The Albanian Riviera
Set up a tent under the olive trees at this chilled-out camping ground across the main road from the beach. Facilities are basic, but nice touches include midnight movies in an open-air cinema and a lamplit bar-restaurant that serves as a natural social centre for guests. It's on the second (southern) beach in Himara if you're coming from Tirana.
Camping gear can be rented for just 300 lekë a night. Prices fall by around a third outside July and August.
28.02 MILES
Early in the morning, before the tourist crowds arrive and when the rocks are still tinged in the yellow dawn light, you might just imagine that the…
20.48 MILES
Gjirokastra's eerie hilltop castle is one of the biggest in the Balkans. There's been a fortress here since the 12th century, although much of what can be…
4.92 MILES
Between Dhërmi and Vuno is the turn-off for this little-known gem, a gorgeous stretch of isolated white sand and rock backed by big cliffs – and as yet…
20.07 MILES
This incredible three-storey house dates from 1811 and has twin towers and a double-arched facade. It's fascinating to nose around the almost unchanged…
20.48 MILES
Gjirokastra's most interesting sight in no way relates to traditional architecture, but instead to a far more modern kind: this is a giant bunker built…
26.11 MILES
The Blue Eye Spring is a magical place: a hypnotic pool of deep blue water surrounded by electric-blue edges like the iris of an eye. It's further…
8.8 MILES
One of the more attractive beaches on the Albanian Riviera is Drymades. It's a long, shingle white beach backed by olive groves and the first stirrings of…
20.22 MILES
The lovingly restored Ottoman-era Skenduli House has been in the hands of the same family for generations (apart from a few years during the communist…
0.64 MILES
There are two main beaches in Himara. The northern one is the main town beach and has a promenade lined with cafes and bars. Around the headland to the…
1.56 MILES
Himara is mainly known for its beaches, but its Old Town on the hills high above the seafront is an interesting place to stroll around. One highlight is…
1.77 MILES
Himara's longest stretch of beach is Livadhi, just north of the town. It's certainly very attractive but development hasn't been kind, with a slew of…
3.05 MILES
In a picturesque bay just south of Himara, this 19th-century fortress, also known as the Castle of Ali Pasha, makes for an interesting stop-off along the…
3.21 MILES
Jal beach, a 5km drive down a decent side-road from the village of Vumoni, has been well and truly 'discovered' in the last few years and an ever…
4.34 MILES
Vuno is a tiny hillside village above picturesque Jal beach. Each summer Vuno's primary school is filled with blow-up beds and it becomes Shkolla Hostel…
4.92 MILES
Between Dhërmi and Vuno is the turn-off for this little-known gem, a gorgeous stretch of isolated white sand and rock backed by big cliffs – and as yet…
6.07 MILES
Borsch is a huge, sweeping white-stone beach that is several kilometres long. While it's still far from over-run with development, it's hardly…