Ada Bojana

Ada Bojana is a triangle of land at the mouth of the Bojana, formed when silt built up around a ship that ran aground in the nineteenth century and split the river into two arms. It has a sand beach along its seaward side, long established as a naturist beach, and along the river arms stand the kalimera, wooden stilt huts with lowered net frames used for fishing, several of which are now restaurants serving the day's catch.

Background

In Montenegrin, Ada means river island, and this one belongs to Ulcinj Municipality at the southernmost tip of the country. It grew out of the delta of the Bojana River, which wraps around two of its sides, while the Adriatic Sea forms the southwestern edge. Across the river lie Pulaj and Velipojë. The island covers 4.8 square km, rises only 3 metres and has 201 inhabitants. Its sandy beach runs for 3 kilometres, lined with traditional seafood restaurants, and camping brings in most of its income. The climate is subtropical. The New York Times put Ada Bojana and Montenegro's South Coast on its list of top places to go in 2010.

Source: Wikipedia, "Ada Bojana"

What you'll find

• The kalimera huts - wooden stilt structures with lowered fishing nets on the river.
• The seaward beach - the sand along the ocean side, a naturist beach since the 1970s.
• The river arms - the two channels of the Bojana enclosing the island.
• The formation - an island built up around a nineteenth-century wreck.

When to go

May to October is the season. The fish restaurants are best in the evening. The kite wind blows through summer afternoons.

Before you go

The main beach is naturist and has been for decades, which surprises people who arrive unprepared. Facilities are seasonal and much closes outside summer. The river water is silty.

Nearby

Velika Plaza is northwest, and Lake Sas is north.

Key facts