Budva · With kids

The long town beach: shallow entry, lifeguards in season, showers, shade to rent and a flat promenade behind it that takes a pushchair. It is the most practical family beach in Budva even though it is not the prettiest.

Two small coves right under the Old Town walls, two minutes from the gate. Tiny and busy, but the water is calm and you can walk back for lunch without getting in a car or a boat.

Wider and longer sand than the town beach, ten minutes by local bus, with a promenade running on to Rafailovici. Calmer water and more room, and the beachfront restaurants are used to children.

Forty minutes up the coast: an 11-minute gondola from near Kotor to the Lovcen ridge, running 9am to 10pm. EUR 25 return for adults and EUR 7 for children aged 2–12, with an alpine coaster and zip line at the top station.

Most of the coast outside the main sandy strips is pebble, shingle or rock, and sea urchins live on the rocky entries. Cheap rubber shoes solve it, and there is very little natural shade on the beaches by midday.