I absolutely love the turquoise sea; I love swimming and snorkeling, and ideally, I prefer places that aren’t overcrowded—not like sardines in a tin can. In Ksamil, the sea is beautiful, but the crowds are overwhelming. I’ve found the perfect spot in Albania for a beach holiday: the town of Himare and its surroundings, including Livadhi Beach, Aquarium Beach, and Sadowsky Beach. By the way, you can reach this area even without a car.
Navigation:
Location and How to Get There
Himare is a small town located about 200 kilometers from Tirana.
Himare: Link to map
Reaching Himare via public transport is relatively straightforward. There are three buses daily from Tirana to Himare, and the journey takes approximately 4 hours.
- Bus schedule below:
However, it is always best to check by phone, as public transport schedules in Albania are notoriously inconsistent.
To be honest, traveling by bus in Albania can be quite a challenge—they can be cancelled, they run infrequently, and they often don’t pass near the best hidden gems.
The ideal and frankly only way to truly explore Albania is by renting a car. We have lived in Albania for over a year and always rent through the Localrent service. They have no hidden fees, they deliver the car right to your door (and pick it up there too), they don’t charge for car washing, and you can even pay the deposit with an international card.
Beaches in and around Himare
Himare Central Beach
The central beach in Himare is a decent city beach. Here, you’ll find both sunbeds for rent and a public municipal area where no one will force you to pay or kick you out if you bring your own towel. Expect parking issues during peak season. A pedestrian promenade runs along the beach, lined with numerous cafes, restaurants, and shops.
Pros:
- The central beach serves as a hub for boats and speedboats that take tourists along the Albanian Riviera. Finding a boat for a day trip is easy and requires no advance booking.
Average boat trip cost per person: 30 EUR.
Cons:
- There are so many boats that the water can get a bit oily/dirty near the shore.
But there is a solution: leave the central beach and head to the neighboring spots.
Cliffside Camping and Beach
We visited Himare during the height of the season. At that time, a small room in an average hotel starts at 60 EUR. We wanted something special—something more affordable and, ideally, closer to the water.
The map led us to a wonderful spot: Pine Side Camp.
Admittedly, we were a bit skeptical about camping and sleeping in tents, especially after our experience renting a tent in Kenya.
However, it turned out to be an excellent decision.
First, the tent rental includes a mattress, pillows, and bed linens. Essentially, it has everything a standard hotel room offers.
Second, the breakfasts are fantastic. They aren’t included in the price, but you can order them in the morning. They might seem simple, but they are incredibly delicious.
Camp Breakfast Prices:
- Cappuccino: 150 Lek
- Fruit yogurt: 300 Lek
- Cheese and sausage sandwich: 250 Lek
Third—and this is the best part—the sea here is perhaps the best in Albania. There isn’t a traditional beach; you descend into the water from the rocks. Sunbeds are set up on the rocks, and there are ladders for water access. The water is insanely clear. I haven’t seen so many fish anywhere else in Albania—not thousands, but hundreds of thousands, from tiny ones to larger species.
The campsite has clean toilets and showers with hot water, and all the basics like soap and shampoo are provided. It feels like a hotel, just outdoors, where the stars shine incredibly bright at night.
And the most important part: the price.
Renting a tent for 24 hours costs only 1500 Lek.
You can reach the camp in any car (it doesn’t have to be a 4×4), or it’s just a 10-minute walk from the central beach.
Livadhi Beach
Livadhi Beach is located in another bay, to the right of Himare’s central beach. You can easily drive there or walk along the coast via a path through Pine Side Camp.
Location: Livadhi Beach
Livadhi has several hotels, some of which are very cool. There are affordable options with new renovations and great breakfasts, as well as luxury designer hotels with panoramic pools. We stayed at the Ionian View B&B, one of the cheapest options in Livadhi. It’s only 10 meters from the sea. The water is clean and transparent, and the beach is wide and tidy.
Interestingly, there are far fewer hotel rooms in Livadhi than there are sunbeds on the beach, making it feel very spacious.
Where to Eat in Livadhi
There are about five places to eat in Livadhi. We visited Paralian Beach Bar the first day and didn’t bother going anywhere else—we liked it that much. On one hand, it has a beautiful interior with swings, hammocks, and cushions where you can sit and admire the sea. On the other hand, the prices are reasonable, the portions are large, and the food is tasty.
Besides the main beach in Livadhi, there is also Apelistra Beach.
In fact, Livadhi’s main beach merges into Apelistra, and it’s hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. The main difference is that there are no sunbeds here—just a few tents from wild campers, pine trees reaching towards the water, and the endless sea.
Aquarium Beach
This beach is located over the hill from Livadhi. You can drive here, but the road from Livadhi isn’t great, so we didn’t risk our car. Walking only takes about 20 minutes, and the views along the way are stunning: you get views of the sea and the entire Livadhi beach, and you’ll often encounter sheep and goats. It’s absolutely beautiful.
Location: Aquarium Beach
I’m glad Aquarium doesn’t have sunbeds and isn’t a private beach. It’s picturesque with crystal-clear water. There’s a tiny restaurant there. I know for sure they serve drinks (tea, coffee, beer); food is advertised, but it wasn’t available in early June.
Sadowsky Beach
Location: Sadowsky Beach
Technically, Aquarium Beach and Sadowsky Beach are right next to each other, separated by a very small hill. The distance between them is only about 30 meters. You can drive to Sadowsky from Jala, whereas you can’t drive into Aquarium. Because of this, you’ll see cars and camper vans parked at Sadowsky, while Aquarium remains a more scenic, untouched spot.
What else to see nearby
Gjipe Beach and Canyon
Gjipe Beach: Link to map
This beach is only accessible by personal transport as buses don’t pass through here. In my humble opinion, this beach is a bit overrated—compared to the others mentioned, we liked it the least.
How to get there
To reach the beach, you need to turn off the main highway here. There are signs, so it’s hard to miss. You’ll then drive 2.5 kilometers to the parking lot. The road is paved and in good condition, but the problem is the width—it’s only wide enough for one car. With high curbs on both sides, two standard cars cannot pass each other; one inevitably has to reverse into a special turnout. Turnouts are every 400-500 meters, but since we were driving in the evening and many cars were heading back, those 2.5 kilometers took us about 20 minutes.
You cannot drive all the way to the beach in a standard car—the road becomes a nightmare of rocks. You have to leave your car at the parking lot (4 EUR) and walk for about 20 minutes. The walk down is easy, but coming back up is quite the workout.
At the bottom, there are sunbeds for rent or space to use your own towel. There is a campsite there, but it doesn’t compare to the cliffside camping in Himare. It felt a bit dirty and the tents were in poor condition.
Gjipe Canyon
The namesake canyon is right next to the beach. You can walk through the bottom of the canyon, but we saw viewpoints on the map and decided to see it from above. To find the lookout, however, proved very difficult.
You should leave your car here: Link to map
There are no signs indicating the lookout. It’s a 10-minute walk from the parking area, but the path leads through thorny bushes. The lookout platform is half-broken, and the biggest issue is that you can’t actually see much from it.
Brataj Bridge
Now, the Brataj Bridge—we all absolutely loved it. It’s truly one of my favorite places in Albania. A mountain river flows beneath the bridge, and in the summer, the water is warm. You can just step into the river, lie down, and let the current carry you like a water slide.
You can find more details in the article about Qeparo. The bridge is relatively close to that area.
Brataj Bridge: Link to map
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