The dream island was a bus ride away
Kate had wanted to see Sveti Stefan for years. On her last full day in Montenegro she finally went; the island gate stayed closed, but the detour mattered.
Contextual illustrations of the Montenegro coast, Sveti Stefan and a seaside terrace. They do not depict Kate’s visit.
For years, Sveti Stefan had been one of those places Kate McCulley hoped she would see someday. Then she was in Montenegro with Dave, and someday was suddenly down to one last full day.
They took a spontaneous bus trip along the coast. The island appeared just where she had imagined it, a small cluster of buildings set apart from the mainland in the Adriatic. Seeing it was possible. Going onto it was not. Access was restricted, and their attempt to arrange a visit did not work out.
So they stayed on the mainland and ate lunch overlooking the island. The gate remained closed. The view she had wanted for years was right in front of her.
It was not quite the visit she had pictured, but it was a real afternoon in a real place, made possible by deciding to go while there was still time. This is an account of that trip, not advice about current access to Sveti Stefan.
She did not get through the gate. She still got there.
This editorial retelling is based on Kate’s public account of her visit to Sveti Stefan. It is not a FIBI interview or an endorsement.