Valdanos (Ulcinj) Ulcinj - Montenegro Anchorage in Ulcinj, Coastal region

Valdanos is a beautiful, secluded bay about three miles northwest of Ulcinj. It remained a closed-off military area until several years ago, helping preserve its natural beauty. There are abandoned houses on the northern shore and a hotel, currently closed, at the end of the bay. Steep shores are covered in thick shrubs and evergreen trees, and the flat land to the east is covered in olive groves, with more than eighty thousand olive trees, some ancient. The bay was once the main port for Ulcinj pirates, with many sea battles; a major battle in 1675 saw Turks burn much of the pirate fleet. The oldest lighthouse in Montenegro is on Cape Mandre to the south. The bay is well-protected from southern winds but exposed to southwest, west and northwest winds. Reefs lie along several points on the northern coast; anchor far from the shallow end of the bay, where there is a large-pebble beach.