We visited Albania in June and found a proud country full of contradictions, with preserved hillside towns and trashed-out seaside resorts, magnificent mountains and rusting abandoned buildings, friendly locals and brash tourists, and cuisine that moved from Greek to Italian to Macedonian depending on the region. Tourism is still an emerging industry in Albania with everyone vying for a piece of the pie – from Nënë’s selling homemade jam or olive oil from their doorway to little coves packed with sun lounges for rent to front yards set up as a ‘Parkim’ lot, As you drive along the high zig zag roads, you’ll encounter roadside carts selling figs, watermelon and olive oil on precarious bends in the road and as you approach the towns theres endless signs offering ‘authentic cuisine’ at makeshift restaurants or rooms in an ‘Oda’ (guesthouse) or ‘cool drinks’ from a glass refrigerator cabinet plugged in to the side garage of a home. During our week in Albania we covered 220 kilometres from Berat in the North down through Vlore port then Himare beach then Ksamil beach and Buttrint archaeological site then up to Sarande Porte and what we found was that tourism, left to run amok, can ruin a place (Ksamil) but when kept in check with guardrails such as at the UNESCO site of Berat, in Albania is rich and rewarding.

Albania is often referred to as being in Europe – which is only partly true.  It is geographically located in Southeastern Europe on the Balkan Peninsula along the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. Montenegro lies to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, North Macedonia to the east, and Greece to the south. We found that Greece had the heaviest influence in the southern part where we travelled. And interestingly, Albania’s relationship with Greece seemed to be centred around identity with a lot of the historical plaques we came across in the open museum in Berat trying to ‘re-write’  history putting Albania as the author of the first written language, not the Greeks and that Albanian people, are one of the oldest populations descending from the ancient Illyrian – first explicitly mentioned in historical records around the 11th century AD. 

Sensory shifts in Albania

When we stepped off the ferry in Vlorë, Albania we felt instantly that we were in a distinctly different country to Europe. The colours, the smells, the sights and sounds had all changed as we crossed the Adriatic sea. The first sound we noticed was the Azan call to prayer drifting on the wind as we walked out of the port. 60% of Albanians are Muslim and we saw many ancient Mosques in the old town of Berat. Albania has been shaped by many cultures over its lifetime (from its Ancient Illyrian & Greek Roots – evident in the cuisine, to the Roman & Byzantine Empires – most noticeable in the historic ruins and artwork) but it was the Ottoman influence (they ruled the region for 500 years) that we noticed most. The Ottomons bought Islam to Albania as well as delicious dishes like burek (savory pastry), baklava, and coffee all of which we savoured with abundance.

The sight of men gathered in parks playing backgammon, cafes discussing business or in restaurants was noticeable – for the absence of women. The patriarchal gender roles in Albania allow men to gather openly in cafes, while women are responsible for domestic and family duties and encouraged to socialise at home. Apparently, this is changing in the larger more modern towns of Tirana and Sarande and we didn’t notice it as much in the seaside tourist towns of Himare and Ksamil.  

Negotiating money, steep steps and language

We found the Albanians to be very welcoming and proud people. Albania has deeply embedded values of family and loyalty which is grounded in the concept of Besa (“to keep the promise”) which is an ancient code of ethics and trust. We experienced this first-hand in financial transactions where they point out each itemised costs, count out the money, show you everything tallies up. There was never any markup for tips, tax or public holidays on the bill. The only catch was some eftpos machines only transact in Euro so if you use a credit or debit card from Australia you pay to convert twice – once to Lek then again into Euro – usually at a very poor rate. Tip: take out lots of Albanian Lek at the ATM in one transaction (as there’s a hefty fee to withdraw) and use cash for everything. The Albanians prefer cash – Lek is their currency – and there are ATMs everywhere – as long as they accept your cards and you’re not afraid to pay $10 per transaction! There’s some great cheap shopping but it is quantity over quality so be prepared for imitation products and no big brands. Our Albania hosts went out of their way to make us comfortable, helping us with getting around and even carrying our luggage up the many flights of stairs. Tip: opt for a backpack when travelling to Albania – we never saw a lift and negotiated many flights of stairs and the crumbling footpaths aren’t made for wheely bags.

On the theme of respect, there are some customs you should be aware of: You must respect elders, (give way to them on the street or offer them a seat), it’s rude to refuse a host’s offer of food or drink, (in the smaller, older towns like Berat, you will be offered a glass of Raki after your meal (a 50% proof local brandy that tastes not unlike methylated spirits IMO) which is a welcoming gesture to guests and the ultimate symbol of Albanian hospitality – you must drink this – I advise slow small sips! Also, it is rude to point with your index finger, you mustn’t shake hands across a doorstep and you need to take your hat off indoors while eating. Lastly, you need to be aware of the infamous “Albanian head shake“—a side-to-side shake means “yes,” and a nod up-and-down means “no”. Adding to that confusion is that Yo means no and po means yes.

Albania’s unfinished business

Albania, a bit like Mexico, has an abundance of unfinished buildings. Some looked long-abandoned, others partly complete and many just had an exposed upper deck level whilst the bottom floors looked well lived in. In Albania, property tax cannot be applied until a building is legally declared complete. Also, families often build incrementally, adding floors or finishing a project only when families grow or money becomes available. Another interesting reason is that when Albania moved to a free-market economy in the 1990s an era of rapid, often unregulated land distribution and informal construction began with many projects were launched without official permits, proper titles, or legal frameworks, which eventually led to legal disputes or forced halts in construction. Add to this the Albanian construction sectors reliance on “klering” (in-kind payments where subcontractors are paid by an apartment in the building – so if developers run out of liquidity or a business disputes arise between the parties, the building can be instantly abandoned). Tip: Wear sturdy shoes to negotiate the crumbling footpaths and watch out for wiring poking out of walls or open drains missing thier covers.

Getting to and around Albania

Getting to and getting around Albania is not that easy so you need to think about what you want to see and what kind of experience you are after. Don’t think you can do both north and south regions of Albania – unless you have at least three weeks and either love driving/catching busses on narrow windy roads for dozens of hours to get to each town. We visited in June – before the peak season of July and August and went from Vlore port up to Berat, then down to Himare and then Ksamil, then took a ferry out of Sarande. We hired a car and travelled no more than 200 km in our week in Albania yet this required a lot of driving on many difficult roads. Our daughter wanted to go to the north to go hiking out of Theth and it took her 15 hours on two buses to travel 340 km from Himare to Theth.

Albania is around 30,000 square kilometres, about the size of Belgium – and 1/8 the size of the state of Victoria in Australia where we come from! Despite its small size it takes a long time to get around as there is no centralised transport system, no trains and the roads are very narrow and windy, over 70% of the land is mountains.  Some of the newer roads are wider and well-made and there’s a new 6km Llogara tunnel through the mountains that opened in 2025 and makes it easier to get between Vlorë, Himarë, and Sarandë but even these can get congested with construction still underway, big trucks on the road and busses.

Fly in to Tirana in if you are looking to explore the mountains and lake regions of the north like Bonilla Lake, Dajti, Krujë, and Shkodër or the ancient Ottoman town, and UNESCO World Heritage listed, Berat, You can catch a bus, hire your own car or hire a car with a driver and get to all these places in less than 2 hours.

Ferry to Sarande if you plan to go to the southern coastal region (coined the Albanian Riviera) like Himare, Ksamil and Dhërmi or to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Gjirokaster or the archaeological site or Butrint. Ferries leave from Bari in Italy, or from Corfu and arrive in Sarande (you can fly into Bari or Corfu from many places).  Like with Tirana, you can hire a car in Sarande, hire a car with a driver, or catch busses to the inland towns or coastal area in under 2 hours.  There is also a ferry from Brindisi, Italy, to Vlorë (we took this) and found it was very difficult to catch a bus or hire a car from there – so skip this port town.

Quick tips for the ferry to Albania:

1. Most ferries go overnight – get a cabin, they are cheap and the alternative seats/floors are crowded.
2. Check in is 2 -3 hours before departure – we got to the Brindisi port at 8.30  for a 11.30 departure and started boarding at 9.30. We were in our cabin by 10.30 – it takes about 1 hour to clear customs and security check.
3. Pack an overnight bag as you are not allowed to take suitcases upstairs to seats or rooms.
4. Pack food and water – for both the wait at the ferry port and for on board. We read there was a cafe at the Brindisi port but it had closed down so we were stranded with no food, water or toilets (until an entrepreneurial man offered to take us to the supermarket in his car for 30 euros). We read there was a cafeteria on board our boat but it too was shut!

You have three options for getting around Albania:

• 1. Hire a car (which we did – but be warned, you can only hire from Sarande port or Tirana airport – we tried to hire from Vlore port and it was VERY challenging!
• 2. Hire a car with a driver (which our friends did and thoroughly recommended for less stress and not too $$)
• 3. Catch a bus (which our daughter did and said they were cheap – but slow, hot and packed.) If you think you are up for catching the bus in Albania – be warned that there is no main bus station in the cities and often not even a bus or furgon (minibus) stop marked – be prepared to wait on a random street corner and to dig for a schedule – which is rarely available online or adhered to.

If you want to hire a car in Albania, you need to plan for very different driving style and habits to Australia. Here’s a little of what to expect:

• “Albo-style driving”. Most drivers we saw were men and they drive with a lot of machismo. A little like their Italian across the Adriatic neighbours, they treat traffic laws as “gentle suggestions”, ignoring speed limits, solid lines and give way signs.
• They don’t take turns at intersections, roundabouts, or 4-way crossroads. The most confident, or aggressive driver or biggest vehicle claims right of way.
• They overtake everywhere and claim their right to be the next to pass you by driving alongside your back door or literally touching your tail until they decide to floor it and pass you. This usually happens on a hair pin bend, blind corner, narrow part of the road or when the opposing traffic has two lanes! They don’t indicate but might use car horns to signal overtakes.
• There will always be a black Mercedes behind – itching to overtake you. 30% of all vehicles are Mercedes as they represent power and success. During the communist era, private car ownership was banned – yet dictator Enver Hoxha drove Mercedes which made them the ultimate status symbol. When communism fell, Mercs were the only cars that could manage the roads, and the locals knew how to fix. Now many Albanians work in Italy and Germany and they buy used Mercedes, drive them home for the summer, and sell them to be used as hire cars in the tourist season.
• Watch out for wandering goats – even more unpredictable than the black Mercedes, goats graze the roadside and will appear around blind corners without warning.
• The lack of road signs, and lack of sat nav in the old hire cars, mean you really don’t know how steep or windy the roads or the bends are.  
• It is difficult to park your car in some towns – you need cash to pay the fellow minding an empty block serving as a “Parkim” lot or book a hotel with parking.

Highlights of HIMARE- a seaside gem without the spoils

Himarë is at the start of what is called “the Albanian Riviera” but it has escaped the over development of its southern seaside sister Ksamil. It is unpolished, laid-back and blends Greek chaos with Albanian hospitality. You can hear both Greek and Albanian spoken on the streets, there’s dual-language signs, and heavy Greek influences on local restaurant menus. As you drive in to Himare from the north, admire the gob-smacking views from the SH8 and if you’re approaching near to sunset stop in at Himare castle on the way down to admire the sun setting over the Ionian Sea  below.  The castle is 240 m above sea level and about 3 km before you descend into Himare – just beyond the turnoff to the glitzy gem of Dhermi. There’s a few random bars serving sunset drinks across the road from the castle and you can explore the old town that is starting to be developed with restaurants and accommodation.

Unlike its overcrowded neighbours—like Ksamil or Sarandë—Himare has an authentic beach vibe, with lots of free beaches, a selection of fancier clubs and a good promenade. We enjoyed hanging out on Himare beach in front of our apartment which has crystal clear water – the beach is  rough sand but as you enter the enter it turns to pebbles and  rocks – which is what keeps it so clear. Himare beach – is actually split into 4 sections (with Spille and Sfageio Beach to the left and right of Himare then 10 mins walk along the road and around the cliffs is Marachi Beach) best of all it is all free public beach. There are a few sections that have bean bags down one end of Himare beach and Marachi beach has beach clubs but the majority is free. There’s a promenade that runs behind the beach with restaurants, bars and low rise guest houses/hotels – we stayed directly on the promenade – its all very close.  The beachfront strip is getting a bit touristy with large sprawling restaurants serving all the same fare and endless concession stands spruiking boat trips along the coast to the coves or out to the smaller islands offshore. With beautiful beaches and water right on our doorstep we didn’t feel the need to take a boat elsewhere.

The highlight of Himare for us was the 45 minute rocky goat track (or you could drive/taxi/take a boat) around to Livadh beach – the next cove around. As you descend from the track there’s a tiny corner of the beach before the Babilonia beach club that has the deepest clearest water and we spent the day there – respecting the signs not to put up an umbrella or eat food or drop litter to antagonise the beach club.  There’s some lovely chilled cafes further along Livadh beach and a couple of pretty nice hotels. It’s a good, quieter alternative to Himare but has less free public beach area.

Beautiful BERAT – packed with history and delights

This 2,400-year-old UNESCO World Heritage town offers a stunning, well-preserved blend of Ottoman and Byzantine architecture. Fun fact – in 2008 when it was designated a UNESCO city it was called the “City of One Over The Other Windows ” as the homes are built so closely on top of each other, the large, white washed windows appear to be directly “one above another” up the hill. Somewhere along the way, tourist guides morphed this into the “City of a Thousand Windows,” which is what is is now know as (I’m sure there are many more than a thousand windows!).

Berat has two historic neighbourhoods: Mangalem and Gorica which lie either side of the Osum river. We stayed in the historic Hotel Ansel in the Mangalem quarter and enjoyed exploring the zig-zag stone tracks that pass up and down and between Ottoman-era houses – most featuring a restaurant, a view, accommodation or small store selling local olive oil, apricot jam or plaits of figs. A living museum decorates the walls of the passageways, sharing stories of Albanian people, history and culture with a heavy lean on Albania innovation and achievements being usurped by Greek history.

One of our highlights in Berat was the 2km (uphill) walk along the cobblestone road to the 13th-century hilltop castle to see the sunset one night, then another time to see the sunrise. We explored this living, breathing neighbourhood, wandering through winding lanes full of wild flowers and wild cats, and discovered hidden Byzantine churches, panoramic views of the valley from old fort walls and turrets and more history of Berat.

We enjoyed walking across Gorica bridge an old swing bridge, to explore the Gorica quarter. Like its opposing neighbour this area also has Ottomon architecture with lots of restaurants and guest houses and a couple of backpackers hostels too. There’s an open air museum where you can read about famous people who have visited Albania such as Krushev, Mussolini, Strauss, Che Guevara and Kim II Sung. A short walk from the old UNSESCO town is the modern Berat which stretches out along a wide pedestrian mall. There’s still plenty of old cathedrals, Mosques and history here but also more modern cafe’s, a long park filled with men playing chess or cards and a couple of large ornate hotels.

KSAMIL – the seaside resort that has been over-loved

Ksamil has become a victim of its own popularity with overdevelopment burying its once beautiful soul. This hard to pronounce town (Ks-meel) is even harder to get around as there’s no promenade along the seafront only a chain of coves crammed with beach clubs that block access. Tourists are forced to walk on the often crumbling, narrow back road shared with construction trucks and sadly, rubbish dumps to get to the beach clubs – or the one public strip of sand at Paradise beach. The back streets are stuffed with seafood restaurants, loud sports bars, cheap burger joints and crepe cafes. Ksamil has become the Kuta of Bali, the Pattaya of Thailand, the Benidorm of Spain where people flock for cheap accommodation, beer, food and party time.  It wasn’t our scene but there were some highlights – including the beautiful water, the sunsets and some of the more colourful cafes.

Our first night we enjoyed a beautiful sunset over the Ionian Sea with the island of Corfu in the background at a fairly basic, raised restaurant over . We sat at Horizont bar and enjoyed a margarita while the sun went down. Ksamil does have lovely sunsets which you can enjoy from the bars, or on the one little public beach or from above Ksamil on the super high, new Llogara Pass there are several marked viewpoints for panoramic sea views.

We also enjoyed exploring the dozens of tiny coves along the waterfront, if only to see how they were setting up for summer and decorating thier patch of rocks/sand. Some had Santorini vibes, painted in white, many had a Fijian look about them with thatched umbrellas being made, then there were the big brash Dubai vibes clubs with lots of shiny statues, oversized decorations and furniture. Most of the beach clubs had shisha lounges, persian rugs, and platforms with nets to lie on over the sea. We often had to clamber over rocks and scruffy parking lots on to the back streets to get to the next beach and as we walked further to the west we found a promenade that took you behind the beach clubs and to some fancy restaurants that at night turned into clubs that sent out strobe lights over the town. On the way there were a few stands renting out Ferrari and Lamborghini shaped motor boats and we were amused to see one puttering along on the waves out to sea. There are two slivers of public beach – at Ksamill 7 and Paradise beach and we sat a while to absorb the scene but didn’t swim as the wind had stirred up the newly dumped sand making the water rather milky and univiting.

Butrint archaeological wonder

 4 kilometres up the road from Ksamil is the archaeological UNESCO site  of Butrint which has some very well preserved ruins from Greek, Byzantine, Venetian and Roman civilisations. There’s a huge 3rd-century BC Greek theatre, remnants of a Great Basilica, and the iconic Lion Gate that you’d need to crawl to fit under. We enjoyed a big shady walk amongst the well preserved old amphitheatre, castle, walls & gates and churches that thrived here in 500AD – 100BC. There’s a very informative museum, great views over the water from the old church, a large lake and lots of informative plaques.

Serene Sarande

Sarande surprised us as we had heard it was a rather busy city with not a lot to offer. We only had two days and one night but in that time we throughly enjoyed walking along the promenade and exploring the streets above. Sarande is a thriving port town – the ferries bringing goods and tourists dock here and it is only a stone’s throw from Corfu. Saranda used to be a fortified town, but the walls haven’t survived. Only a few pieces of the entrance gate can be seen today on the public beach. Another remaining piece of the fortification wall can be found inside the restaurant of Republika Hotel.

There’s a big outdoor swimming pool roped off just near the ferry port and we saw a photographic exhibition showcasing the many great swimmers that had come from this training ground. We also saw a fisherman perched on the groin that protects the swimming lanes from boat wash who looked like he was floating on water like Jesus. We visited on a Saturday night when the promenade came alive for the Fish Festival and we heard the live rock band playing late into the night. We ate at a great traditional restaurant set into the steps between streets called ‘Oda e Babe’ and after dinner we were entertained by greek plate smashing and dancing.

If you want a killer panoramic view of Saranda, head up to Lekursi Castle. It’s a bit of a hike (or a quick taxi ride), but worth it. There’s a restaurant partly set in an old ruin at the top, or you can bring your own sunset snacks. There’s also another viewpoint ton the opposite hill. Just search for “Monastery of the 40 Saints” (what Sarande is named after) on Google Maps.

The Albanian language:

The Albanian language is challenging as it has more consonants and less verbs than the English language – but we found that mastering a few basics made the Albanians smile and enriched our experience so here’s a few everyday greetings & basics

 Përshëndetje (per-shen-det-ye) – Hello (formal)

Tungjatjeta (toong-yat-yeta) – Hello / Good day (respectful, traditional greeting)

Mirupafshim (meer-oo-paf-shim) – Goodbye

Tung (toong) – Hi / Bye (informal)

Faleminderit (fa-le-min-der-it) – Thank you

Ju lutem (yoo loo-tem) – Please / You’re welcome

Më falni (meh fal-nee) – Excuse me / I’m sorry

Po (po) – Yes (shake of the head)

Jo (yo) – No (nod of the head)