Albania – Who Knew?

We had heard different things about Albania, so weren’t quite sure what to expect. We were very pleasantly surprised at what we experienced and would definitely recommend a visit! Why come to Albania you might ask? Well, to be honest, as boaters with a non-EU flagged vessel, our first reason was to get Sabática out of Schengen for a bit to reset her Schengen clock. What we discovered, though, is that Albania is a really beautiful country with friendly, hard-working people, gorgeous natural resources, historic sites, great food, and a low cost of living.

Many people may have misconceptions about modern Albania, but it has been a parliamentary republic for over thirty years now. It has a population of near three million people, and many more Albanians can be found in other countries around the world such as Greece, Italy, Turkey, the USA, and Canada. Albania is not a member of the EU (though it would like to be), but it is a member of NATO. Its currency is the Lek (and it is very much a cash economy), and the Albanian Indo-European language is considered one of the oldest and most unique in Europe. Albania has a really interesting history, which if you’re curious, you can read about here.

As we left Otranto, Italy, we once again crossed the Adriatic Sea and made about an eight hour trek east to land in Vlorë, Albania. We spent two nights anchored in its bay, another night anchored in the gorgeous waters of Livadhi Beach, then two nights anchored in the bay of Sarandë.

This stretch of the southern Albanian coast is called the “Albanian Riviera,” and we can attest that the full coastline from Vlorë down south to Sarandë is beautiful with majestic green mountains, beautiful beaches, and some crystal clear waters. It is well set up for tourists with endless hotels, resorts, restaurants, bars, etc. Apparently, there has been so much new construction in the past seven years – building and roads – and it all looks top quality. Albanians seem to put a lot of effort into making things nice and seem to have a “if you build it, they will come” mentality. It seems to be working as many tourists are now coming here instead of Greece for similar experiences and less crowds. You can still see a lot of new construction continuing as investments seem to keep pouring in.

As luck would have it, Conor has a former work colleague, Nasi, who grew up in Albania. He now lives in neighboring North Macedonia and was extremely kind to drive several hours to stay in Vlorë and spend a couple of days with us. Nasi was a great tour guide and was very patient as we picked his brain about Albania and Macedonia! He drove us through the beautifully forested Llogara National Park and over the mountains to his favorite beach – an area being called the “Green Coast” that is in progress of being built up into a large resort area.

I’ve mentioned that Albania is setting itself up really well for tourists. Interestingly, establishments seem to be catering to foreigners by posting other flags (there are lots of EU flags flying, along with Italian, US, etc.) and using well known names (such as Dior, Havana, California, Colosseum, Elvis, etc.). They seem to be trying to attract foreigners using familiar things rather than touting their own Albanian culture. Just an observation. 

Now on to boaters…Albania is not set up very well for cruisers yet, but they are really trying. Albanians were not even allowed to own yachts until very recently. Marinas are very few (though they are currently building more) and while there are plenty of anchorages, they are generally very exposed to westerly winds. (We lucked out with this travel window and had calm conditions for our anchorages.) The Albanian ports have only been used for commercial ships, so currently, private boats have to operate the same – we have to enlist the assistance of an agent to check into the country as well as out. The agents handle all of the paperwork and immigration details for us. Again, we’ve found the Albanians to be very hard-working, trustworthy and with a helpful “can do” attitude. Our agents organized a fuel truck to come to the commercial dock for us, a rental car, and have provided general helpful information. Once in the country and sailing near any port, we’ve found that the port officials like to be notified of all movements – in, out or around the area. 

Given private boats seem relatively new on the scene, we found locals to be quite curious. Lots of stares and inquisitive looks. At the beautiful Livadhi beach anchorage, I even heard voices through my screened-in shower window. I peeked out to see a mother and son on a SUP that had paddled over to take a closer look! 

I mentioned a rental car, and we did get one for a day while we were in Sarandë. A nearby ‘must see’ attraction is the ancient city of Butrint, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its existence continued without interruption from prehistoric times to the Middle Ages, so there is a variety of cultures and time periods to see.

Near Butrint, we also stopped off in the village of Ksamil for a great Italian lunch and a view of the popular and pristine sandy beaches with its little islands all within reach via a swim. 

Finally, Sarandë. It’s a bustling city with tons of hotels, restaurants and much night life. The neon party boats were quite entertaining to hear and watch each night!

So, don’t be afraid to give Albania a try. We’ll certainly be back!