Trip of the week: the beaches of the Albanian Riviera

Ksamil: a lovely village with views to Corfu

(Image credit: Sinenkiy/Getty Images)

published 14 March 2022

With its rich architectural and archaeological heritage and rugged mountain landscapes, Albania has clear appeal to “culture-minded” travellers. Less widely appreciated has been its virtues as a Mediterranean beach destination, says Chris Leadbeater in The Daily Telegraph, and as a “great value” alternative to its better-known neighbours, Greece and Croatia.

But it seems Albania is now making its mark on the tourist map: Skyscanner reports a 48% rise in bookings for flights from the UK this year compared with 2019 – and deservedly so. After two years of “travel stasis”, anyone craving fresh horizons should consider visiting.

A lot of the beachside developments on Albania’s 300 miles of coast were thrown up in the 1990s and though comfy enough, they are not high end. But there are some good “boutique retreats and luxury properties”. Just 25 miles west of the capital Tirana, the country’s second city, Durrës, has a “broad, soft” beach – but it’s better to head to the smaller seaside resorts further south, such as the city of Vlorë (where the clifftop Hotel Liro can be recommended), the picturesque town of Saranda, or the lovely village of Ksamil, from which you can see Corfu, just five miles across the water.