Driving the scenic Adriatic Highway along the sea

# The Adriatic Highway: A Coastal Dream

Picture this: a 1,000km (620 miles) stretch of pure coastal magic hugging the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea. The Adriatic Highway winds its way through Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro, earning its reputation as one of the world's most spectacular coastal drives—and honestly, once you've seen it, you'll understand why.

Part of the European route 65 (E65), this fully paved two-lane beauty runs north-south from Rijeka, a charming Croatian port city, all the way down to the Montenegro-Albania border. The only exception? A brief dual-carriageway section near Split. While locals know it by different names depending on which country you're in (D8 in Croatia, M-2 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and M-1 in Montenegro), travellers just call it spectacular.

Sure, you *could* hammer through the whole thing in about 12 hours, but please don't. This road demands a leisurely pace—think two or three days minimum. Split it into shorter segments, soak in the scenery, and actually experience what makes this drive legendary.

What you get here is nothing short of Mediterranean magic. Crystal-clear waters on one side, distant islands dotting the horizon, and landscapes that shift dramatically from north to south. The road clings to clifftops, swoops down to hug the shoreline, then climbs back up with nothing but sheer drops to the sea below. It's a thrilling roller coaster of serpentine turns and breathtaking views that'll have your camera working overtime.

Built back in the 1950s and 60s under Yugoslavia's President Tito and officially opened in 1965, this highway is refreshingly manageable even during peak summer season. Traffic stays light, fuel is easy to find, and the road itself is perfectly safe. If those dramatic cliff-edge curves make you nervous, countless bus tours operate along the route with experienced drivers who've navigated these bends a thousand times over.