Valdanos — A Hidden Bay Behind 80,000 Olive Trees
Valdanos is the kind of place that does not appear in guidebooks, and that is exactly the point. A rough dirt track branches off the coastal road about 4 km north of Ulcinj and drops through dense olive groves — an estimated 80,000 trees, some confirmed to be over 2,000 years old — down to a silent bay with crystal-clear water and a pebble beach. There are no sun loungers. No beach bar. No facilities of any kind. Bring water, food, and everything else you need.
The bay has a wild, slightly eerie quality. Abandoned socialist-era bungalows dot the hillside above the beach, overtaken by ivy and fig trees. The olive groves are thick enough to block the wind, creating a sheltered microclimate that feels ten degrees warmer than the open coast. The water is startlingly clear — you can see the bottom at 5 metres. Stray dogs wander the track. The only sound is cicadas and the occasional fishing boat engine in the distance.
The Ancient Olive Groves
The Valdanos olive groves are among the oldest cultivated groves in the entire Mediterranean basin. Some individual trees have been carbon-dated to over 2,000 years — they were producing fruit when the Roman Empire was at its peak. Local farmers still press oil from these trees, and you can buy bottles directly from houses along the track. The oil is thick, green, peppery, and nothing like what you find in supermarkets.
Getting There
From Ulcinj centre, drive north on the coastal road toward Bar. After about 4 km, look for an unsigned left turn (easy to miss — it is between two stone walls). The track is unpaved, potholed, and narrow for the last kilometre. A standard car can make it in dry conditions, but slowly. An SUV handles it comfortably. There is no public transport. There are no taxis. If your car cannot manage the track, park at the top and walk down — it takes about 15 minutes on foot.