snacks and drinks.
Port
Walking directly towards the coast, or as direct as the road system allows, the first place to reach is the port. The harbour at Bar is huge and encompasses not only a full-sized cruise ship dock, but also a naval base and commercial shipping area. I did not go into the port however I did walk past the naval base and the commercial marina.
The naval base is full of both defunct ships & weapons and newer ones. There are no signs saying not to take photographs, however after I had been there for a few minutes, a gent waved his hand at me and I moved on.
Beside the base is the ferry port. Here visitors can take the ferry across to Italy! And beside this is the commercial marina. See all sorts of sailboats, yachts and fishing vessels bobbing in the water.
Beaches
Ok, lets get to the beaches now, the reason for the post. There are purportedly 20 beaches in Bar totalling 5km of coastline. These however range from the tiny little coves that are almost inaccessible to the large public city beach. The area I explore on this visit is the stretch in front of the city called Topolica Beach.
Barska Plaza
The first stretch of bay beside the marina is Barska Plaza. This was the least crowded of all the beaches I visited this day. The rocks are large, round and slimy, the water quite rough, not clear, and has bits floating on the surface.
This is actually where I chose to take a dip as it turned out better than the rest of the larger stretch of Topolica. There are no organized bars here, so no sunbeds to rent.
Topolica City Beach
The main and largest portion of the coastline in Bar is this city beach. Almost the entire stretch is lined with tall pine trees. The crowds of people seem equally divided into those who have set up their spot for the day under this shade, and those that are basking in full sun closer to the water.
Topolica Beach is crowded and this is a weekday, I cannot imagine how this looks on the weekend. At regular intervals there are pay for use public toilets. The beach below these usually has a steady stream of run off, so personally I stay away from swimming in these areas.
Beach clubs and bars line this stretch of beach. They rent their umbrellas and loungers, the cheapest I saw were €10 for a pair. Compared to Budva where they are €30-€50 this seems like a steal.
The water all along Topolica is almost milky looking and most definitely not clear. The colour is a beautiful turquoise however, and most swimmers are having a lovely time. Waves are similar to Barska Plaza, quite rough which is the norm for the Bar beaches.
Susanjska Plaza
The furthest I walked was up to Susanjska Plaza which is the next beach along the coastline. If you try and walk further, you will have to go up to the road as the ‘beach’ disappears after this, and is replaced with rocky wilderness until you reach the next bay.
Much like Topolica, this beach perhaps is a little shallower and has smaller gravel and more ‘sand’. The sand is dredged up from the harbour and dumped along the beach, its quite grainy and coarse and walkers will still need beach shoes to traverse these areas. The clubs at Susanjska are absolutely loaded with families and children and that tells me that perhaps the waves on this end of the bay are gentler.
Bar Promenade
Along Topolica City Beach is the Bar Promenade. A tree lined walk that is quite pleasant. Here find kiosks selling beach equipment, souvenirs, ice-creams and snack foods.
This is also the area where some entrepreneurial locals are setting up little farm stands. They sell fruits, rakija (the local hard liquor) and sometimes nuts, other snack foods and cigarettes.
At one end is a large plaza with shops, restaurants and a courtyard. Around here find carnival type games such as claw machines, coin operated rides and the ferris wheel. During the day this area is quiet, dead. I’m sure at night, it can get quite busy.
Cruise Ships
I specifically chose a day to visit when no cruise ship was in port. The beach was crowded beyond what I am comfortable with or find pleasing. I cannot imagine how this area changes when a large ship is docked. An additional 3,500-5,000 people in this small space, not my vibe.
If you are reading this and on a ship that is docking here? Be prepared for not a lot of elbow room. There will be enough sun beds to rent however, as most locals chose to lay towels directly on the rocks for free.
Food
Plenty of choice at these beaches. The promenade is lined with the restaurants of the clubs, and each offers their own style and type of cuisine. Prices really vary, so if on a budget like I am, shop around. There are a number of grocery stores located a short walk up towards town, if you want some real selection and affordability. The most common ones are called Idea, City Market and Voli.
The beaches at Bar are very typical of this coastline. Rocky, crowded and not upscale. The vibe however is much better than the beaches at Budva. Cleanliness is decent, water quality is not super. Bring water shoes, they are an absolutely necessity. I’m glad I came for the day to check things out. It has been more interesting to walk around and see everything than it has been to swim and sunbathe. For this beach girl, that is very telling.
