You should dedicate a day or two of your holiday to visiting Valdanos Bay, and here’s why. Valdanos Bay is just five kilometers northwest of Ulcinj. It was once the main port of Ulcinj’s pirates and the site of many naval battles. Those in the know claim that this bay holds the remains of shipwrecks from the Greek, Roman, and medieval periods. Nestled between the Mavrijan and Mendre hills, Valdanos Bay is a veritable den of olive trees. With 80,000 olive trees in this bay, Ulcinj is often said to have a particularly olive-rich climate. Compared to other bays, it is sheltered from both southerly and northerly winds and often serves as a haven. The bay is surrounded by olive groves on all sides. Experts in the region claim that some olive trees date back to ancient Greek times, and many are thought to live up to 300 years. Olives have always represented a commodity equal to gold in these regions. Olive oil from the Ulcinj region reached Venice, Rome, Cairo, Skadar, Skopje, Duklja and Prizren in amphoras and jugs through trade channels.
From the shoreline to the town, Valdanos Bay is 5 kilometers long. A paved road runs along the bay’s edge, connected to the Ulcinj-Bar highway on one side and city streets on the other. At the southeast corner of the bay is a smaller pier for boats, yachts, and rowboats. There are traces of urbanization, but no archaeological research has been conducted to date. Just off the shoreline are the ruins of a smaller church, believed to have been built by the Greeks.
The headlands protecting Cove Valdanos drop off abruptly into the depths. A beautifully landscaped beach of larger pebbles is located at the back. The beach is covered with maquis and pine forests. It is 600 meters long and approximately 20 meters wide. Next to the beach are a restaurant, sports fields, and a beach bar. Tourists who decide to spend part of their vacation in Vladanos Bay, drawn by the tranquility and the call of nature, will certainly make no mistake. Besides swimming, sunbathing, and relaxing in the shade of the century-old olive trees, they also have the opportunity to camp, explore the surrounding headlands, and explore the entire bay in a truly authentic way: archaeologists, mountain cavers, botanists. Besides enjoying the ideal shade of the olive groves and swimming in the clear, azure water, you can also explore Valdanos Bay like a true “antiquities hunter,” searching for shipwrecks or simply marveling at the diverse marine world. You can also visit Cape Mendre, home to Montenegro’s oldest lighthouse.
In the small house built 20 years ago for the elderly lighthouse keeper and his wife, you can learn details about the lighthouse keeper’s life and the emotions that looking at the sea, the “clear blue sea”, evokes in you, thanks to the owner’s attention.
