What to Wear in Montenegro

Summer on this coast means heat, polished stone and pebbles. Pack for those three and you're most of the way there.

Feet first

Kotor's lanes are paved with smooth limestone, slippery even when dry, and the fortress climb is around 1,350 uneven steps. Trainers or walking sandals with real grip are what you want. On the Riviera, beaches range from fine pebble to coarse sand; the beach beside Sveti Stefan, where we swam, is coarse and pinkish. Cheap water shoes make the pebbly ones far more comfortable.

Sun

In late August we had hot sun every day, and there's little shade on the walls above Kotor or on the boats around the bay. A hat, sunglasses and high-factor sunscreen are essentials, not extras.

In town

Local rules in coastal towns, Budva among them, forbid walking the streets in swimwear, and you can be fined. Keep a shirt or a cover-up in your beach bag for the walk back.

Churches and monasteries

Cover shoulders and knees for St Tryphon's Cathedral in Kotor, the church on Our Lady of the Rocks and any Orthodox monastery. A light scarf in your bag solves this.

Packing list

• Walking shoes with grip
• Water shoes for pebble beaches
• Hat, sunglasses and sunscreen
• A light scarf or cover-up
• A refillable water bottle
• A light jacket for evenings in spring and autumn, a rain jacket in winter
• One smarter outfit for a terrace dinner

Evenings in summer stay warm, so the smarter outfit can be light. If you're heading up to Lovćen, it's noticeably cooler at the top than on the coast.