When it comes to beaches in Albania, it doesn’t get better than Drymades Beach in our opinion. This long stretch of beach with breathtakingly clear, calm water is the ideal place to relax. Unlike the crowded beaches of Ksamil, Drymades beach has plenty of room for everyone, even in high season. As a bonus, you’ll also get to witness beautiful red and pink sunsets. At night, Drymades beach is lined with lively beach bars.
Drymades Beach
Beachfront accomodation gets a bit pricey at Drymades Beach, so we stayed at a beautiful hotel a few hundred meters inland. Parking down by the beach is not a problem, so if you’re on a budget you can just drive to the beach daily.
Sunset at Drymades Beach
2. Mirrors Beach (Pasqyra)
Located 15 minutes’ drive from Ksamil, Mirrors beach is well worth a visit. In fact, we wish we had discovered it on our first day in Ksamil. Mirrors Beach is made up of two coves. You can drive down the hill and park your car close to the northernmost cove, or catch a taxi from Ksamil. Be sure to walk to the southernmost cove, where the beach is sandier. Just south of Mirrors beach is Pulëbardha beach, which is also beautiful, but is a bit more crowded.
Mirrors Beach
The road down to Mirrors beach is windy and narrow, and often only fits one car. We managed to find a park right down the bottom, but if you’re not a confident driver we suggest parking near the top of the hill and walking down. As for Pulëbardha beach, there is also parking at the bottom of the hill. We made the mistake of parking at the top of the hill, and bumped into a man who told us we had to pay 1 EUR (which we did). When we reached the bottom of the hill there was a sign saying “Free Parking”!
Mirrors Beach: The two beaches side by side
3. Lamani Beach
Situated in front of a trendy seaside beach bar, is Lamani Beach. We stumbled across this beach while meandering up the Albanian riviera. The crowd was definitely younger than other beaches and there were plenty of locals. The water was beautiful and if you like a good seaside cocktail or espresso this seems like the place to be.
Lamani Beach
4. Gjipe Beach
Another hidden gem in Albania is Gjipe Beach. After exiting the SH8 highway, the beginning of the drive is very beautiful as it winds alongside the Gjipe Canyon. Unless you have a 4×4, you can’t drive right down to the beach as it is an unpaved cliff-side road. Instead, you will need to park your car in the paid parking lot and hike a further 30 minutes to reach the beach. You can also reach Gjipe Beach by boat.
Gjipe Beach
5. Himare
Himare is a town with around 8,000 residents. It’s definitely a bit more built up than the beaches further north, but it’s still nowhere near as busy as Ksamil. It has a beautiful promenade and a local feel.
Himare Beach
6. Ksamil beach
Most people that visit Albania for a beach vacation will find themselves at Ksamil. The beautiful aquamarine water will make you feel as if you are in French Polynesia. But this comes at the cost of swarms of tourists, packed on the beach like sardines in a can. And of course with so many tourists you can expect expensive prices, lack of parking, and an inauthentic feeling experience. If you’re up for the travel, we definitely suggest spending more of your vacation at the other beaches we’ve mentioned!
