The Albanian Riviera (Bregdeti or Riviera Shqiptare) is the 120-kilometre stretch of Ionian coast between Vlorë and Saranda. Locked away during the communist era, it stayed unbuilt until the 2010s — and even today, between the resort villages, you’ll drive past empty turquoise coves, olive groves that haven’t changed in three centuries, and tiny stone hamlets clinging to the mountains.
It is, hands down, our favourite road trip in the Balkans. This guide breaks it down stop by stop. The drive is best done with your own rental car — the local minibus network exists, but a car gives you the freedom to stop at the dozen beaches that aren’t on any bus route. If you haven’t booked yet, our Tirana Airport rental booking engine usually has Riviera-friendly hatchbacks for €25–€40 per day in shoulder season.
How long do you need?
You can technically drive Vlorë to Saranda in a single 4-hour push, but that wastes the entire point of the trip. Our recommended minimum is 3 days for a relaxed taste, or 5–7 days if you want to explore the ridge villages, hike the canyons, and do a side trip to Butrint. For a full Albania-wide plan that includes the Riviera, see our 7-day Albania road trip itinerary.
The route at a glance
- Tirana → Vlorë (160 km, ~2.5 h on the SH4 motorway)
- Vlorë → Llogara Pass (40 km, ~1 h, big climb)
- Llogara → Dhërmi/Himarë (35 km, ~1 h)
- Himarë → Saranda (60 km, ~1.5 h)
- Saranda → Ksamil (15 km, ~25 min)
Stop 1: Vlorë — gateway to the Riviera
Vlorë is Albania’s third-largest city and the place where the Adriatic meets the Ionian Sea. Most travellers blow through it on the way south, but it’s worth a half day. Walk the renovated Lungomare promenade, swim at Plazhi i Ri, and have grilled fish at one of the family-run restaurants near the old bazaar. The city is also home to Albania’s Independence Museum — Albania declared independence here in 1912.
From Vlorë you have two routes south: the old SH8 coast road that climbs over the Llogara Pass (slower but stunningly beautiful) and the Llogara tunnel that opened in 2024 (faster but boring). On the southbound trip, take the old road. On the way back, take the tunnel.
Stop 2: Llogara Pass — the Balkan’s most spectacular viewpoint
At 1,027 metres, the Llogara Pass is one of the great driving roads of Europe. The climb out of Orikum is steep and twisty, and at the top you emerge into a national park of black pine forest with one of the most jaw-dropping panoramic views on the continent — the entire Riviera spread out below you in shades of turquoise, with the Greek island of Corfu shimmering in the distance.
Stop at the Llogara viewpoint for photos, walk five minutes into the pine forest behind the restaurants, and order a coffee at one of the wooden lodges at the summit. Continue down the south side via twenty hairpin bends to Palasë and Dhërmi. Drive carefully — this is where most rental car incidents on the Riviera happen. Take it slow, use second gear, and watch for goats.
Stop 3: Dhërmi — turquoise coves and beach clubs
Dhërmi is the most developed Riviera village. It’s split into the historic old village high on the hill (worth a visit for whitewashed stone houses and an Orthodox church) and the beach strip below. The main beach can be busy in August, but two of the best beaches in Albania are within 15 minutes of Dhërmi:
- Gjipe Beach: Reached by a 20-minute hike from a clifftop parking lot, or by boat from Jal. A pebble beach at the mouth of a deep canyon — wild, magical, often nearly empty.
- Drymades Beach: Walking distance north of Dhërmi, lined with low-key beach bars.
For more beach inspiration, see our roundup of the best beaches in Albania for summer 2026.
Stop 4: Himarë — the Riviera’s living town
If Dhërmi is the postcard, Himarë is the place to actually live. It’s a real working town with a long pebble beach, a small marina, and a charming Greek-Albanian old quarter on the hill above. We always recommend basing yourself here for two nights; the food scene is excellent, the prices are still reasonable, and you’re central for day trips up and down the coast.
Don’t miss Llamani Beach, ten minutes north — a tiny pebble bay with a small bar that serves the best cold beer of the trip — and Filikuri Beach, accessible by a 30-minute boat ride from Himarë’s port.
Stop 5: Porto Palermo — castle on a peninsula
Halfway between Himarë and Borsh, the Ionian carves a perfect protected bay around a small peninsula crowned by Ali Pasha’s castle — a triangular Ottoman fort built in 1804. Park at the bottom, walk across the causeway, and pay €2 to enter. The view from the ramparts is unbeatable, and the swimming at the small pebble beach right next to the castle is some of the best on the coast.
Stop 6: Borsh — the longest beach on the Riviera
Borsh is a 7-kilometre pebble beach backed by an enormous olive grove (over 30,000 trees, said to be one of Europe’s oldest). Development is very low-key here. If you want a quiet, classic Riviera day — long swim, lunch of grilled octopus at a beach taverna, sunset over the sea — Borsh is the answer.
Stop 7: Saranda — the Riviera’s southern hub
Saranda is divisive. It’s built up, busy, and louder than the villages to the north. But it’s also the perfect base for the Butrint National Park (Albania’s most important archaeological site, a UNESCO heritage location), the Blue Eye spring, the ferry to Corfu, and the beach paradise of Ksamil. Stay one or two nights, eat seafood on the promenade, and use it as your launchpad. Our complete Saranda & Ksamil beach guide covers everything in detail.
Stop 8: Ksamil — the “Maldives of Europe”
Ksamil’s headline is the four small islands a short swim from the main beach, surrounded by water so transparent it looks fake. It’s the most photographed location on the Albanian coast for a reason. Go before 10 a.m. or after 5 p.m. in summer — midday in August is genuinely overwhelming. The lesser-known beaches Pasqyrat (“Mirror Beach”) just south of Ksamil are quieter and equally beautiful.
Practical driving tips for the Riviera
- Fuel up before Llogara: there are no stations on the climb. Top up in Orikum or Vlorë.
- Watch for sheep and goats on the SH8 between Llogara and Borsh. Slow down, especially around blind corners.
- Mountain bends: Albanian drivers like to overtake aggressively on hills. Stay right, don’t speed, and let faster cars pass.
- Parking: in Himarë and Saranda use paid lots; in summer, free street spots disappear by 10 a.m.
- Insurance: for the Riviera we strongly recommend Full Casco. The mountain road has stretches with loose gravel, and a chipped windshield is a common issue.
- Don’t skip the tunnel for the return: heading north, the Llogara tunnel saves ~45 minutes.
Before driving, refresh on local rules in our complete driving in Albania guide. And if you’re still working out when to come, the month-by-month best time to visit Albania covers the trade-offs of every season on the Riviera.
Where to stay along the Riviera
Our suggested base-of-three: one night in Vlorë (or skip it), two in Himarë, two in Saranda or Ksamil. Booking.com and Airbnb both have wide selections. Avoid the cheapest beach-strip apartments in August — many are noisy and poorly soundproofed.
Final thoughts
The Albanian Riviera in 2026 is at the sweet spot. It’s developed enough to have great hotels, restaurants and rental cars; it’s still wild enough that you can drive ten minutes off the main road and find an empty cove. Five years from now this will be Croatia. Today, it’s the Mediterranean’s last best secret. Don’t miss it.