Why Albania for a Honeymoon
The short answer is the sea. Between the Llogara Pass and the Greek border the Ceraunian Mountains drop straight into the Ionian, leaving coves of white pebbles and water that shifts from turquoise to ink within a few strokes. Villages such as Dhërmi, Himarë and Qeparo climb the slopes behind the beaches, so you can swim in the morning and eat lamb on a stone terrace above the bay at night.
The second answer is variety in a small space. Albania is roughly the size of Maryland. In a single day you can leave a beach, walk the Roman and Byzantine ruins of Butrint and sleep in a restored merchant house in Gjirokastër. A few days later you can be in a guesthouse in Theth, where the valley walls rise thousands of feet above the river.
The third is value. A seafront dinner for two with a bottle of local wine usually costs less than a cocktail round in Santorini. Your budget stretches to the nicer room, the private boat and the extra night.
Best Time to Visit
June and September are the sweet spot for a beach honeymoon. The sea is warm, most beach clubs and guesthouses are open and the coast has room to breathe. Late May works if you can live with water around the high 60s Fahrenheit.
July and August are hot and busy. Albanians on holiday, visitors from Kosovo and a growing European crowd fill Ksamil, Saranda and Dhërmi. Expect higher prices, packed sunbeds and traffic on the coast road. Book well ahead if those are your only dates.
The mountains follow a shorter calendar. Theth and Valbona are at their best from June to September, when the pass between them is usually clear of snow and family guesthouses are running. Snow can close or complicate the mountain roads from late autumn into spring.
Spring and autumn suit a cultural trip. April, May and October bring mild days for walking Berat, Gjirokastër and Tirana without the heat. Winter on the coast is quiet and often rainy. Many seasonal hotels shut from November to April.
Where to Go
The Albanian Riviera is the stretch of the Ionian coast from Dhërmi south past Himarë and Borsh toward Saranda. This is where most couples should spend the bulk of their time. Choose between pebble coves under the mountains and longer beaches with a little more life.
Ksamil sits at the very southern tip, a former fishing settlement facing a cluster of small islands in shallow, pale water. It is the closest thing Albania has to a lagoon beach. Butrint National Park, the country's most important archaeological site, is a few minutes away.
The Albanian Alps in the far north are the adventurous counterweight. Theth and Valbona are valleys of stone towers, waterfalls and family guesthouses, linked by a full-day hike over a high pass.
Worth a night or two on the way: Berat, with its inhabited castle and rows of Ottoman windows; Gjirokastër, the gray stone town above the Drino valley; and Tirana, the capital, for cafés, museums in old bunkers and the bar scene in the Blloku district.
Sample 10-Day Itinerary
Days 1 and 2: Land in Tirana and take it slow. Walk Skanderbeg Square, visit one of the Bunk'Art museums and ride the cable car up Mount Dajti for sunset. Spend the evening in Blloku.
Day 3: Drive about two and a half hours south to Berat. Climb to the castle in late afternoon and stay inside its walls or in a guesthouse in the old Mangalem quarter.
Days 4 to 6: Cross the Llogara Pass to the Riviera. Base yourselves in Dhërmi or Himarë, swim at Gjipe, take a boat along the coast and drive to Porto Palermo castle.
Days 7 and 8: Continue south to Ksamil. Spend a morning at Butrint before the heat, then swim off the islands and eat mussels by the lagoon.
Day 9: Drive inland to Gjirokastër via the Blue Eye spring. Sleep in a restored stone house.
Day 10: Return to Tirana, about four hours, or cross to Corfu by ferry from Saranda and fly home from there. Couples with two weeks can add Theth and the Lake Koman ferry.
Budget and Costs
Albania is one of the cheapest coastal destinations in Europe. Prices rise every year on the Riviera though, so treat these figures as approximate.
Rooms: simple guesthouses and family-run hotels often cost $50 to $100 a night in summer. Well-designed boutique hotels on the coast or in Berat and Gjirokastër run roughly $120 to $250. A handful of upscale resorts near Dhërmi and Vlorë charge more, especially in August.
Food: a full seafood dinner for two with local wine is usually $40 to $80. Lunch of grilled meat, salad and bread can be well under $25. Beach clubs often charge separately for a pair of sunbeds and an umbrella, more in the front row in peak season.
Transport: a rental car is about $35 to $70 a day outside peak weeks. Long-distance buses are very cheap. A private driver for the day costs more but saves a lot of stress on the mountain roads.
The real cost is the flight. Connections from the US usually make airfare the biggest line on the bill.
Getting There and Around
Tirana International Airport, about seven miles from the city, is the main gateway. There are no nonstops from the US, so most couples connect through Istanbul, Vienna, Frankfurt, Rome, Zurich or London. Turkish Airlines, Austrian, Lufthansa, Swiss, ITA and British Airways all serve Tirana, along with low-cost carriers from many European cities.
For a trip focused on the south, consider flying into Corfu and taking the ferry across the strait to Saranda. The crossing runs from about 30 minutes to just over an hour, depending on the boat. Coming in from Italy, ferries also link Vlorë and Durrës with ports such as Bari and Brindisi.
A rental car gives you the most freedom, but roads demand attention. The main highways are good. Mountain roads twist, local drivers overtake on blind bends and livestock wander onto the asphalt. Avoid night driving outside cities. Buses and the shared minibuses called furgons link most towns cheaply, though they leave when full and printed timetables are rare. Many couples hire a driver for the mountain legs and drive themselves on the coast.
Staying Safe
The State Department places Albania at Level 2 because of crime. It notes that targeted violence linked to organized crime occurs across the country and that police may have limited ability to help in remote areas. That violence rarely touches visitors, but it explains the rating.
For couples the everyday risks are more mundane. ATM skimming and card fraud are common, so use machines inside banks and keep your card in sight when you pay. Pickpocketing happens in crowded places. Do not leave bags in a parked car. Park in secured lots overnight where you can. Steer clear of political demonstrations, which happen regularly in Tirana.
The bigger danger is the road. Reckless driving is common. Albania also has zero tolerance for drunk driving. Do not drink tap water. Pack medical evacuation insurance as well, since hospitals outside Tirana fall below US standards. The emergency number is 112.
Culture and Etiquette
Hospitality is close to sacred in Albania. A guest in someone's home is honored. The old code of the mountains says a house belongs to God and the guest. You may be offered coffee, raki or a plate of fruit by people you met ten minutes earlier. Accept a little even if you are full.
Dress is relaxed on the coast. Cover shoulders and knees in mosques, churches and monasteries. Albania is majority Muslim with large Orthodox and Catholic communities. Religion is worn lightly. Bektashi and Catholic shrines sit a few miles apart.
Avoid arguing about politics or religion. Use formal greetings with older people. Some Albanians, especially older ones, nod to mean no and shake the head for yes, which causes confusion at ticket windows. Tipping is not deeply rooted. Rounding up is normal; 5 to 10 percent is generous in nicer restaurants.
Holding hands and a kiss on the beach draw no attention on the coast or in Tirana; villages are more reserved. Street harassment of women is uncommon; in rural areas expect curious looks rather than trouble.
Join the xhiro if you can. It is the early evening stroll when whole towns walk the main street and promenade to see and be seen.
Quick tips
- Carry lek for small guesthouses, beach bars and buses; cards work mainly in cities and better hotels.
- Avoid driving after dark outside cities, when unlit roads and fast drivers are the real hazard.
- Drink bottled water. Pack any medicine you need, since rural pharmacies keep short hours.
