Welcome to Villa Miela Lake Retreat, our Lake Skadar Activity base
Villa Miela is the base for our media-acclaimed hosted activity holidays and specialist breaks at Lake Skadar National Park. It offers a unique experience to enjoy an escape in nature as you ‘co-holiday’ or ‘co-live’ with our other guests – a small group of like-minded friends-in-waiting who bond over our expertly-guided adventures.
A beautifully renovated stone villa with swimming pool, Villa Miela has been owned and operated as sustainably as possible by the owners of Undiscovered Montenegro for more than 15 years, building up the best reviews in the area on TripAdvisor and as the Lonely Planet’s “Top Choice” of places to stay.
We call it our lake retreat, not because Villa Miela is a yoga centre (although we do run yoga breaks here in Spring and Autumn), but because the incredible natural beauty and wildlife found here creates a sense of total relaxation and detox from the modern world.
Exclusively for guests on our group activity holidays and also open to digital nomads for extended stays, Villa Miela’s panoramic views and prime location offer easy access to Lake Skadar’s southern and northern shores as well as Virpazar’s restaurants and shops.
It’s ideal for families, couples, solos and small groups – a chance to stay off the beaten track but still enjoy some creature comforts and luxury!
Rudolf Abraham, award-winning travel writer & photographer, writes: “I can genuinely say there’s nowhere I’d rather stay in this beautiful little corner of Europe than at Villa Miela. Emma and Ben are fantastic hosts, the villa is gorgeous, and Lake Skadar and its surroundings really do offer some of the most gob-smackingly beautiful scenery this country has to offer. This is Montenegro at its very best.”
Please note: we do not offer accommodation-only stays – Villa Miela is the base for our lake activity holidays and extended stays by digital nomads.
At a glance
- Sleeps up to 16: 4 en-suite rooms (2 doubles, one twin, one 4-bed bunk room), 3 rooms with shared bathroom (1 double/triple, two bunk-bed twins)
- Swimming pool and orchard gardens
- Co-living with 2 shared guest kitchens, living room with TV, DVD and book library and table tennis room
- Free WIFI
- Incredible mountain/lake views
- Farmhouse breakfast service
- Large terrace with gas barbecue, sun-loungers
- Yoga/chill deck with hammocks
- Boules court
- Two minute drive or 20 minute walk to the lake shore
- 30 minutes from the coast
- Free use of mountain bikes
- Exclusively for our activity holiday guests
Traditional charm
We spent two years renovating a centuries-old farmhouse and adapting it for modern life, completing the project in 2010. Local people tell us a famous Orthodox saint by the name of Sveti Stefan Stiljanović was born at our villa. It’s certainly fit for a saint now! Be charmed by original character features like metre thick stone walls to keep you cool in the Mediterranean summer, or the stone archway downstairs, once used for fermenting wine and hanging smoked hams.
In 2015/16 we added a secondary building, designing it to blend perfectly with the original farmhouse.
Modern comforts
Villa Miela can sleep up to 16 people. Exposed stone details and wooden ceilings and floors add to the charm, with locally produced, handmade bedspreads and bathroom soaps also handmade from olive oil. Most bedrooms have balconies to make the most of the stunning views and there are two open-plan living areas. Both houses have a modern kitchen equipped with washing machine and dishwasher and the villa also has free WIFI access throughout.
Amazing views
The villa’s 40 square metre terrace is perfect for dining, sunbathing, reading a book or even spotting eagles hunting on the rocky outcrop above. The panoramic views take in the coastal mountain ranges of Sutorman, Bješkeza and Lokvica, the historic fortress of Besac, Crmnica Valley (one of Montenegro’s most famous wine-producing regions) as well as the lakeside village of Virpazar and the lake itself beyond. There is also a hidden shady courtyard on the far side of the property.
Surrounded by nature
Relax on the sun-loungers and drink in the views over the forested hillside! Beyond the terrace, you will find extensive grounds, ideal for kids and adults alike to explore! Discover Villa Miela’s natural spring for a refreshing drink, find wild tortoises in the garden and walk around our orchard where you can pick figs, plums, cherries, mulberries pomegranates and walnuts right off the trees (depending on the season).
A pool with a view!
Enjoy the amazing views from Villa Miela’s swimming pool! It is quite simply the perfect place to relax after an adventure in the National Park or on a day free of activities. Grab a sun-lounger and listen to the best soundtrack this planet can offer – the sounds of nature, the cicadas chirping and the bird-song which emanates from all those trees around us. Temperatures are ideal for outdoor swimming from May through to September.
A great place to chill out
Get closer to nature with our yoga deck! Nestled in among the walnut trees is our most recent addition – a wonderful, shady chill-space with bean-bags, hammocks and yoga mats ready for you to use. During the spring it’s mostly for our yoginis – but it doesn’t hurt that in summer it’s quite literally the coolest place to hang out!
Idyllic location inside the National Park
Villa Miela is located in a gorgeous spot, clinging to Mount Sutorman in the middle of the picture above. Due to the natural flooding phenomenon Lake Skadar experiences every winter, expanding its borders by some 200 square kms, most properties here are located up in the hills. The lake itself is within easy reach, with central lakeside village Virpazar, its bars, restaurants and shops just a two minute drive, five minute cycle or 20 minute walk away. Villa Miela is also a mere 30 minute drive to the coastal resorts of Bar and Petrovac, 45 minutes from Budva and 1 hour 5 mins from Kotor. It’s also just two hours from the skiing resort of Kolašin.
