A Complete Guide to SCUBA Diving in Budva: Montenegro’s Riviera

Discover the best SCUBA diving in Montenegro, from the top dive sites in Budva and the best tours and dive shops to everything you need to know before you go, in this complete guide.

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Budva is one of the best places for SCUBA diving in Montenegro, with clear Adriatic waters, rocky reefs, underwater caves, and a variety of marine life. The coastline around Budva also has several dive sites suitable for different experience levels, from beginners trying diving for the first time to more experienced divers looking for deeper sites.

We try to dive every 6 months or so to stay certified, and knew we had to detour to Budva to go SCUBA diving in Montenegro during our road trip. You can’t really find anything further removed from the country’s mountainous national parks and busy coastal towns than the underwater world. But visibility, conditions, marine life, and operator standards can vary depending on your location, tour company, the site, and weather, so choosing the right location, dive shop, and knowing what to expect is important. If you’re interested in going SCUBA diving in Budva, discover everything you need to know in this complete guide.

Is Montenegro good for SCUBA diving?

Montenegro probably isn’t the first country that comes to mind when you think about a SCUBA diving holiday, and we didn’t even know there were any dive centres on the coast. But there are some surprisingly good dive sites along the Adriatic coast.

It’s not the tropical coral reefs of Australia or the abundance of marine life in Mexico where we got certified, but the underwater landscape here features limestone walls, caves, tunnels, seagrass meadows, and wrecks. Visibility can reach around 15-35 metres (50-115 ft), although conditions vary depending on the site and weather.

We went on a 2-tank dive tour with Budva Diving Center and had an amazing time, so we’re sharing what it was like, as well as the best dive sites, what you can see underwater, information about beginner and certified dives, when to go, how much it costs, and our tips for choosing a tour.

Where is the best SCUBA diving in Montenegro?

There are several places along Montenegro’s coast where you can go SCUBA diving, but the experience varies quite a bit between them. If you’re planning a diving trip, we’d consider the following areas.

1. Budva

Budva is the best place to go SCUBA diving in Montenegro, with relatively clear, warm water and good visibility.

There are several dive sites around the coast, including caves, walls, and archaeological sites, and a few dive centres are right on the waterfront. Sveti Nikola Island is a highlight, while the nearby town of Sveti Stefan also offers diving.

This is a particularly good option for beginner divers in Montenegro, as Budva is quite vacation-centric and geared up for tourism. There are lots of other activities on offer too, but SCUBA diving is one of the best things to do in Budva.

2. Herceg Novi

Herceg Novi is also popular for diving in Montenegro and a good option if you’re staying around the Bay of Kotor. The surrounding coastline has rocky sites, caves, submarine tunnels, and wrecks, including several sites around the Luštica Peninsula and Mamula Island.

Some of the wrecks are considerably deeper, so this area has more to offer experienced divers than someone simply looking for an introductory dive.

While there is a freediving company based on the peninsula, most SCUBA operators that go to sites around the Luštica Peninsula leave from Herceg Novi.

3. Petrovac

Petrovac is a quieter alternative on the Adriatic coastline, south of the Budva Riviera, with rocky underwater terrain and diving around the coastline and nearby islets. It’s worth considering if you’re already staying here, although Budva has a wider choice of dive operators and is more convenient if diving is one of the main reasons for your trip.

4. Bar

Bar gives you another option for diving further south along the coast towards the border with Albania. A few local dive centres offer recreational diving and access to the area’s rocky seabed and wrecks. It’s less of an obvious choice for a diving holiday than Budva, but it makes sense if you’re already travelling through southern Montenegro.

What is SCUBA diving in Budva like?

Budva is where we chose to go diving in Montenegro, and we had a wonderful time. Trips leave from the waterfront and head to nearby sites, most of which are less than 15 minutes away by boat.

A typical morning for certified divers involves two dives, with the boat back in Budva around lunchtime. If you’re a beginner, you have a special training session, with an introductory dive usually in the afternoon, depending on the dive centre.

Our day with Budva Diving Center went a little like this:

Underwater, you won’t get the bright coral gardens like we saw diving in Belize, but it’s still interesting. This is Adriatic diving, so the scenery is much more limestone rock formations, caves, tunnels, walls, and seagrass, with plenty of smaller marine life hiding around the rocks.

We saw quite a bit of wildlife while diving around Budva, although a lot of it was the smaller stuff that you need to slow down and look for. There were countless starfish and sea urchins, fireworms, and we even spotted the tip of a moray eel’s tail disappearing into the rocks. If you’re into macro life, there was plenty to keep us occupied, with all sorts of tiny creatures hiding among the rocks and crevices.

The underwater scenery was just as interesting – we did some really cool swim-throughs, passing through tunnels and rocky openings, and experienced a thermocline, where the water temperature changes dramatically over a short distance.

If you’ve been to Honduras, it’s a lot more similar to the topography we saw while diving in Utila than the marine life we saw diving in Roatán.

Visibility was decent during dives at around 10 metres (32 ft), but it can increase around Budva during the summer. It’s no Cozumel, but it was better than we were expecting, and the water was also warm enough to make the dives comfortable.

What can you see SCUBA diving in Budva?

What you’ll see will depend on sheer luck and the dive site you go to, which is usually dictated by the tour operator, the ability of others in your group (unless you specify a private tour), and the weather and conditions on the day. Some dive sites in Budva you might visit include:

When it comes to animals, there’s never a guarantee, even wildlife tourism is done ethically, but some of the species you might see while diving in Montenegro include:

Montenegro also has an interesting history that extends underwater. One of the attractions is the opportunity to dive historic shipwrecks, particularly around Bar and the entrance to the Bay of Kotor (Herceg Novi). Wrecks aren’t necessarily suitable for every Open Water diver, but if you’ve got Advanced Open Water and/or wreck certification, tell the centre before booking and ask specifically what wrecks they can take you to.

When to go SCUBA diving in Montenegro?

The main diving season in Montenegro is June to September, when the sea is warmest and conditions are generally at their most comfortable.

Water temperatures around Budva are roughly 22°C in June, which is when we visited, and can reach around 26-27°C in July and August, before cooling slightly in September.

I’m a proper warm-water diver, preferring a balmy 30°C (86°F), like I’ve experienced SCUBA diving in Cancún and on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. I get quite chilly when diving, but was quite comfortable with the 5mm wetsuit, hood, and boots.

June and September can be good choices if you’d rather avoid the busiest part of summer, but if you choose an operator with a small-group policy, it shouldn’t matter too much once you’re underwater.

Is SCUBA diving in Budva worth it?

OMG, diving in Montenegro is so worth it. If you’re already spending time on the Montenegrin coast and like diving, you have to go diving in Budva. It’s particularly convenient because the dive sites are close to town, the season is long, it’s a good base for a summer holiday, the staff at Budva Diving Center are so fun and professional, and there’s enough variety for both beginners and certified divers.

But don’t arrive expecting the colourful coral reefs or huge marine animals you’d find in tropical diving destinations. We’ve dived in quite a few destinations, from Fiji to Hawaiʻi, and in all honesty, Montenegro’s nothing like diving in the tropics. But if you’re keen to dive in Europe, Budva’s not a bad place to do it. The Adriatic Sea is surprisingly clear and warm, with some really cool things to see.

We’d also recommend you choose your dive shop carefully. Read recent reviews, communicate your ability clearly, and don’t go along with something out of your comfort zone. We had about 30 dives under our weight belts (pun intended) at this point, and wouldn’t necessarily have wanted to do the second dive if we weren’t experienced, as it required good buoyancy control in an area with quite a few tourist boats – one of the downsides of Budva’s popularity. That’s another reason Budva Diving Centre was so great, because they briefed us well and were attentive underwater.

Can you SCUBA dive in Montenegro as a beginner?

If you’re interested in SCUBA diving in Budva for beginners, you don’t need a diving qualification to try an introductory or Discover SCUBA dive, and several Montenegrin dive centres offer beginner experiences with an instructor and equipment included.

You’ll learn the basic skills and then dive under close supervision, usually in shallow water or a pool, before heading out to a suitable dive site. Most reputable operators will have a 1-on-1 policy for beginner divers, so you should have your own dive master assigned to you, too.

Budva has particularly accessible introductory dives, thanks to its shallow and protected sites.

If you enjoy the experience and want to dive independently on future trips, you can also complete a PADI Open Water course, where you’ll learn essential diving skills through a combination of theory, confined-water training, and open-water dives. Once qualified, you’ll be able to dive to a maximum depth of 18 metres (59 ft) with a similarly or more highly qualified buddy, subject to the conditions and limits of your certification.

How much does SCUBA diving in Budva cost?

Prices vary between dive centres and locations, but as a guide, a beginner boat dive costs around €60-70, while a standard two-dive trip for certified divers is around €90, with equipment rental sometimes charged separately.

Our trip with Budva Diving Center cost us €90 per person, plus €10 per person for equipment rental (BCD, wetsuit, boots, hood, fins, mask – sadly, we hadn’t brought our own masks and snorkels on this trip, as we’d packed for hiking in Montenegro‘s mountains).

If you’re planning to get certified, a PADI Open Water course in Budva is currently around €380, including five dives, equipment, course materials, and certification with one local centre.

Where to stay to go SCUBA diving in Budva?

In Budva, the Old Town or the area around Slovenska Beach is the most convenient area to stay, as most boats leave from the public dock. This way, you can combine diving with sightseeing, restaurants, and evenings out, while being close to the waterfront and the marina.

We stayed in Hotel Pima, a lovely hotel in a quiet part of town, about 15 minutes’ walk from the pier and 10 minuts’ walk from the Old Town. It also conveniently has on-site parking.

What to pack for SCUBA diving in Montenegro

To ensure a smooth and comfortable experience while diving in Budva, don’t forget to pack your:

You may also want to pack any dive gear you own, like a dive computer. Most operators provide tanks and weights, so packing your own BCD and regulator is optional, but some frequent divers like to use their own equipment.

A 5 mm wetsuit is best for Montenegro’s waters, though some prefer a thinner suit, and most operators will include this in your tour price or offer it for a small equipment fee.

Don’t forget to bring your certification cards, a logbook, and a small mesh gear bag or dry bag for convenience on the boat.

SCUBA Diving in Budva, Montenegro FAQs

To help you plan your diving trip to Montenegro, we’ve answered these frequently asked questions.

IS SCUBA diving in Montenegro safe?

SCUBA diving in Montenegro is generally safe when you dive within your certification level and go with a reputable, properly equipped dive centre. Dive sites vary considerably in depth and difficulty, so not every site is suitable for beginners. As with diving anywhere, conditions can change, so we’d always listen to the dive centre’s briefing and follow the instructor or divemaster’s advice rather than pushing beyond your experience level.

Do you need to be a strong swimmer to SCUBA dive in Montenegro?

You need to be comfortable in the water, but you don’t need to be an exceptionally strong swimmer to try an introductory dive. If you go on to complete a PADI Open Water course, there is a swimming requirement – usually around 200 metres (656 ft) and floating for 10 minutes.

Can you go night diving in Budva?

Night dives are available in Budva and give you a completely different view of the underwater environment, with nocturnal creatures such as octopuses and crabs more likely to be active.

Do you need a medical certificate to SCUBA dive in Montenegro?

This depends on the dive centre and your individual circumstances. You’ll normally be asked to complete a medical questionnaire before diving, and you may need medical clearance if you have certain health conditions or answer yes to questions on the form. Dan has a doctor’s note clearing him for diving due to mild asthma. Check the requirements with your dive centre and GP before travelling rather than assuming you can simply turn up and dive.

Is it possible to snorkel in Budva?

You can snorkel from several beaches and rocky sections of coastline around Budva, although the best experience is likely to be around the rocky areas and islands rather than expecting tropical coral reefs. Budva Diving Center also runs guided boat snorkelling trips around Sveti Nikola Island, where you can see smaller marine life in the clear Adriatic water.

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