Most people heading down the Albanian Riviera go to Ksamil or Saranda. We went to both, and the town we keep telling people about is the one between them that fewer people have heard of. Himarë is a cute cove with incredible beaches a short walk outside town, and it is way less busy.
Tijs called it his new favourite in Albania within days, and it still is. It is small, families are everywhere, the food is a mix of Albanian and Greek because Greece is so close, and it has that old school beach holiday feel. From the castle you can see across to Corfu.
We still got plenty wrong there. Here is what caught us out.
Five things that caught us out
1Our hire car broke down on the way back from Gjipe
Gjipe is a stunning beach about half an hour's drive from Himarë, with mountains all around it and a lot of people camping. You park up top and walk about 20 minutes down, unless you have a four wheel drive. From the beach you can also hike into a massive canyon, an hour or two in, and out of the sun.
We had a swim, stayed about half an hour, and the car would not go. The man running the car park gave us a push start, so on top of the 200 lek parking we gave him an extra 800. Tijs was stoked, because it was the first time he had ever push started a car.
The rental company swapped the car the same day. We also broke our microphone, so we started filming the whole Himarë video again two days later. Take two, new car, new day.
2We did not book anywhere good to stay
This is the one we would change. We did not stay anywhere good in Himarë and would not recommend where we stayed, and it had a big impact on the week. Accommodation there is not cheap either, the properties near the beach are really expensive.
If we did it again we would stay five to seven days and spend more on a nicer place. The town is small, so anywhere near the beach means you can walk everywhere.
3The best beaches are empty at 8am and packed by lunch
We went in July. There was a heat wave the week before, around 36 or 37 degrees, then it settled at a beautiful 28 every day with cool, refreshing water. From halfway through July and all of August it is school holidays in Europe, and it gets really hectic and really hot. For quieter, cheaper and a little cooler, go any time from mid March to the end of October.
Aquarium Beach, our favourite, is a little cove you can cliff jump into. At 6am there was no one there, and at 8am it was still empty. Apparently later in the day it gets so busy people sit on the rocks to get away from the crowds.
The main beach is a big cove with about four beaches inside it, sand and stone, all kid friendly. People come down early to put their umbrellas up, and some leave them overnight. We walked down at 6am one day and people were already sitting under theirs.
4No menu means ask the price first
Cafe Kanda is run by a mother and her son, and there is no menu. They tell you what is fresh that day and you choose. We said let's order everything, and never asked a single price.
It came to 3,400 lek in July 2025, which was not that expensive in the end, and the sea bass and calamari were our favourites. It opens at 6pm. We turned up at 5.30. Just ask before you order, and you will not get a surprise.
5Bring cash, and lower your gym standards
Most places in the coastal towns prefer cash, and so did a lot of the grocery stores, even the ones that take cards. The ATMs charged us between 500 and 700 lek to take money out, with a limit of about 20,000 to 25,000 a go, so get cash out when you can.
The downside of Himarë for us was the gym. There is only one, Himara Sports Centre, and it is small and basic. Fine for a holiday, not what we would want for a long stay.
The bits we would keep exactly the same
Breakfast at Eleni's. At Eleni's Country Breakfast, Eleni cooks you breakfast in her own front courtyard, and she lets you go through the back and watch her make petulla, a doughnut pancake thing. Breakfast for the two of us with coffee was 1,200 lek in July 2025. It is getting very busy now thanks to TikTok, and we still would not leave Albania without going.
A boat with a driver. In Greece we always drove the boat ourselves. In Himarë we hired a driver from Himara Seas the Day, two hours for 170 euro in July 2025, and took our own breakfast. He took us inside Pirates Cave and past Couples Beach, with a story for each that may or may not be true. Filikuri was probably up there with the most beautiful beaches we saw in Himarë. We almost skipped the boat and we are so glad we did not. You can also walk the port and negotiate, they are often willing to budge.
The castle. We almost missed it. Himarë Castle costs 300 lek each to get in (July 2025), and tucked away inside is Café Butterfly, a semi hidden cafe with the view over the coast, coffee, beers and cocktails. It is the best cafe we have been to in Albania, and we were told the ruins are the best spot in town to watch the sunset.
Trilece. If you have a sweet tooth, get the trilece at Patisserie Delight. It was our favourite of all the local sweets, and it will change your life.
So, Himarë or Ksamil?
Himarë, for us. Ksamil is more bougie and the water is beautiful, but you pay for sun beds and it is so much busier. If you want a party and more food options, Ksamil is the one. If you want a chilled beach holiday that will not break the bank, with excellent food and blue water, you will love Himarë.
It is about three and a half hours' drive from Tirana. If we did the Riviera again we would base ourselves in Himarë for longer, and do Ksamil, Saranda and Dhermi as day trips. One day in Ksamil was enough to see the water.
Abbey & Tijs