Fall for a wild Balkan beauty: holiday flats from £52k in one of Europe's newest sovereign states

Billions are being invested in this lovely Eastern European country with its stunning coastline, but a holiday flat need only cost £52,000.
From £403,000: freehold apartments with one to three bedrooms at Regent Pool Residences, Porto Montenegro, for sale now with completion due in summer next year, will have access to the five-star Regent Porto Montenegro hotel spa, gym and rental pool
Cathy Hawker17 March 2018

Montenegro is one of Europe’s newest sovereign states, yet it’s already a tourist heavyweight. The Balkan nation with a 180-mile Adriatic coastline emerged from the remains of Yugoslavia and Serbia in 2006.

It’s smaller than Wales with a population of just 620,000 — yet it welcomed two million visitors last year.

Top of visitors’ must-see list is Boka Bay, where steep mountains surround calm, emerald water dotted with atmospheric stone towns such as Kotor, a Unesco World Heritage Site.

“There is £2.1 billion investment currently under way in Boka Bay,” says Kieran Kelleher of Dream Estates, Savills’ local associate.

“Large-scale developments include Porto Montenegro, Lustica Bay and Portonovi, all with residential and leisure components and international five-star hotel brands.”

Porto Montenegro is a marina, hotel and residential scheme that opened in 2009, transforming the down-at-heel town of Tivat with super-sized leisure boats and a palm-lined waterfront.

There are 450 berths with plans for 400 more, to create Europe’s largest superyacht marina. Porto Montenegro marina was named Superyacht Marina of Distinction at last year’s London Boat Show.

Around the marina are boutiques, restaurants and bars and a five-star hotel, Regent Porto Montenegro. Ten minutes away, Tivat airport has direct easyJet flights from London.

From £145,000: flats, houses and villas at Marina Village, Lustica Bay, 15 minutes from Tivat airport. Savills (020 7016 3740)

Porto Montenegro has 310 completed flats in six buildings around the marina, with resales from £338,800 for a one-bedroom flat that rents for £308 a night in high season.

New Regent Pool Residences are one- to three-bedroom freehold flats in three buildings, from £403,000. These handsome homes have water views and access to the Regent hotel’s spa, gym and rental pool.

At Lustica Bay, on the Adriatic side of Boka Bay, there are plans for a championship golf course, two marinas, seven hotels and 2,000 homes. There will be sports, medical and retail facilities and even its own police and fire station.

Phase One, Marina Village, opens this summer with a five-star Chedi Hotel, 176-berth marina and 220 flats, townhouses and villas priced from £145,000. Already 160 buyers from 33 different countries have moved in.

From £66,000-£230,600: studio to three-bedroom flats at Lavender Bay Residences, Kotor Bay. Through Savills

Smaller schemes around Boka Bay include Lavender Bay Residences with studio to three-bedroom flats around a communal pool, gym, café and playground, from £66,000 to £230,600 with annual service charges from £800 and furniture packages from £5,200.

In walking distance of the Venetian architecture of Kotor Old Town, Dobrota Apartments are 40 new managed studios to two-bedroom homes, from £52,000 to £140,000. Through Savills.

FOCUS ON FAMILY

Michael and Amra Ward from Richmond bought an old stone house in Boka Bay as a holiday home in 2002.

Both City investment managers, they were drawn to the lifestyle and business opportunities, and moved there full-time in 2004, extending to create the perfect family home for them and children Tara and Teo, now 14 and 10.

“Montenegro truly is a wild beauty with a very Mediterranean way of life focused on the family,” says Michael 52.

“We love walking in the mountains and swimming in the sea on our doorstep. We’re all members of the Porto Montenegro Yacht Squadron.

"The children attend the Arcadia Academy, a wonderful school offering a British education.”

From Richmond to Montenegro: Michael and Amra Ward with their children Tara and Teo

The couple set up MoHo Montenegro, acting as property managers and developers.

Amra, 50, is from Mostar in Bosnia, arriving in London as a refugee at the height of the Balkan Wars. She holidayed in Montenegro as a child and speaks the language fluently.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in