Long-form guides, traditions, recipes and practical know-how — written by travellers who keep coming back.
guideSarandë, Ksamil, Himarë or Dhërmi? We compare beaches, prices, atmosphere and access so you pick the right base for your Albanian Riviera holiday.
practicalA complete guide for drivers: routes through Serbia, Bulgaria or Greece, real distances, tolls, vignettes, documents and where to sleep en route to Albania.
guideWe compare accommodation, food, beaches and transport in Albania and Greece with real daily figures, so you know exactly where to save and splurge.
guideSafe shallow beaches, kitchen-equipped stays, the drive and Llogara pass, food and health basics — a practical guide for parents planning Albania.
guideHonest guide to Ksamil's tourist traps: crowded beaches, overpriced loungers, boat scams and identikit restaurants — and what to do instead.
practicalRealistic daily Albania budget: lodging, food, beach costs, transport. Three scenarios — budget, mid-range, comfort — plus cash vs card, lek vs euro.
guideAn editorial pick of the Riviera's best beaches from Vlorë to Sarandë: who each one suits, access, sun loungers, water quality, crowds and hidden coves.
guideAlbania or the Bulgarian coast? We compare the drive, real costs, beaches, atmosphere and food, with a clear verdict by trip type for Romanian travellers.
practicalMonth by month: sea temperature, crowds and prices on the Albanian Riviera. Which window fits your trip best — beach, mountains or a city break.
guideDay-by-day driving route: Tirana, Berat, Gjirokastër, the Blue Eye, Butrint and the Riviera to Vlorë. Distances, where to sleep, driving tips.
practicalCar, plane, or bus? We compare routes, travel time, and costs for getting from Romania to Albania, and when each option actually makes sense.
guideThe complete Vlorë–Sarandë road trip guide: Llogara Pass, Dhërmi, Himarë, Borsh, Ksamil — beaches, where to stay, where to eat, and driving the switchbacks.
cuisineWhat to order in Albania: byrek, tavë kosi, seafood, qofte, realistic prices, how to spot a genuinely good place, and the tourist traps worth skipping.
practicalWhat renting a car in Albania really costs, where to pick one up, which insurance to choose, and what to watch for on the road and at drop-off.
guideKsamil in short: turquoise water and islets steps from shore, but also the Riviera's busiest strip. How to pick well and when to skip peak season.
guideSarandë is the Riviera's logical base: seafront promenade, Corfu ferry, restaurants, and Butrint or Ksamil an hour away. How to pick your area and what to skip.
guideBerat in short: the inhabited castle, the Mangalem and Gorica quarters, what to see, where to stay and eat, how to get there, day trip or overnight.
guideGjirokastër in short: the Ottoman fortress, tower houses, old bazaar, how to get there, how much time to give it, and pairing it with Blue Eye or Sarandë.
guideAlbania's most famous mountain crossing, explained plainly: the route, difficulty, guesthouse stays, gear list, and the best months to go.
guideThe same Albania, two travel styles: backpacker vs boutique. Real costs for accommodation, food, transport and experiences on each budget level.
practicalYou'll get by with English in cities and tourist areas, but a handful of Albanian phrases unlocks smiles, free coffee, and warmer welcomes.
guideThe 12 best beaches in Albania, ranked by clarity, accessibility, vibe and crowds. From Ksamil's Caribbean islands to Gjipe's hidden cove.
newsA second international airport changes the southern Riviera math — direct flights to Vlorë put Ksamil within a 2-hour transfer.
newsA new modern restaurant in Tirana, a refurbished mountain pass road, expanded ferries on Lake Komani — what we recommend trying this season.
guideThe trek between Theth and Valbonë is the hike that put the Albanian Alps on the map, and with good reason. In a single long day you cross the spine of…
guideThe 26 km Osum Canyon, with walls up to 80 m high, is rafted in spring when snowmelt fills the river — a half-day adventure from Berat.
cuisinePillowy pieces of dough fried until golden, served with honey, jam or salty cheese — the breakfast you didn't know you needed.
traditionA guide to Albanian folk costume — northern bell-shaped xhubleta, southern white skirt fustanellë, the iconic white felt qeleshe cap.
guideHalfway between Vlorë and Sarandë, Himarë is the Riviera at half-volume — beach clubs by day, simple tavernas by night, and access to the most secret coves on the coast.
cuisineSome fish taste of a place. Koran tastes of Lake Ohrid — one of the oldest and deepest lakes in Europe, straddling the border between Albania and North…
guideAlbania packs an outsized amount of variety into a country you can drive across in a day. In a single trip you can swim in Ionian turquoise, hike a…
guideDhërmi is the Riviera at full saturation: a white village spilling down a green mountainside, some of the most vivid turquoise water in the country, and —…
guideThe 2,415 m Mount Tomorr above Berat is sacred to both Bektashi Muslims and Orthodox Christians — a 6 to 8-hour summit hike with a national park lodge halfway.
historyBetween 1967 and 1986, paranoid dictator Enver Hoxha built 173,000 concrete bunkers across the country. You can still see them in fields, beaches and villages — and visit two huge ones in Tirana.
guideGjirokastër is the stone city — a UNESCO Ottoman town carved into the side of a mountain, with a giant fortress on top and a Cold War bunker tunnel beneath it. Here's how to spend two days here properly.
practicalHow to travel to Albania — flights, ferries from Italy and Corfu, buses from Kosovo / Macedonia / Greece, driving from Montenegro. Routes, prices, time.
guideA 30-minute scrambling descent from Drymades to one of the Riviera's last unbuilt beaches — sharp, sun-baked and worth every step.
newsHow to support local economies, choose sustainable accommodation, reduce plastic waste, and not contribute to overcrowding hotspots.
guideAlbania has made wine for at least three thousand years — some of Europe's oldest cultivated vines grew on these hills — yet the modern industry is small,…
historyAlbania is roughly 60% Muslim, 17% Christian Orthodox, 10% Catholic, with the rest secular or other. The dominant attitude is "religion is a personal matter" — and the country is famous for inter-faith coexistence.
guideKorçë (Korça) sits on a high plateau in Albania's southeast, closer in spirit to the continental Balkans than to the Mediterranean coast.
guidePerched on a mountain shelf with the whole coastal plain falling away beneath it, Krujë is the town where Albania's national story was written.
guideThe northernmost Albanian village links to Plav and Gusinje (Montenegro) via 2,000 m alpine passes — a quiet, dramatic corner of the Balkans.
cuisineWhite feta-style brine cheese, fresh whey gjizë, mountain kashkaval — the country's dairy is more diverse than first meets the eye.
guideThe Albanian Riviera — the roughly 100 km of coast from the Llogara Pass down to Sarandë — is no longer undiscovered. Yet the crowds still cluster on the…
practicalThe ferry between Sarandë and Corfu is the easiest way in and out of southern Albania. Crossing times, ticket prices, which boat to pick, and how to combine it with Ksamil and the Riviera.
guideTirana is the loudest, most painted, most contradictory city in the Balkans — a former communist capital that woke up in colour. Here's how to spend three or four days really seeing it.
cuisineAlbanian qofte are smaller, spicier and sometimes funkier than the Balkan kebab cousins. A guide to the regional varieties.
cuisineIonian octopus, mussels, sea bass, prawns and the universal grilled fish — eating seafood on the Riviera is half the trip.
newsHonest comparison of Albania with the more famous Mediterranean rivals — what each does better, and where Albania still has work.
guideFrom the famous turquoise of Ksamil to the seven-kilometre stretch of Borsh — our editor-picked beaches across the Riviera and Adriatic coast.
practicalA 30-day prepaid SIM with 30+ GB costs €10–€15. Coverage is strong everywhere except deep mountain valleys. Here's what to know.
guideComplete Albania travel guide for 2026 — when to go, where to stay, what to eat, how much it costs, what to see. Written by people who travel here, not just visit.
guideSarandë is the southern gateway of the Albanian Riviera — a horseshoe of pastel buildings facing Corfu across a strip of water you can almost swim. Here's how to spend three or four days here without missing the things that matter.
guideTirana's food scene has matured fast. A decade ago the city offered hearty home cooking and little else; today it spans wood fired traditional taverns,…
cuisineAlbania's national dish: lamb baked in a thick yogurt-and-egg crust until it sets like a savory custard. Born in Elbasan, eaten countrywide.
newsAlbania's tourism boom shows no sign of cooling, and 2026 brings the biggest structural changes the country's travel map has seen in years.
traditionCodified by Lekë Dukagjini in the 15th century, the Kanun governed family, honour, marriage and blood feuds in the Albanian highlands for half a millennium. Its echoes are still detectable today.
cuisineWhere to eat the most authentic Albanian food in each major city — our editorial pick of family-run, time-tested institutions.
guideAlbania photographs better than almost anywhere in the Mediterranean, largely because so much of it is still unpolished. You get turquoise water without…
guideShëngjin is where the Albanian coast turns family holiday. Set on a broad, shallow bay in the northern region of Lezhë, it is the closest stretch of sea…
guideAlbania has two Blue Eyes. The famous one bubbles up near Sarandë; the wilder, harder won one hides in the Accursed Mountains below Theth, and reaching it…
guideThe Albanian Riviera — the Ionian stretch from the Llogara pass down to Sarandë — has grown from a string of quiet coves into the summer heart of the…
guideThe classic 7-day Albania itinerary — Tirana, Berat, Gjirokastër, Saranda, Ksamil, Albanian Riviera. Day-by-day plan with hotels, drive times and costs.
