Our trip: August 5–9, 2022 · Last updated: November 3, 2026
This is the exact route Marti and I drove down the Albanian coast: Tirana to Sarandë in five days in a tiny manual rental car, with a ferry to Corfu at the end. It’s cheaper and less touristy than Greece next door, the coastline is unreal, and it is very much an adventure.
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The route at a glance
| Day | Route | Where we slept |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fly into Tirana, pick up the rental car | Art Hotel Tirana |
| 2 | Tirana walking tour → lunch in Durrës → Vlorë | Vila Rias, Vlorë |
| 3 | Llogara Pass → Gjipe Beach → Himarë → Porto Palermo Castle | Bunec Beach Resort, Lukovë |
| 4 | The Blue Eye → Ksamil → drop the car in Sarandë | Villa Xika |
| 5 | Boat day out of Sarandë → evening ferry to Corfu | Corfu Pearl (Corfu) |
Full hotel notes are in where we stayed.
Day 1: Land in Tirana
We flew Barcelona to Tirana on Wizz Air (about three hours), and customs was surprisingly fast. Our rental was with Carwiz, and the office isn’t inside the airport: we walked out, down the road and across a busy intersection to find it. Ask an airport worker to point you the right way.
It’s about 30 minutes from the airport into the city. Driving in Tirana is hectic, so have your confident driver behind the wheel. We stayed at Art Hotel Tirana.
Dinner tip: a lot of places in Albania are “cafés” that only serve coffee and drinks (and maybe a waffle). Check the menu before you sit down.
Day 2: Tirana tour, Durrës and Vlorë
Morning: the free walking tour
Do the free walking tour of Tirana. Our guide was funny and full of history: the communist dictatorship, the hundreds of thousands of concrete bunkers, and why every Albanian agrees Mercedes-Benz is the best car. It gets very hot, so bring sunscreen and a hat. Breakfast heads-up: our hotel didn’t put out coffee, you had to ask for an espresso.
Lunch: Durrës
Durrës is the old capital and the closest beach town to Tirana, so it’s an easy lunch stop on your way south. Food was surprisingly hard to find in the middle of the day, so don’t wait until you’re starving. Albanian gas stations are spotless and most have a restaurant and bar, so they’re a good pit stop too.
Night: Vlorë
Vlorë is about an hour south. We stayed at Vila Rias, which was lovely inside but in a neighborhood that felt sketchy to me, about ten minutes from the center. The beach near it was crowded and murky. The city center and promenade were much nicer, so if you stay here, stay closer to the center.
SIM cards: ours from Tirana was never activated. A Vodafone store in Vlorë fixed it in minutes. Make sure yours works before you leave the shop.
For dinner we had two pastas, an appetizer, wine and a beer for about $30 at a tiny seafood place across the street from our hotel.
Day 3: Llogara Pass, Gjipe Beach and Porto Palermo
Leave Vlorë early. Just past town you get your first real view of the coast, then the road climbs straight through Llogara National Park: up, up, up, then down with tight hairpins. Pull over at the top for the view (you’ll see paragliders). It took us about two hours to reach Gjipe.
Stop for floaties. We bought inflatable tubes at a family shop on the side of the road, and they were the best purchase of the trip.
Gjipe Beach
- The road down to the parking lot is one lane, with pull-offs every 100 to 200 yards. If you meet a car coming up, someone has to reverse. Go slow.
- The hike from the lot to the beach is about 25 minutes on a rocky path with almost no shade and no railing. Wear real shoes, not just water shoes.
- It gets crowded in August (people camp on the beach), but there’s a little beach restaurant for lunch and shade.
- Watch the sky. A storm rolled in out of nowhere while we were there and turned the path and the road into mud and rivers. If clouds show up, head up early.
Himarë and Porto Palermo Castle
Further south, stop for coffee at the café at ELEA Guesthouse in Himarë (great views), then at Porto Palermo Castle, a stone fortress on a little peninsula. Keep an eye on your phone; I left mine on the terrace.
We spent the night at Bunec Beach Resort in Lukovë, 25 minutes past Himarë: quiet, safe, restaurants on site and a beautiful sunset.
Day 4: The Blue Eye, Ksamil and Sarandë
The Blue Eye
The Blue Eye is about an hour inland and the spring itself is spectacular. Go really early. We arrived late morning and the lots were full, so we paid for a spot in a dirt patch, then walked about a mile in (you can rent electric scooters). By midday it’s packed. The water is about 10°C. Signs say no swimming, but plenty of people were in.
At the Blue Eye
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Ksamil
From there, drive to Ksamil, just south of Sarandë. We went to Pulëbardha Beach: very built up, with restaurants in the cliff and lots of umbrellas, but a fun beach-club vibe and great water for floating.
Drop the car in Sarandë
We returned our Carwiz car in downtown Sarandë near the ferry terminal. There was no sign at all; a parking attendant told us to leave it in the entryway, and that was it. Confirm the drop-off spot with your rental company before you go. We stayed at Villa Xika, a homey spot tucked between apartment buildings, then walked to the port to book a boat for the next day.
Day 5: Boat day, then the ferry to Corfu
Eat breakfast first. We went to Jaffa Café for a waffle (way too much sugar, very good). Store your bags at the ferry terminal so you can spend the whole day on the water.
- Book at the docks. Our group arranged a small boat (six or seven meters) directly at the port the day before.
- Bring your own food and drinks. Sandwiches, snacks and wine for the day.
- Wear water shoes when you swim near the rocks. I still found a sea urchin with my heel.
- Ask for an empty beach. The captain wanted to drop us at a packed one; we asked for a quiet cove instead and it was the best part of the day.
- Watch the time. The sea got rough in the afternoon, and we ran to make the last ferry to Corfu. There’s passport control at both ends.
Boat day
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Next stop: 3 days in Corfu.
Good to know
- Rent a car, and know how to drive stick. Most rentals are manual, and the coastal roads are steep with hairpin turns.
- Drivers are aggressive, especially in Tirana. Take your time.
- Get a working SIM and download offline maps. We lost data more than once.
- Cafés don’t always mean food. Check the menu.
- Pack water shoes and inflatable tubes. The beaches are pebbly and the water is perfect for floating.
- August is hot and busy. Start early, especially for the Blue Eye and Gjipe.