The way to Plan the Good Journey to Albania

It felt like I used to be attending to see and really feel one thing I should not. The water felt too heat, it was too blue, too clear, and there have been too few different individuals round. As I tiptoed over the rocks, I let myself soften into the water, which had simply the best contact of salt to make it best for floating. I seemed up into the matching blue sky, listening to solely the beating of my very own coronary heart in my ears. I closed my eyes and dove beneath, realizing then that paradise has one other title: Albania. 

In early June, I visited Albania for a summer season trip alongside my husband. However fairly than simply go to its famed seashores, we made sure to traverse inland sections and see Tirana, its capital metropolis, to get a full view of what this nation is absolutely like. And we beloved each inch of it — virtually as a lot as those that dwell there.

“Albania is a hidden gem in Europe, recognized for its beautiful pure magnificence, wealthy historical past, and heat hospitality. From the pristine seashores of the Albanian Riviera to the rugged peaks of the Accursed Mountains, there’s one thing for each traveler,” Irida Shehu, the supervisor of the Manta Resort in Ksamil, shared.

In the summertime of 2024, Albania skilled a little bit of a journey increase as extra individuals found all its untouched glory — and its comparatively inexpensive pricing, too. 

“Recognized for its crisp blue seas, untouched pure magnificence, and historic websites, it is no marvel Albania is gaining momentum amongst vacationers,” Taib Dzemidzic, a neighborhood Flash Pack Pack Chief in Albania, added. Better of all, it is a spot the place vacationers are receiving a heat welcome. “The nation is extremely welcoming, and locals are recognized for his or her hospitality,” Dzemidzic added. “The comparatively low value of dwelling and touring additionally means you may expertise rather a lot with out breaking the financial institution. It is a superb alternative for solo journey.” 

Able to see it for your self? This is all the pieces you’ll want to plan the proper journey to Albania. 

Cities to Discover

Tirana

Tirana, the bustling capital of Albania, is a must-see for guests. Vacationers pays a go to to at least one (or extra) of its spectacular museums, dine in its vigorous cafes (and even go to one of many World’s 50 Finest Bars for a drink). And whilst you’re right here, make sure that to spend a bit of time exploring its artwork scene, together with spending a day on the fairly distinctive Bunk’Artwork museum. 

Berat

Often called the “Metropolis of a Thousand Home windows,” Berat is one other UNESCO World Heritage Web site tucked in Albania that is worthy of a day journey. In Berat, vacationers can discover its well-preserved Ottoman structure and take a look at the hillside houses with their distinctive home windows. Cannot-miss websites embody the Berat Fortress, the place you can even get a stunning panoramic view of the town under.

Shkodra

See another spot within the north of Albania at Shkodra, one of many nation’s oldest cities. The cultural hub can be house to loads of old-school websites just like the Rozafa Fortress. Vacationers must also go to its historic middle, which is crammed with cafes worthy of spending a complete day in, alongside museums just like the Marubi Nationwide Museum of Pictures, which showcases a formidable assortment of historic images of Albania’s previous.

The place to Keep

Rogner Resort, Tirana

The Rogner Resort provides a luxurious house base for visiting the nation’s capital metropolis. Right here, visitors will discover well-appointed rooms together with all the fashionable facilities you’d want, together with a spa, a pool, and a number of eating choices. And its prime location means it is inside straightforward strolling distance to close by points of interest like Skanderbeg Sq.. 

Maritim Marina Bay Resort, Vlore

Positioned alongside the picturesque shoreline of Vlore, the Maritim Marina Bay Resort is yet one more high-end escape, this time with panoramic ocean views. The trendy rooms include balconies so visitors can soak within the solar in solitude, together with an enormous, infinity-edge pool with a swim-up bar as well. 

Resort Mangalemi, Berat

End up within the middle of Albania with a keep at Resort Mangalemi. Positioned within the UNESCO World Heritage Metropolis of Berat, the lodge provides a tiny glimpse into Albanian on a regular basis life. The lodge was really the one-time house of Ahmet Kurt Pacha, who got here to Berat within the mid-18th century. Inside, visitors will nonetheless discover conventional furnishings and a restaurant serving genuine Albanian delicacies, whereas the surface features a attractive patio shaded by old-growth olive bushes. 

Manta, Ksamil

There isn’t any higher spot to name house for an evening or two within the south than Manta. The lodge, positioned within the well-liked seashore city of Ksamil, is tucked away in a non-public nook of the neighborhood, offering quick access to its famed nightlife and scrumptious eating places, however simply distant sufficient to supply the correct amount of seclusion. And, due to its privileged location, the lodge has a small non-public seashore on one facet and a patio the place visitors can dive instantly into the ocean on the opposite. 

Issues to Do

Hike in Theth Nationwide Park.

Immerse your self in Mom Nature at Theth Nationwide Park, positioned within the Albanian Alps. It is a vacation spot beloved for its large, craggy peaks, attractive waterfalls, and luxurious valleys. The park is tiny in comparison with different nationwide parks across the globe, clocking in at simply over 10 sq. miles, however it’s house to a incredible array of crops and animals, together with 50 species of birds, making it a park that punches far above its weight class. 

See the Blue Eye.

Make your strategy to the other facet of the nation, to the southern city of Muzinë, to gaze into the Blue Eye, a pure spring boasting among the bluest water on the earth. The attention itself is definitely a 164-foot-deep cave, which supplies it a darker middle, like a pupil, surrounded by electrical blue waters like an iris. You are not presupposed to swim within the water, although you will notice individuals doing it. (And actually, it’s possible you’ll not need to because the water is totally freezing.) Nevertheless, you are welcome to stroll over the bridge to get a view of it from above as an alternative. 

Stroll by means of the Metropolis of Stone.

Gjirokastër, often known as the “Metropolis of Stone,” is a must-see for historical past lovers. The UNESCO World Heritage Web site within the southern area started as a single citadel constructed within the 4th century and developed right into a small metropolis by the nineteenth century. At this time, guests can nonetheless tour that citadel and its Museum of Arms inside, stroll its cobblestone streets, and duck into its scrumptious eating places serving conventional meals. 

Go to the Nationwide Archaeological Museum.

Get to know extra about Albania’s historical past on the Nationwide Archaeological Museum in Tirana. It was the primary museum that opened following World Battle II and is house to a group of historic artifacts from the Stone Age all the way in which to the Ottoman occupation, giving guests a glimpse into each stage of the nation’s previous. 

Finest Seashores

Ksamil Seashores

Ksamil is essentially the most well-known seashore vacation spot in Albania for a cause: It is merely beautiful. Right here, vacationers will discover white-sand seashores lapped by turquoise waters. Within the lodge space, vacationers will both have to stay to the seashore in entrance of their lodging or pay small charges to seize a chair and an umbrella at neighboring seashores. However visitors can even discover public seashores simply outdoors of the lodge space, together with hidden spots down steep mountainsides that you could be simply be capable to get all to your self — at the very least for a short time. 

Dhermi Seaside

About two hours north of Ksamil, vacationers will discover one other sensational beachside setting in Dhermi. Actually, there’s loads of room for everybody right here as Dhermi Seaside is likely one of the longest on the Albanian Riviera. The seashore is a mixture of pebbles and high quality sand, so everybody can discover the fashion of shoreline they like, and it is house to all of the services you want, together with bogs and eating places, so you may loosen up all day lengthy. 

Jale Seaside

Searching for some peace and quiet? Discover it at Jale Seaside. Tucked between two cliffs, Jale Seaside, positioned simply north of Himara, is understood for its extra intimate ambiance. Its calm waters make it a really perfect spot for swimming and snorkeling. And although it is each quieter and smaller than the opposite space seashores, it nonetheless boasts a seashore bar, so you may seize a snack.  

Finest Time to Go to

The very best time to go to Albania, based on Shehu, is “in the course of the spring, in April to June, and early autumn, September to October. These durations supply nice climate, best for exploring each the seashores and the mountains with out the summer season crowds.” 

Certainly, these occasions permit guests to get pleasure from all the pieces Albania has to supply, together with its awe-inspiring seashores and mountains, whereas they’re nonetheless heat (ranging in between the excessive 60s to mid-80s) however not as sweltering because the mid-summer days may be. 

Nevertheless, the summer season excessive season in July and August provides its personal perks, together with a celebration ambiance on the seashores that can have you ever dancing all day and all night time. Simply be ready for temperatures — even by the coast — to hit near 100 levels Fahrenheit. 

There are additionally loads of different causes to go to year-round, together with attending one of many nation’s famed festivals just like the Tirana Worldwide Movie Competition held within the fall and the South Outside Competition, an enormous music pageant, in Could. And for those who time your journey proper, you may even attend the Gjirokastër Nationwide Folklore Competition, held each 5 years within the historic metropolis of Gjirokastër. 

The way to Get There

By Airplane: The simplest method for worldwide vacationers to get to Albania is through a flight to Tirana Worldwide Airport (TIA). The airport is related to main European cities, with airways like Lufthansa and Alitalia providing common flights. Simply be ready for a layover for those who’re coming from the U.S., as no airways have a direct path to the nation (but). 

By Ferry: Vacationers already visiting Greece or Italy have the simple possibility of merely hopping on a ferry to Albania. There are a number of routes you may take, together with ferries between Bari, Italy to Durrës (which takes about 9 hours) and Corfu to Saranda (which takes about half-hour). 

By Automobile: In the event you occur to be road-tripping by means of Europe, then attending to Albania is a breeze. Drivers can get into Albania from Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Greece. The roads listed below are well-maintained. Nevertheless, be prepared for tight corners within the mountains and many site visitors within the main cities.