Stay

Fly into Dubrovnik’s international airport, which has nonstop connections to Newark and various European hubs. From there, it’s about an hour to Montenegro’s best resort, One&Only Portonovi (note that wait times at border crossings vary wildly depending on the season and which border crossing you choose; summer weekends are busiest). Opened in 2021, this resort of 111 rooms and 12 villas has a quiet location on Boka Bay, with a private beach, two infinity pools, excellent restaurants and an opulent spa (complete with a lengthy indoor pool and a Moroccan-style hammam room). Spacious accommodations have an earthy but luxurious décor. Opt for a Panoramic Bayview category of room or suite.

Dine

One&Only Portonovi has a waterfront Italian restaurant, a Nobu-inspired Japanese option and a Montenegrin steakhouse overlooking a broad lawn and gardens. Outside the resort, consider Konoba Feral, a popular tavernlike restaurant along Herceg Novi’s diminutive harbor, about a half-hour away. Near Kotor is Galion, a superlative seafood spot with highly professional service and Boka Bay views.

Explore

Near the hotel, we recommend visiting the steep old center of Herceg Novi, the historic Savina Monastery and the neighboring Castel Savina winery, which has an umbrella-shaded terrace with stupendous vistas. Consider having the Travel Office book a yacht for a day to visit the island Church of Our Lady of the Rocks, the Venetian town of Perast and pretty Prčanj, where you can take a private cooking class. And of course, reserve some time to enjoy the amenities of your resort.

Stay

In the center of Montenegro’s coast is iconic Sveti Stefan, originally an island fishing village that’s connected to the mainland via a narrow causeway. It was famously transformed into an Aman resort, but that property has closed indefinitely. Now Villa Geba ranks as the top hideaway in Montenegro. The seven-room hotel perches on a hillside above Sveti Stefan and presents stunning views of the island. The four suites in the main building are immense, and each has a unique décor style (the Double Room, Junior Suite and Duplex Suite are in the separate Villa Apollonia building). A small pool overlooks the sea, and behind it is a spa with a sauna, steam room and large jetted tub.

Dine

Villa Geba’s restaurant, Muse, has a sensational terrace overlooking the coast and a delicious modern Montenegrin menu. Casa Mia also has a scenic covered patio high above the sea, as well as a commendable Italian menu that includes craveable housemade pastas. It’s well-worth the 10-minute cab ride from Villa Geba.

Explore

En route to Sveti Stefan from Herceg Novi, stop in the famous walled town of Kotor. Explore its pedestrianized (if often crowded) center and take the new cable car just south of town up the mountain for breathtaking views. While you’re at Villa Geba, the Travel Office can arrange a private hike that includes a visit to a secluded monastery, as well as a memorable day spent cruising Lake Skadar — one of Europe’s largest — and tasting local bottlings at a family-owned winery. You might also visit the abandoned old center of Stari Bar, south of Sveti Stefan. And take some time to relax. Villa Geba partners with a beach club just down the hill (accessible by a long staircase or a short shuttle ride), and it offers complimentary umbrellas and sun loungers at Galija Beach, about 10 minutes away by hotel shuttle.

Stay

Depart Sveti Stefan and transfer about two hours by car to Cavtat, Croatia (again, wait times at the border can vary dramatically). Cavtat is actually much closer to Dubrovnik’s airport than Dubrovnik itself, making it a convenient last stop before you fly out. The old center of town, which dates back to Roman times, occupies one pincer of a claw-shaped peninsula reaching into the Adriatic. Near the end of its harborfront promenade is Hotel Supetar Cavtat. Accommodations tend to be small, and most of the 21 rooms, including the largest, don’t have unobstructed water views. That said, the service here is personal and helpful, the bar and restaurant are stylish, and the pool is pretty. Cavtat itself is refreshingly laid-back (especially compared to overrun Dubrovnik).

Dine

Supetar Cavtat’s restaurant has a harbor-view terrace and bright dining room, and its menu focuses on high-quality local ingredients like scallops from Ston and lamb from Pag. Elsewhere in town, Leut has a beautiful tree-shaded patio overlooking the bay. Its kitchen serves delicious Italian-inflected Croatian cuisine. And be sure to have a drink and/or some sushi on the magnificent terrace of Villa Banac.

Explore

Villa Banac is a grand waterfront mansion where Prince George, Duke of Kent, and his wife, Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, vacationed in 1936, putting Cavtat on the English tourism map. Book tickets to see its enviable art collection, the highlight of which is a version of Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers.” A scenic walking path borders the end of the peninsula near Supetar Cavtat, and crowning the hilltop cemetery above it is an extraordinary mausoleum by sculptor and architect Ivan Meštrović. On the opposite side of the Cavtat fork, beneath the Hotel Croatia Cavtat, is an unmarked Roman necropolis. Farther afield, the idyllic Konavle Valley contains numerous wineries, and shuttle boats regularly run between Cavtat and Dubrovnik.