EXPLORE ALBANIA
Albania, Where the Ionian Begins
South of the Bay of Vlorë, the mountains of southern Albania fall steeply into the Ionian Sea, and white pebble beaches fill the gaps between the headlands all the way to the Greek border. In a single week you could take the tender into a sea cave on the Karaburun peninsula, swim below a fortress that Ali Pasha built on a quiet bay and walk through the Greek theatre at Butrint. Marinas are few and the passages are short, so most nights are spent at anchor, with the lights of Corfu across the water at the southern end.
Two Seas and a Mountain Shore
ON THIS COAST, THE MOUNTAINS STOP AT THE SEA.
Albania faces two seas. North of Vlorë, the Adriatic shore is mostly low and sandy. At the mouth of the Bay of Vlorë, Sazan island marks the informal line between the Adriatic and the Ionian, and from there south the coast changes character: the Ceraunian Mountains rise straight out of the water, and the stretch from the Llogara Pass down to Sarandë is known as the Albanian Riviera. Beyond Sarandë, the Butrint lagoon and its ruins lie just short of the Greek border.
Distances are modest. The Karaburun peninsula and its caves are a short run across the bay from Vlorë, and the Riviera’s beaches and villages, Dhërmi, Himarë, Porto Palermo, Borsh and Lukovë, follow one another down the coast. At the southern end, Sarandë and Ksamil look across a narrow channel to Corfu, and many charters start or finish on the Greek island and cross over to Albania.
Ashore, the past sits close to the surface. Greek colonists, Romans, Venetians and Ottomans all held this coast, and the hill villages keep their stone houses, Orthodox churches and terraces of olive and citrus trees. Concrete bunkers from the communist years still crouch on some headlands. As the heat goes out of the day, towns and villages turn out for the xhiro, the evening stroll along the seafront.
For much of the 20th century Albania was one of the most isolated countries in Europe, and its coast has opened up to visitors only since the 1990s. Yacht facilities remain limited, with Orikum’s marina the main harbour for yachts in the north and the port of Sarandë in the south, so crews plan the week around anchorages. That is a large part of the appeal: a coast that still feels new to most visitors, a short sail from one of the busiest charter islands in the Ionian.
Six Stops from Vlorë to Butrint
Listed from north to south, from the bay where Albania declared its independence to the ruins beside the Butrint lagoon, these are the places an Albanian charter is built around.
Butrint
Vlorë and the Karaburun Peninsula
Dhërmi and Drymades
Himarë and Porto Palermo
Borsh and Lukovë
Sarandë and Ksamil
Butrint
Vlorë and the Karaburun Peninsula
Dhërmi and Drymades
What to Do Along the Way
Swim Below the Ceraunian Mountains
The Riviera’s beaches are mostly white pebble, which keeps the water very clear, and many of the best swimming spots are easiest to reach from the sea. Gjipe lies at the foot of its canyon with no road to the sand, the coves of Karaburun have no road at all, and off Ksamil the shallows around the islands are ideal for snorkelling. Paddleboards, masks and fins come off the swim platform whenever you want them. Inside the Karaburun–Sazan Marine National Park, conservation rules apply, and the captain chooses each stop with them in mind.
Find the Sailors’ Words at Grama Bay
Grama Bay, on the Ionian side of the Karaburun peninsula, was both a quarry and a sheltered anchorage in antiquity, and the people who stopped there carved their names into its cliffs. Around 1,500 inscriptions survive, mostly in Ancient Greek and Latin, and some call on the Dioscuri, the twin protectors of sailors, for a safe passage. On the way, take the tender into the cave of Haxhi Ali, the largest of the peninsula’s sea caves. Both need a calm sea, so keep the day flexible.
Spend a Morning at Butrint
Butrint repays a few unhurried hours. Walk from the Greek theatre to the baptistery and the Great Basilica, out through the Lion Gate and up to the acropolis for the view over the lagoon. Inland, the Blue Eye is a spring of clear blue water welling up from a deep pool in the woods, where swimming is not allowed, and the hillside town of Gjirokastër, with its stone houses and great castle, is listed by UNESCO together with Berat. The crew can arrange a car and a licensed guide for either.
Climb to Ali Pasha’s Castles
Ali Pasha of Tepelena, who ruled from Ioannina until his death in 1822, left his mark all along this coast. His triangular fortress at Porto Palermo stands on its own peninsula in the bay, and he also held the fort at the mouth of the Vivari Channel near Butrint. Lord Byron visited him at Tepelena in 1809 and wrote about him in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. Add the Ottoman walls of Lëkurësi above Sarandë and the Kastro of Himarë, and a week can take in several castles, most of them a short walk or drive from the shore.
Hear the Songs of Labëria
The hills behind Vlorë and Himarë belong to Labëria, one of the heartlands of Albanian iso-polyphony, singing in several voices over a sustained drone, which UNESCO lists as intangible cultural heritage. Ask the crew whether any performances fall during your week. In the evening, join the xhiro, the Albanian evening stroll, along the Lungomare in Vlorë or the seafront in Sarandë, then stop for a drink as the lights come on around the bay.
What to Eat and Drink
Eat Fish on the Vlorë Seafront
Vlorë is a fishing town, and its seafront restaurants are the place to begin. Sea bream, sea bass and red mullet are grilled whole and dressed with olive oil and lemon, while octopus, prawns and squid come grilled, fried or in a salad. Many kitchens display the day’s fish on ice so that you can pick your own, and along the Riviera the beach tavernas keep things just as simple.
Try Mussels from the Butrint Lagoon
Mussels are farmed in the brackish water of Lake Butrint, behind Ksamil, and they are the speciality of the far south. Order them steamed with garlic, white wine and parsley, fried in a light batter or stirred into a risotto, ideally at a restaurant on the lagoon itself, where the farms lie just beyond the tables.
Start the Morning with Byrek
Byrek is the Albanian breakfast: a savoury pie of thin pastry, traditionally rolled out by hand, filled with spinach, gjizë (a salted curd cheese), minced meat or onion and tomato. Bakeries called byrektore sell it by the slice from early in the morning, often with a glass of plain yoghurt drink. Pick some up when you go ashore and eat it warm on deck.
Order Tavë Kosi
Albania’s best-known dish, tavë kosi, comes from the city of Elbasan: lamb and rice baked in an earthenware dish under a thick layer of yoghurt beaten with eggs, until the top sets golden. Clay-pot cooking runs through the country’s kitchens, and fërgesë, peppers and tomatoes baked with gjizë, is another favourite. Family restaurants in the hill villages are the best places to try both.
Taste the Riviera’s Olive Oil
Olive trees cover much of this coast, and terraces of old trees climb the hills above Himarë, Borsh and Lukovë. Kalinjot, Albania’s most widely grown variety, is thought to come from Kaninë, just outside Vlorë, and is used both for oil and for eating. Expect a dish of olives and a bottle of local oil on almost every table, and buy a bottle from a village producer to take home.
End the Evening with Raki and Baklava
Raki, a clear spirit distilled mostly from grapes in the south, is poured as a welcome, as an aperitif and for a toast, with a cheerful “Gëzuar!”. Many families still make their own. With dinner, look for Vlosh, a deep red grape of the Vlorë region, and Shesh i Bardhë, the best known of Albania’s native whites. To finish, baklava, thin pastry layered with walnuts and soaked in syrup, is a favourite, and Albanian families traditionally bake a large tray of it for New Year’s Eve.
Planning Around the Albanian Season
Yachts cruise the Albanian coast from May to October, and the sea is warmest from July to September. On most summer days a north-westerly breeze off the sea, the maestral, picks up from late morning and drops again in the evening, giving good sailing on the run south from Vlorë and through the channel between Corfu and the mainland. The shore is open to the west and south, so a spell of southerly wind sends swell into the anchorages, more often in spring and autumn than in high summer. When that happens, the crew watches the forecast and moves to a sheltered bay such as Porto Palermo.
Best for ruins, walks and green hills
Spring is the season for sightseeing. The hills are green, Butrint and Gjirokastër are comfortable to explore in the mild warmth, and the coast is quiet before the summer visitors arrive. The sea is cool, at about 16°C in April and 19°C by late May, so swims are short and bracing. Some beach restaurants only open towards the end of May.
APRIL AND MAY
Best for warm water before the rush
June evenings stay light until late and the sea warms quickly, reaching about 22–23°C by the end of the month. The maestral blows on most afternoons, and the beaches of Dhërmi and Ksamil still have room to spare before the Albanian summer holidays get going, so June works well for the whole coast, from Karaburun to Butrint.
JUNE
Best for the warmest sea and lively seafronts
Midsummer brings strong sun, water at around 24–26°C and the coast at its fullest. Albanians on holiday and families returning from abroad fill the beach towns, and Ksamil, Dhërmi and Sarandë are crowded by late morning, with day boats at the best-known spots. Anchor early off the popular beaches, book lunch ashore ahead and reserve your yacht well in advance.
JULY AND AUGUST
Best for warm swims and quieter beaches
Sea temperatures hold close to their summer level, around 24–25°C, and the crowds ease once Albanian schools reopen. The maestral blows less often, the light softens, and there is more space at Gjipe and around the Ksamil islands. Warm water and calmer anchorages make it a fine month for a charter.
SEPTEMBER
Best for soft light and empty coves
October is still warm enough to swim, with the sea at about 22°C, and the coves are almost empty. It is the wettest month of the charter season, with showers growing more frequent as it goes on, and southerly winds can bring a few days of swell. Many beach bars and seasonal restaurants close during the month, so the crew plans meals ashore around the towns that stay open.
OCTOBER
ruins, walks and green hills
warm water before the rush
the warmest sea and lively seafronts
warm swims and quieter beaches
soft light and empty coves
PLAN YOUR CHARTER
More on Albania by Yacht
- Yacht Charter in AlbaniaOur guide to chartering a crewed yacht in Albania, from Vlorë Bay to Ksamil.
- Where to Eat and DrinkThe seafood restaurants, beach clubs and bars we recommend, from Vlorë to Ksamil.
- Yachts for AlbaniaMotor yachts, sailing yachts and catamarans with crew for the Albanian coast.
- Albania ItinerariesWeek-long routes down the Riviera from Vlorë to Ksamil, listed here once they are written.
Plan Your Week on the Albanian Coast
The coast from Vlorë to Butrint fits comfortably into a week, with time for the caves of Karaburun at one end and the islands of Ksamil at the other. Starting or finishing in Corfu adds a few days on the Greek side of the channel, and a longer charter can carry on south to Paxos and Antipaxos.
For some guests the week is about clear water, empty coves and long lunches of grilled fish; for others it is Butrint, Ali Pasha’s castles and the stone villages in the hills. Most charters here find room for both.
Let us know your dates, how many of you are travelling and which parts of the coast you would most like to see. We will put forward yachts that suit Albanian waters, with a route shaped around the maestral and the time of year.