Adventures in the Albanian Riviera

Albania wasn’t on my radar until a friend who’d been raving about it convinced me to go. The Albanian Riviera, the stretch of coast from Vlore to Sarande, turned out to be one of my favorite discoveries in years.

I rented a car in Tirana and drove south, which was an adventure in itself. Albanian driving is aggressive, and the mountain roads that wind down to the coast are narrow and occasionally terrifying. But the views as you descend toward the Ionian Sea make up for any white-knuckle moments.

My first stop was Dhermi, a village clinging to a hillside above a gorgeous beach. The old stone houses in the upper village feel frozen in time, while the beach below has a growing number of beach bars and restaurants. I found a small guesthouse run by a family who insisted on feeding me way too much food every evening.

The beaches were incredible. Clear turquoise water, white pebbles, and in early November, almost empty. I had whole stretches of coastline to myself. Gjipe Beach, accessible only by hiking down a canyon or arriving by boat, was particularly stunning. The water here is unbelievably clear - I could see straight to the bottom even in deep sections.

Himara was more developed but still charming. I spent a few days here, using it as a base to explore. The old castle above town offers panoramic views of the coast, and I watched the sunset from there one evening while a local man told me stories about growing up during communist times.

The food exceeded expectations. Fresh seafood everywhere, grilled whole fish with just olive oil and lemon, mussels in white wine, excellent Greek salads (the Albanian version is basically identical). Everything was absurdly cheap compared to Western Europe. A massive seafood dinner with wine rarely topped fifteen euros.

One day I drove to Ksamil, near the southern border with Greece. The beaches here are postcard-perfect, small islands just offshore that you can swim to, and water that shifts between different shades of blue depending on the depth. It reminded me of the Caribbean but without the long flight.

What struck me most was how friendly everyone was. Tourism is still relatively new here, and people seemed genuinely happy to have visitors. Language barrier was real - not many people speak English outside the tourist areas - but we made it work through gestures and Google Translate.

The Albanian Riviera won’t stay undiscovered forever. Development is happening fast, and more people are catching on. But for now, it offers something rare: a beautiful Mediterranean coastline without the crowds and prices of places like Croatia or the Greek islands.