Staying at Estate & Winery San Duyevo, Lake Skadar -

When travelling through Montenegro, a visit to the Skadar Lake National Park shouldn’t be missed! It’s the place to be for nature- and outdoor lovers. During my that at Lake Skadar, I stayed at the Estate and Winery San Duyevo and in this article I’d like to tell you more the accommodation and my experiences.

Skadar Lake National Park

The Skadar Lake is the biggest lake of the Balkan Peninsula and one of the biggest National Parks of Montenegro. Located at the border of Montenegro and Albania, Skadar Lake has been named as a national park since 1983. Furthermore, Skadar Lake has a great amount of bird species and that’s why it’s on the IBA list (Important Bird Area). The national park is also on the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance. It’s a paradise for nature- and outdoor lovers!

Read more about Skadar Lake National Park by clicking here.

Location

Estate & Winery San Duyevo is located in a really small town near Rijeka Crnojevica. It’s a beautiful and quiet place surrounded by a wine field and a great starting point for exploring more of Skadar Lake National Park. From the accommodation you can easily go for a hike or bike adventure (you can borrow bikes for free).

Although there are some possibilities to explore more in the direct environment, I would definitely recommend a (rental) car when paying a visit to Skadar Lake National Park or staying at Estate & Winery San Duyevo. With a car you can perfectly reach other places in the National Park (there’s enough to see a little further from town!). Furthermore, there aren’t many restaurants in the direct environment. You can enjoy dinner at the accommodation or you can drive towards Cetinje which is only a 30-minutes drive.

Having a quiet location has its pros and cons.

The apartment

Estate & Winery San Duyevo offer two types of accommocations: an apartment with terrace and a more luxurious apartment with balcony. We stayed two nights at the apartment with terrace, from which you can see the exterior in the photo above and the interior in the photo below.

The apartment has lots of space. There is a living room together with a kitchen, a separated bedroom and a bathroom. Although the apartment was very comfortable, the furniture was a little dated. Shortly, it was simple but good. The bathroom is quite small, but it has everything you need. Also, I found the bed very comfortable. There is a terrace as well and you can park your (rental) car for free just outside of the apartment. When you walk towards the terrace of the accommodation for breakfast or dinner, you walk through a wine field.

Service

The hosts of the accommodation are very hospitable. Although they couldn’t speak English, we communicated through Google Translate and they’re happy to help us with everything. We got a welcome drink (a glass of self-made red wine) and the host showed us around our accommodation.

Against a small price you can also rent a kayak. We decided to do this and the host brought us to the water, from where we went kayaking for some time. With the host, we agreed a time at which he’d pick us up again. It was really sweet and hospitable that he brought us and picked us up again!

Interior of accommodation – photo from Booking.com

Breakfast and dinner

You can have breakfast and dinner at the accommodation. As the place is very small, you have to ‘make a reservation’ beforehand for breakfast or/and dinner. You can have a look at the menu, pass on your choice and agree on a time when you would like to eat. I think they only offer this for guests, but I’m not sure about that. The choices of dishes are mostly local, which I personally really liked. We’ve had breakfast at the accommodation and on the first night we also had dinner. It’s wasn’t really extensive, like in hotels with buffets etc, but it was very good.

Price

Staying a night at Estate & Winery San Duyevo doesn’t cost a lot. If you would like to stay in the apartment with terrace, you’ll pay around € 35,- per night (excluding breakfast / dinner). You’ll get a great service and a lovely stay in return, but you’ll have to drive a bit for other sights in Skadar Lake National Park and for restaurants. You can book this accommodation through Booking.com.

In summary, I would recommend this accommodation as it has a really nice location and it’s a great starting point for exploring more of Skadar Lake National Park. If you have a small budget and aren’t looking for a luxurious accommodation, than it’s a beautiful place to stay. Keep in mind that a (rental) car is recommended though.

Address: Riječani bb, Rijeka Crnojevića 81253, Montenegro

NOTE: this post is not sponsored and contains my personal and honest experience! I stayed at Estate & Winery San Duyevo in August 2019.

Author: Tamara