Igalo Beach Guide

Straddling the border with neighboring Croatia and the entrance to the Bay of Kotor, the resort town of Igalo stretches almost a kilometer along Montenegro’s wild and mountainous coastline. Its beaches extend from an estuary at one end, to a rocky coastline backed by apartment buildings at the other end.

The western part of Igalo’s coast is defined by mud deposits and soft sand. The water here is shallow and exceptionally warm, making it one of the most child-friendly beaches in the region. Due to the muddy ground however, the water here is not as clear as in other parts of Montenegro.

But that is only half the story. The therapeutic properties of Igalo’s peloid deposits have been widely recognized. This led to the transformation of Igalo into Montenegro’s first health tourism hotspot in the 1950s with the establishment of a handful of rehabilitation and Spa centers.

As of today, many of the wellness facilities are dated and some are still state-owned, a relic of Montenegro’s recent past as a constituent republic of Socialist Yugoslavia. But it is expected that the outmoded facilities will return to glory shortly.

Follow the coast further south in the direction of the Prevlaka Peninsula, and you will find Njivice Beach, a strand that is popular with locals but not easy to access from the road. It is made up of pebbles, rocks, and concrete docks. It sits in the cove adjacent to the Iberostar Herceg Novi.

Igalo sits adjacent to the larger, more popular coastal town of Herceg Novi with no clear division between the two towns. The encompassing hotels and vacation rentals here contribute to a mixed crowd that includes families, pensioners but also many adolescents.

The central part of Igalo Beach mostly consists of concrete docks. It is backed by Tito’s Villa Galeb, a monumental estate that nowadays serves as a museum. Onsite facilities are decent, with beachfront restaurants, sun lounger rentals, and many lively beach bars. The further you go in the direction of Herceg Novi, the noisier it gets.

Come July and August, the narrow stretch of Igalo’s coast is packed with beachgoers, and finding free space on the beach is not exactly easy. Luckily, you can always hop on a water taxi that can take you to the more secluded Lustica Peninsula.

Here you’ll find the scenic Zanjice Beach, Miriste Beach, Dobrec Beach, and the picturesque fishing village of Rose.