Beautiful Beaches in Albania – Albania’s beaches hit the headlines a few years ago, when the first travellers ventured to discover this country that had recently opened up to tourism. Since then, their fame has grown and Albania has become a very popular destination , and not only, especially in the summer. Along the southern coast of the country, between the towns of Dhermi, Saranda and Ksamil , there are, in fact, some of the most beautiful beaches in the Mediterranean.
In some places, unfortunately, wild concreting has ruined the coast a bit, but by choosing carefully where to go and, above all, avoiding July and August, you can enjoy a sea and amazing beaches . In this article, therefore, I will accompany you on a journey through crystal clear waters and golden sands, revealing the ten most beautiful beaches in Albania (in my opinion, obviously).
Beautiful Beaches in Albania, between Dhermi, Saranda and Ksamil
PREMISE: I advise you to avoid Valona , Durres and Saranda , unless you are a fan of wild cementing and super crowded establishments with music at full blast…tunz tunz tunz. Between Saranda and Ksamil, however, there are several truly beautiful beaches.
Half of the beaches I recommend are only reachable on foot or by boat (Grama Bay, Gjipe, Sant Andreas, Pigeons Cave, Acquarium Beach). Jale Beach, Palermo, Livadhi, Mirror and Pulëbardha, on the other hand, can also be reached by car. In Albania, on the equipped beaches they practically do not leave a centimetre of free beach and you will be forced to take an umbrella and sunbeds. The price varies depending on the beach and the location: it starts from 10/15 euros (5/7 per person) up to 60 euros or more in Saranda and on some beaches near Dhermi (e.g. on the Green Coast).
The 10 Most Beautiful Beaches in Albania (2024)
1. Grama Bay
Starting from the north, the first Albanian beach that I absolutely want to recommend is Grama Bay . As you can see from the map, Grama Bay is located along the coast below Vlora and can only be reached by boat. It is a very protected bay with a heavenly beach of white pebbles and sand. The color of the water is surreal (the colors reminded me of Maya Bay in Phi Phi Island ) and the scenery is the same. By walking for a few minutes you can also reach a beautiful viewpoint. On the beach there is a small restaurant, but I think it is only open in the height of summer (July and August), ask before arriving. Boat trips and water taxis to reach it leave from Dhermi and Himare.
2. Sant Andreas Bay
Proceeding south, another bay with a wonderful little beach is Sant Andreas , which, like the previous one, can be reached by boat or via a beautiful coastal path that starts from the little church of Palases . The path is quite long ( here you can find the Wikiloc track with all the altimetric data ) and you will have to bring a lot of water and food because you will not encounter anything along the way. Let’s say that, if you don’t feel like walking under the sun (it takes 2 to 3 hours), it is preferable to reach it by taking part in an excursion or with a water taxi. The beach is small, made of pebbles, but it is truly a jewel.
3. Gjipe Beach
Gjipe beach is, rightly, among the most famous on the Albanian coast and certainly among the most scenic. The beach, beautiful and wide, is in fact located at the end of a canyon and is protected by 70-meter-high rock walls. To reach it you have to walk 30 minutes on a beautiful sunny path that starts from this parking lot . The strongest alternative is to follow the path, much longer, that starts from the village of Vuno, otherwise there are always water taxis and boat trips (which also include the beautiful Pirate Cave). The fame of this beach has also increased thanks to the fact that, for some years, part of the Kala Festival , an (electronic) music festival held in June, has been held there. In the summer months there are a couple of kiosks where you can buy drinks.
4. Pigeons Cave
A little further south of Gjipe there is this small beach, characterized by a large cave where you can shelter from the sun. It looks a bit like Cala Luna, in Sardinia , but it is shorter. Pigeons Cave (or Grotta dei piccioni, don’t ask me why, I don’t remember) can only be reached by taking a boat trip, where you normally stop here for half an hour or more. You can probably get a water taxi, but I don’t know how much it is worth stopping here for so long because the beach is small and there will certainly be a lot of boats that arrive there in high season.
5. Jale Beach
Jale Beach is also a beautiful beach nestled in a natural theater formed by rocky walls. The beach is quite large and has several lidos with sunbeds and umbrellas (as I wrote above, there is practically no free beach). They are building a lot right behind the beach and the scenery could change quite a bit in the next few years. At the moment it is still under control and the beach is really beautiful, sand and pebbles, with turquoise water. To reach Jale Beach by car there is a very steep road that descends from Vuno and is about 5 km long. If you want to reach it on foot, you should follow the coastal paths that start from Livadhi Beach (the shortest, 3.5 km) or Himare (6.5 km).
6. Acquarium Beach
Guess why it’s called that? Because this beautiful wild beach is perfect for snorkeling. The water is not very warm due to fresh water springs, but there are really a lot of fish. To get to Acquarium Beach you have to take a very bumpy dirt road that passes through Jale and then continue on foot for 20′-25′. If you plan to come here, remember to bring sneakers; even rock shoes are recommended, because there are some sea urchins. The beach is never very crowded and is very popular with locals. Bring water and food because there is nothing.
7. Livadhi Beach
After this series of wild and difficult to reach beaches, we finally arrived at a very long and easily accessible beach: Livadhi Beach . This white pebble beach with super transparent water is located very close to Himare (which I told you about in this article ). It is a beach with several lidos, but it is very quiet, the prices are fair and you can also bring your dogs if you want. If you are looking for a comfortable and easy to reach solution, this beach in southern Albania is perfect.
Read Also:- 9 Best Beaches in Croatia for Couples
8. Porto Palermo Beach
After Himare there is the bay of Porto Palermo , characterized by the homonymous Castle with a triangular plan and hexagonal towers (which can be visited). Its origins seem to be Venetian, but the current structure is linked to the Ottoman domination. Inside the bay there are several beaches, all nice and quite quiet, like this one or this one too . They are all small beaches with white pebbles and the water, needless to say, is super transparent. These beaches are not equipped (bring everything with you) and can be easily reached from the coastal road.
9. Mirror Beach
Mirror Beach is considered by many to be the most beautiful beach in Albania, but it is clear that it is always a matter of taste (for me the most beautiful is Grama Bay for example). This beautiful beach is located between Saranda and Ksamil and takes its name from the color and transparency of the water, mirror-like. To reach it you will have to travel along a fairly bad dirt road (be careful if you have a rental car) and I recommend doing it early in the morning, because then it fills up to excess. The beach is made of white pebbles and is equipped.
10. Pulëbardha Beach
I close this article on the 10 most beautiful beaches in Albania with one of my favorites, Pulëbardha Beach , a beautiful pebble beach located just south of Mirror Beach. Also in this case to reach it there is a dirt road, doable, but quite steep in the last part. Once you park you will find two restaurants (both with a super view of the beach and the coast) that manage the umbrellas and sunbeds. Between the two I recommend you opt for the one further outside, further to the right looking at the sea (where you can also eat very well!).
