Coast guide · four to five hours from Tirana
The Llogara Pass, Dhërmi and Gjipe, Himarë, Porto Palermo, Sarandë, Ksamil, Butrint, the Blue Eye spring and Apollonia on the way.
Albania feature
White beaches, turquoise coves and the ancient city of Butrint.
Cross the Llogara Pass in daylight, swim in a cove near Dhërmi or Himarë, and see Butrint early in the morning.
Read the full back story below, then plan your trip.
The back story
Over the Llogara Pass the Ionian coast opens below you: white pebble beaches, turquoise coves, old hill villages, Ottoman castles and, at the southern tip, the ancient city of Butrint.
The gateway to the Riviera
The mountain pass above the coast, with pine forest and a famous view.
Qafa e LlogarasëExplore View on map
White beaches, a canyon cove
The beaches of Dhërmi and the canyon cove of Gjipe.
DhërmiExplore View on map
Old town and bays
A coastal town with a long beach, a hilltop old town and coves nearby.
HimarëExplore View on map
A fortress in a bay
A fortress on a small peninsula in a sheltered bay south of Himarë.
Porto PalermoExplore View on map
Facing Corfu
A lively resort town on a bay facing Corfu, with a seafront promenade.
SarandëExplore View on map
Turquoise water
Small islands and turquoise water south of Sarandë.
KsamilExplore View on map
UNESCO World Heritage
An ancient city of Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Venetians among woods and lagoons.
ButrintExplore View on map
A spring of impossible blue
A deep spring of intense blue water between Sarandë and Gjirokastër.
MuzinëExplore View on map
An ancient Greek city
The ruins of the ancient city of Apollonia near Fier, on the way south.
PojanExplore View on map
The longest beach on the Riviera
A long beach below olive groves between Himarë and Sarandë.
BorshExplore View on map
Sunset over Sarandë
An Ottoman castle on the hill above Sarandë, now a restaurant with a view.
Buses and the coast road
Buses run from Tirana to Sarandë and Himarë; a car makes it easy to stop along the coast.
Been to The Albanian Riviera? Share your experience and tips with other visitors.