The Albanian Riviera: the back story

About The Albanian Riviera: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Tirana Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

From Vlorë to the Greek border, the Albanian Riviera is one of the most beautiful coasts in the Mediterranean, with mountains falling straight into clear Ionian water.

Over the pass

The road south from Vlorë climbs through pine forest to the Llogara Pass, more than 1,000 metres up, then drops in hairpins to the coast with a view of the whole Riviera.

Dhërmi to Himarë

Dhërmi, Jale and Gjipe have some of the most beautiful beaches, Gjipe at the mouth of a canyon. Himarë has a long beach, an old town on the hill and coves nearby; Porto Palermo’s castle stands on a peninsula in a sheltered bay.

From the top of the Llogara Pass you look down on the whole coast.

Sarandë and Ksamil

Sarandë is a lively resort town on a bay facing Corfu. Ksamil, further south, is famous for its tiny islands and turquoise water, and very busy in high summer.

Butrint

Butrint, inhabited from prehistory, was a Greek city, a Roman colony and a Byzantine and Venetian town. Its ruins lie among woods and lagoons in a national park and have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992.

When to go

June and September are ideal: warm sea, fewer people. July and August are hot and crowded, especially in Ksamil. In May and October the coast is quiet and green.

Our advice: drive over the Llogara Pass in daylight, swim at Gjipe or a cove near Himarë, see Porto Palermo, spend a morning at Butrint before the heat, and visit the Blue Eye spring. Avoid Ksamil in August unless you love a crowd.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with The Albanian Riviera: the back story before you go.