Albania has a long coastline on the Adriatic and Ionian seas. Much of it is very pretty, with many sandy beaches, largely untouched by mainstream tourism. It is still not easy to identify the resorts of Albania and get enough information about them to plan a vacation. The following travel tips for beach vacations in Albania are intended to help identify and describe three of the country’s beach resorts.
The small port of Himara is located at the foot of the Keravnia mountain in southern Albania, about eighty miles north of the Greek border and almost opposite the Greek island of Corfu. As well as its geographical proximity to Greece, the local inhabitants are mainly Greek speaking and the general atmosphere of the area offers a glimpse of what Corfu must have been like in the days before the arrival of mass tourism.
You will find various travel websites listing accommodations in Himara. If you feel insecure about making your own arrangements in such an underdeveloped country, vacations at this resort can also be booked through Sunvil, an ABTA tour operator.
Several spectacularly beautiful beaches can be found in the Dhermi and Drymades area. There is even a large open-air club called Havana Bar on the main Dhemi beach. But otherwise the beach has made few concessions to tourism. The sea here is crystal clear and must surely be among the cleanest on the planet.
Between Dhermi and the next major beach in the Drymades, there are numerous pebbly beach coves nestled between picturesque rocky outcrops. All are completely deserted and most are ideal for swimming or snorkeling.
Drymades Beach is huge, but even in the height of summer, there are usually very few people on it. It has a small and relaxing beach bar and behind it there is a campsite and bungalows on the beach. There is also a holiday villa complex that offers good accommodation in the form of villas, cabins and hotel rooms. The complex has been tastefully developed and in no way spoils this beautiful area.
Consider staying at Drymades Beach Complex if you’re looking for high-end accommodation at very reasonable prices.
Mali Robit is a resort, located on the Adriatic coast at Golem beach. It is situated about 30 miles from Tirana, the capital of Albania, and six miles from the port of Dures. The beach here is sandy and offers safe bathing. It’s a resort set against a spectacular backdrop of rugged mountain scenery, but it has made more concessions to tourism than most, with a beach of those long, straight, sun lounger-and-parasol-lined ones found all over the Mediterranean. The main provider of accommodation is the Mali Robit resort hotel. It offers modern facilities, forty-five apartments and five villas. There are other modern hotels on Golem Beach and many other types of accommodation.
Although there are plenty of unspoiled places to visit in the surrounding area, only consider this resort if you prioritize high standards of accommodation and tourist facilities over staying in the “real Albania”.
Albania remains one of the poorest countries in Europe and it may take some time to develop its tourism potential to the point of becoming a mass tourist attraction. However, the development of beach resorts in a country that is desperate for income can often happen haphazardly and without official sanction or well thought out planning. A quaint town one year can become a half-built concrete shell mess the next. Unfortunately, there are already many examples of this happening. You certainly won’t be able to find any ‘official’ naturist beaches in Albania, but the tranquility, beauty and seclusion of Albania’s coastal areas make it a tempting spot for the more adventurous naturist traveler. However, you will have to go there soon because mass tourism is bound to find those beautiful secluded beaches in no time.