About Himare
We visited the whole Albanian Riviera, and we loved the Dhermi and Himare areas the most for proper beach time. However, for beach clubs and that kind of atmosphere, Ksamil is a much better choice.
The best beaches in Albania are between Dhermi and Sarande, with our favorites being those in Himare. That’s why, if you want a beach vacation in Albania, Himare is the place to be.
We visited Himare as part of our two weeks in Albania, and if you’re not planning a longer vacation here, we recommend staying at least two full days to enjoy a beach day and hop on the must-do boat tour.
Things to do in Himare
Keep in mind that, since Himare is THE best place to enjoy the beach in Albania, most activities are beach-related. Many beaches are easily accessible, but some require a short hike, adding a bit of adventure.
Albania trip
MUST-HAVE ✔
💳 Save money when changing currencies or taking out cash by bringing a backup travel card. Oh, and in case an ATM swallows your card. Yes, it happened to us. 🤦♂️
🔌 Bring a Universal Travel Adapter with fast-charging capabilities (45W and Power Delivery).
📶 Stay online by getting an eSIM. You can get our favorite eSIM at a 10% discount.
1. Himare Beaches
Himare is the best beach town in Albania for a reason: it’s surrounded by fantastic beaches, with three main beaches along what we would call the “Bay of Himare”. These are all easily reachable on foot from most hotels and apartments in and around Himara town.
Three beaches close to Himare town:
- Himare Beach (main beach)
- Prinos Beach (10-minute walk from Himare Beach)
- Potami Beach (5-10 minute walk from Prinos Beach)
2. Boat Tour
A must-do experience in Himare is the Pirate’s Cave boat trip, which visits some really cool spots. We enjoyed this boat trip a lot.
The best part was getting to enjoy beaches accessible only by boat, and they were stunning!
- We went with this company and can highly recommend them for a fun day out!
On the boat tour, we also visited some caves where the light shines in a way that creates these beautiful blue hues. Absolutely gorgeous!
The part we loved the most was the beautiful pebbly beaches and the super-clear water. This part of Albania reminded us the most of Croatia!
Our favorite Albania eSIM
Fast Speed and Reliable Signal
Ever since we got phones that support eSIMs, we have been hooked and never looked back. 📶
We always get the best value-for-money eSIM we can, based on reliable signal, fast internet speeds, and coverage across the country. 🌐
Now that eSIM plan prices are more than reasonable compared to regular phone plans (which are more of a hassle to get), we really see no reason not to get one for each trip.
3. Castle of Himare – best sunset spot
One of the only attractions in Himare that’s not a beach is Himare Castle, which is also a fantastic sunset spot. The castle of Himare is quick to visit, as it’s not that big.
The castle grounds are located at the far end of the neighborhood, known as the Himare Old Town. To get to the castle grounds, you’ll first walk past houses that are still inhabited.
The best part for us at Himare Castle was the Tri Leche dessert we had at Café Butterfly, an excellent spot for watching the sunset. During our visit, there was no sun, so there was no sunset either. 😅 But when there is one, it’s a really great place to enjoy it.
4. Gjipe Beach
One of the most popular beaches in Himare, but not directly in the town, is definitely Gjipe Beach, about a 30-minute drive north, closer to Dhermi than Himare.
Gjipe is a fantastic beach that takes a bit of time to reach, as it’s a 20-minute walk away from the parking lot down a rocky/gravel path.
But keep in mind that, even though Gjipe takes a bit more effort to reach (unless you come by water taxi), it’s still incredibly busy, even outside the season. So if you’re looking to enjoy it without crowds, come early!
Until summer 2025, it was possible to reach Gjipe beach by 4×4 off-road vehicle, but the access has since been closed. The only cars at Gjipe Beach are the few left over from the bar owners, and it doesn’t seem like they’re going anywhere.
We think this is a positive thing, as the road down to Gjipe Beach is narrow, and with so many people visiting the beach, having 4×4 vehicles also drive down is not the best idea. Before the tourism boom in Albania, Gjipe Beach was a dream destination, especially for overlanders in off-road vehicles. But times have changed.
Best way to explore Albania?
RENTING A CAR
We love exploring places at our own pace and on our own time, especially to avoid crowds at popular destinations we visit. Plus, watching sunrises and sunsets at epic locations is a must. ☀
That’s why renting a car for us is a no-brainer, and an unmissable part of most trips. 🚗
We love having the choice to compare prices, choose different pick-up and drop-off locations (one-way rentals), and pay for a reasonable full insurance policy without going broke. 🤑
5. Aquarium Beach
Himare is home to another of Albania’s postcard beaches, Aquarium Beach, which is featured on countless tourism promotion sites.
Aquarium Beach (and Bay) is absolutely stunning, and it’s the perfect place for a swim in calm waters that are protected by the rocks surrounding the beach.
Like Gjipe, Aquarium Beach is extremely popular and busy in the season. However, also in the offseason, like on our mid-October visit, there are still lots of people, and since it’s not big, it’s easy to fill up.
You can reach Aquarium Beach by car, but the road is not in the best condition, so the best way is to walk in 20 minutes from Jale Beach or Livadhi Beach. Walking from Himare to Aquarium Beach, on the other hand, takes about 1.5 hours.
6. Dhermi Village and Dhermi Beach
One of the first proper beaches we visited around Himare is Dhermi Beach, which is still one of our favorites – we love the views of the mountain behind.
From Himare, it’s about a 30-minute drive to Dhermi Beach.
Even though it’s mostly filled with parasols (like other beaches), there are public parts of the beach where you can find a spot for yourself.
Above the beach, you can find Dhermi, a traditional Albanian Riviera village, which is quite picturesque.
7. Beaches south of Himare
If you’ve got a car (we highly recommend renting one in Albania), you can easily reach beaches to the south, which are less developed and less busy than those in Himare itself.
The beaches south of Himare, worth visiting for a beach day, are definitely Qeparo and Albania’s longest beach, Borsh (7km). There, it’s easier to find a spot without crowds.
Qeparo and Borsch beaches are also connected to Himare by bus, but since there aren’t many buses, a taxi is a better option. We recommend checking Taxi Boni.
You get a taxi from Himare to Qeparo Beach for 20 EUR, and to Borsch Beach for 30 EUR.
8. Castle of Porto Palermo
In addition to Himare castle, there is another castle at Porto Palermo, midway off the road to Qeparo. At the castle, there’s not much to see, but it’s a cool spot for a quick visit. Next to it is also a beach, but it’s pretty small and doesn’t look that inviting.
9. Day trip to Sarande and Ksamil
We believe Himare is the best place for a beach vacation in Albania. But for a different experience, you can visit other popular parts of the Albanian Riviera, such as Sarande and Ksamil, the southernmost area.
Ksamil is famous for its beach clubs and nearby Butrint National Archaeological Park, and Sarande for the castle and Blue Eye.
You can easily visit Ksamil, Butrint, and Blue Eye in one day from Himare, as well as end up for sunset at Lukresi Castle, a popular sunset spot on a hill above Sarande.
A day trip to Sarande and Ksamil is easy from Himare if you’ve got a car, as you can get to Sarande in just over an hour. We did this day trip from Himare as well, and it worked out well. You can easily visit all the spots if you don’t plan to chill at the beach clubs for too long.
The beaches in this area are more developed, with resorts behind Sarande’s beaches, and beach clubs on the whole coast of Ksamil.
Butrint National Archaeological Park is Albania’s largest archaeological site and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which takes about 2 hours to visit.
The Blue Eye, on the other hand, is a water spring with a captivating color, about a 40-minute drive outside of Sarande.
10. Llogara Pass
The furthest away spot on our list of things to do in Himare is Llogara Pass, which is essentially the old road to Vlore.
Nowadays, there’s a new tunnel that makes the journey between Vlore and Himare faster, but if you take the scenic old road over Llogara pass, you get some great panoramic views on the way.
At the pass, stop at the Llogara Panorama and take in views of the beaches from Dhermi almost down to Himare. Plus, Llogara Pass is where paragliders take off, so if you’re lucky, you can see them as well.
The thing seen the most from Llogara Pass, however, is the overconstruction happening on the Albanian coast. Right below you will see the so-called “Green Coast”, which is far from green, as they have copy-pasted endless villas next to each other in a kind of concrete jungle.
Looking at photos from years ago, it was a gorgeous spot that should be protected at least a TINY bit.
Luckily, not all of Albania’s coast is like this, and hopefully the outrage will help Albania’s government prevent further destruction of the environment.
Best Himare Tours
- 🚤 Pirate’s Cave & Beaches Boat Tour (highlight of our trip)
- 👸 Private Boat Tour (group up to 5)
- 🛶 Kayak Rental (reserve in advance at the main Himare Beach)
- 🚕 Water Taxi to Filikuri Bay (5-hour stay)
- 🐎 Horseback Riding Tour (1h drive to starting point in Nivice)
- 🏞 Off-road Quad/ATV Adventure (1h 15min drive to starting point from Himare)
Where to stay in Himare
One of the best-rated places to stay in Himare, just a short walk from Himare Beach, is Elpis Guest House, with super comfortable rooms, reserved parking, and a delicious breakfast included in the price.
Most luxury hotels in the Himare area are not in the town itself, but still, there are some, and a fantastic option is definitely the Rea Boutique Hotel. It’s right on the water on the side of the central Himare Beach, with views of the coastline from the rooms.
For a budget stay in Himare, the best option is Natural Hostel (dorm rooms), less than a 5-minute walk from Potami Beach.
Where we stayed
We stayed at Marika’s Apartments, a fantastic apartment just up the hill from Potami Beach, with great amenities (including a kitchen) plus beautiful sea views. We loved it!
Camping in Himare
In addition to the many hotels along Himare’s coastline, it’s also home to several great camping spots.
One of the campgrounds that stood out on our visit was Sea Cave Camping, located in a forested part right by the water, just outside of Himare. It’s a well-equipped campsite, and you get these fantastic views of the sea right from your tent, plus you can swim right from the rocks.
Right next door, in the same pine forest, you can also stay at Pine Side Camp, another fantastic camping place. Both of these camps are for tent camping only.
With a campervan/caravan, the best campground in Himare town itself is Olive Camping. Otherwise, there are more campgrounds on other beaches, like Camping Kranea at Livadhi Beach and Aquarimi Camping near Jale and Aquarium Beach.
Best restaurants in Himare
- 🍟 Fast food: Brothers Grill
- 🍔 Burger: Obelix Beer N Burger
- 🦑 Seafood/Greek: ELÉA Restaurant
Best time to visit Himare
Himare is best visited from June to September, when the weather is at its best, with warm to hot days and plenty of sunshine.
However, visiting Himare before the season, like in April and May, or after in October, means you’re there without the crowds, and with much lower hotel prices. But not every restaurant will be open, so that’s a tradeoff.
How to get to Himare
From Tirana, you can get to Himare in 3.5 hours by car or 4 hours by bus (15 eur).
From Vlore, Himare is just 1.5h hours away, and from Sarande, Himare is only an hour’s drive.
Planning to get a rental? We recommend renting a car at Tirana Airport.
Packing List
Without these things, we could not travel (comfortably or effectively)…
🔌 Universal Travel Adapter with fast-charging capabilities (45W and Power Delivery) – essentially covers us for the whole world.
⚡ We never travel without our 10.000 mAh powerbank, which is perfect for charging our phones multiple times.
💦 Filling up an insulated water bottle for days out exploring is a must.
☀🧴 We always buy a reef-safe sunscreen that applies well.
🤳 Forget selfies, having a phone tripod is the new game (easy to pack, carry around & set up).
🌦 After getting a travel-friendly raincoat (poncho), we never have to worry about staying dry.
🦟 Preventing bites with a DEET-free (picaridin) mosquito repellent is a great idea if you don’t want to cover yourself in poison.
🛄 We pack our stuff smarter with affordable packing cubes.
😎 We are active travelers, so sunglasses don’t survive long. So we bought these cheap polarized sunglasses that are travel-friendly and feel good to wear.
🔊 Countless times, we had trouble with noisy neighbors, loud streets, incredibly loud AC, rattling refrigerators, and more that kept us awake at night. Then, we finally bought some cheap earplugs – done!
📱💔 Slippery phone = broken phone. Get a phone case.
🎒 We love a good belt/crossbody bag, so we don’t always have to carry a backpack (fits our phone, wallet, tissues, candy, etc.).
📸 To capture some cooler photos and videos, a drone is a must (if used wisely). And for active stuff, our action camera – it’s so small and easy to use.
Continue your Albania trip planning
- ⭐ What Not To Miss in Berat (best places and experiences)
- 🌊 Osumi Canyon River Tubing (one of the best things we did in Albania!)
- 🌄 Bovilla Lake (stunning lake viewpoint)
- 💃 Albanian Night (fantastic show with traditional dancing and singing)
Must-read - 🇦🇱 Best of Albania in Two Weeks (day-by-day itinerary)
- 🌄 North Albania in One Week (rivers, lakes, hikes, swimming spots)
