Albania: Himarë
For Memorial Day Weekend, we found easy and affordable flights from Naples to Tirana, Albania. The flight is less than an hour and, especially during the summer travel season, flies frequently. You can also easily get here from Naples by flying to Corfu, Greece and taking the ferry to Sarandë, Albania (~30 minutes from where we stayed in Himarë).
We had a beautiful weekend, but I am not sure I would recommend this for such a short trip (we flew to Tirana on Friday night, stayed near the airport, drove to Himarë on Saturday morning, and had to drive back to Tirana to fly home on Monday evening). We drove quite a bit and joked that it felt a bit like the Bermuda Triangle because while things looked like they should be closer, or easy side trips, it took a while to get everything driving.
Albania has been high on our list of places to visit (either hiking in Theth and Shkodra Lake or visiting the Albanian Riviera) and I have had a beautiful holiday apartment saved down on the coast since a friend stayed there last summer. We were able to get it at a pre-season price so with the affordable flights plus the much more affordable “luxury” apartment, we decided it was worth the driving.
Friday
Fly from Naples to Tirana, landing around 8:45pm
Pick up rental car (we used Avis)
Drive to Hilton Garden Inn Tirana (~20 min)
We have a Hilton credit card and try to stay at Hiltons when it makes sense. For Friday night, we were looking for a convenient and easy place to stay near the airport that would have breakfast the next morning. This Hilton was clean, the food was good, and the staff was lovely. Parking was free and in an attached, secure garage.
Saturday
Drive from Tirana to Himarë
Stop at the grocery store to pick up basics for the apartment (we learned our lesson on our last trip when we forgot to have any food for the AirBnB and we ended up with a very hangry 4 year old)
Check in to Artis Blue Relax
Swim off the deck at the apartment
I highly recommend taking water shoes if you are staying here or even just visiting this coast. They will save your feet.
Dinner at ELÉA
This restaurant was absolutely incredible. We made a reservation via WhatsApp and requested a table with a view (which ended up not being an issue because they were not crowded at all pre-season). We were a bit up the mountain so the views out over the sea and the mountains was absolutely incredible. The food is Greek and was some of the best we have had. The staff was incredibly warm and friendly and we saw probably one of the best sunsets of our lives from here.
Sunday
Breakfast at the REA Hotel Restaurant
A menu was left in our apartment for the breakfast that was available at the hotel restaurant, in the same building as our apartment. It was unclear if this meant the breakfast was included in our stay, but we decided to go up and try it on Sunday morning. We did end up having to pay but it was €15 per person for unlimited food and drinks and they didn’t charge us for our child. The food was delicious and the views from the restaurant were lovely.
Relax in the apartment while the rain passes
Walk to the beach for lunch (amazing take-away gyros and tzatziki, which I absolutely licked out of the tub when we ran out of pita) and swimming
We just went to the beach closest to our apartment, which didn’t have any sunbeds for rent, but further down the beach there appeared to be a few beach clubs where you could rent chairs and umbrellas.
We were also recommended to visit Livadi Beach and Gjipe Beach, accessible both by car and by boat. One thing I wish we had done was a boat trip to visit more of the beaches and caves along the coast. You can easily find a boat rental company along the main promenade in Himarë. Prices seemed to range from €30-70 per person depending on the specific tour, with private tours also being available.
Home for nap time
Dinner at Fig & Olive
We made a reservation online and again requested a table with a view, as the restaurant sits up on the mountain and has sweeping views of the sea and the mountains. It was another beautiful sunset and I was glad that we had the table we did. The food here was incredibly, the ambiance was 10/10, and the service was top notch.
Monday
Breakfast at home and yoga with the incredible views from the living room
Head back to the beach for swimming and coffee
Back to the apartment to pack and shower
Check out at 11am
Head back towards Tirana
It truly felt like we didn’t have enough time here and I cannot wait to get back to explore more of Albania, especially hiking in Theth and exploring more of the north.
