7 Best Albania Beaches To Visit in 2022

You may have heard of the Albanian Riviera and its beaches, once catchwords of true backpackerdom – their names were synonymous with unspoilt sands backed by rolling hills covered in olive groves, rustic accommodation right next to the water, and grilled meats and cold beers for the equivalent of a handful of change. Here are some of the very best.

Drymades

Looking west across the Adriatic Sea – direction southern Italy – Drymades gets super-fiery sunsets. But that’s for later – from the moment the day dawns it’s a stunner, with almost Maldivian-blue waters caught in a small bay. There is a pebbly stretch as well as a sandy expanse, the two divided by a large rock – and things never get crowded, even during summer. So if you’re looking for an alternative to the manic Med, here’s your answer.

Dhërmi

Near Drymades, you’ll find Dhërmi, one of the most famous places in Albania thanks to its poster-lovely looks: an expanse of pale pebbles and rocks lapped by turquoise waters. This beach is one of the longest on the Albanian Riviera; in summer, it’s undoubtedly the busiest – and loudest, with music playing through speakers and accommodation full to the brim. But if you’re prepared to walk a little, you should be able to find a spot for your own solitude, even in August.

Himara

This might just be Albania’s best-loved beach town, a gash of tropical blue glimpsed as you crest the dramatic Llogara Pass and see it spread below. It’s certainly one of the most frequented beauty spots along the Albanian Riviera, but despite that it hasn’t lost its charm. There are several corkingly lovely stretches near the town, among them Livadhi, a bay of fine white pebbles edged by olive trees; and Potami, attractively spread between the sea and a river.

Borsh

Against a rustic backdrop of peaks, olive groves and grazing goats, the largest beach in Albania is impressive indeed: an unspoilt magic carpet of pure-white pebbles unfurling for 7km (4.3mi) along the Albanian Riviera, rinsed by the preternaturally blue Ionian Sea. The village of Borsh, about 2km (1.2mi) from the beach, is home to a population of Albanian Muslims, and you might find little mosques hidden in the green hills beyond, along with the occasional castle.

Saranda

Albanian Riviera. It is one of the most frequented spots in the country, for many reasons: the town is near the border with Greece – directly across the Ionian Sea from the island of Corfu – and it has plenty of gorgeous beaches. One of our favourites is Pulebardha, which you can get to by bus: a pebbly beach, lapped by clear shallows flickering with fish, this is a reminder of the Med as it used to be before mass tourism.

Vlora

The city of Vlora, the third largest in Albania, commands a bay where the Ionian Sea merges with the Adriatic. A town of historic merit, where independence was forged, it’s your gateway to some of the country’s finest untouched beaches. From Vlora port, with Teuta Boat Tours, you can hit the unspoiled bays of Karaburun and Sazan, but if you’d rather go it alone, drive in a southerly direction and flop on the shores of Radhime or Orikum. Both are textbook examples of Albanian coast, radiating brilliance in toothpaste-white-and-blue.

Ksamil

South of Saranda, you will come to Ksamil, one of the most coveted beach destinations in Albania. Such is its beauty, it has been dubbed “the Ionian pearl”. The setting is truly dramatic, on a bay with three small islands you can reach by local boat, or swim out to if you’re feeling energetic enough, across startlingly turquoise waters. One piece of advice: think twice about heading here in August, because every inch of space is taken up by bronzing holidaymakers from Tirana.