The Best of the Albanian Riviera
Originally written October 2023
If you’re anything like me, you saw and heard some very enticing things about the Albanian Riviera. Who doesn’t love a cheap holiday exploring beautiful beaches? I’d been dreaming of the crystal clear waters of Saranda and Ksamil for over a year. I didn’t make it last year whilst travelling in the Balkans for several reasons. A year plus much advice and research later, I finally made it to Albania. A tricky start in Tirana had me fleeing south ASAP for coastal vibes. I went straight to Saranda. It was nearly mid-September and still very hot. Say 35c. Saranda is quite a touristy spot and somewhat tacky in my opinion. Nonetheless, there were public (and some nicer) secret beaches and they were beautiful. That said, I did notice a large turd next to my towel after sitting on the Saranda public beach for a while.. Rubbish is a big problem in Albania in general.
A newfound travel buddy and I ventured to Ksamil for the day to see what the hype was about. All private beaches so you must pay for a sunbed to swim at all. We found the cheapest spot and paid 1500 Lek for two (about €15). Busier and tackier than Saranda. The water was beautiful but it’s an extremely touristy spot.
After a quick trip to Gjirokastër, we pressed on to Himare. This is where it gets good. Himare is the spot! It’s a very sweet beach town. All the best beaches of the Riviera are nearby. They’re mostly all easily hitchhikeable and some reachable by foot. It’s quite the active holiday in that respect. Don’t forget your hat! We spent six days in adorable Himare and later on I came back for another week.
During my time based in Himare, I went to the following spots:
⁃ Porto Palermo — featuring a castle and small dock. Incredible blue water and plenty of private spots. I went twice actually. Once with a local dude and again with a Dutch friend and Argentinian traveller.
⁃ Mateus Beach — wow, quite a hike but the most gorgeous private small beach. The same local guy took us here by car but we still had to walk for A WHILE!
⁃ Secret Beach near the campsites in Himare’s north with a “pool” and spots to lay around. Short, slightly tricky hike to get there.
⁃ Filikuri Beach — holy smokes. I’d say it’s the best I’ve seen in all of Albania and absolutely worth the short steep hike down and back up. For the last 20 metres or so you have the assistance of a rope to scramble down to the pebbly beach. This one is located just south of Himare centre and can be reached by foot from town in about 45 minutes to an hour. I went twice because hello it’s the best!
⁃ Gjipe — well, hype is never good. We heard a lot about this one so had high expectations. It was more commercial than we thought. Beautiful but it’s got nothing on some of the others we visited. We hitched a ride to the start of the track and walked all the way down and back up. Pretty strenuous hike! Luckily we found a ride back to Himare before we even hit the highway!
⁃ Livadhi Beach — big pebbled beach the next one up from Himare centre. We hiked from Himare and the water was clear and refreshing. A long beach with a few beach bars and small shops. Very quiet in September.
⁃ Aquarium Bay — secluded spot surrounded by boulders. We hiked from Livadhi (the same day we also hiked from Himare) so a bit exhausting. It was much later in the day by the time we made it so the colour of the water wasn’t quite as brilliant. Still worth a visit! We were lucky to catch a ride back to Himare centre.
⁃ Dhermi — somewhat of a glamorous place to be seen in season but in October it was very quiet and kind of weird as construction was already in full effect. Got a ride there and had to walk back up to the highway. Enjoyed decent coffee under one of the fanciest umbrellas I’ve ever seen. Stunning views of the mountains from the sea.
⁃ Jale Beach — lovely spot. Hitched a ride here with a couple of Polish guys. Very quiet and relaxing smallish bay.
⁃ Qeparo Beach — went with the Dutch and Argentinian again. Huge stretch of smooth pebbled beach. Found some shade from remnants of summer beach huts.
⁃ Borsh Beach — very similar to Qeparo. Long pebbly beach with nice views.
My travel buddy and I skipped Vlore altogether in order to spend more time in Himare. Word on the street is the beaches are a bit dirty there. I can’t say for sure but if you’re more of a city person Saranda and Vlore could be for you. If you’re like me and don’t give a shit about nightlife and love amazing beaches, Himare is the place!
Admittedly more expensive than other parts of Albania, Himare also doesn’t have great supermarkets. It’s weirdly expensive as all the products are imported. But the produce is cheap and delicious. Hello fruit salads! You can also forage figs and pomegranates from the trees — bliss!
For a cheap dinner you can find some casual pita/souvlaki options and a couple reasonable fish tavernas. Once we treated ourselves to a nice dinner at a place called Soren. I ordered a seafood pasta that was very delicious. A large shared salad and glass of wine later, we ended up paying about €16 each.
On my second week, I found a lovely coffee/breakfast place called Anemone and went there quite a bit to enjoy frothy freddo cappuccinos.
My Dutch friend discovered a very affordable fish tavern called Valos. Only about 50m from the seafront, this very basic place served fresh seafood, chips, salad and the like. Nothing fancy. I always stayed in places that I could at least prepare breakfast for myself. And usually sustained myself with snacks and one meal out per day. Not a bad way to spend a couple weeks!
