TIRANA, July 8 – Starting in Vlora, where the Adriatic Sea meets the Ionian and stretching to Ksamil in southernmost Albania, the Albanian Riviera is already in its peak tourist season as a heat wave has hit the country.
Thousands of tourists from Albania, Kosovo, the region but also the U.S. have chosen the Riviera as their destination for this year’s summer holiday, enjoying the combination of rocky and sandy beaches and the scenic and spectacular views along the Ionian coast in southern Albania.
“I come from Belgium. I have chosen Saranda because of its cleanliness and its characteristic quietness,” a tourist was quoted as saying.
“This is the first time I have visited Albania and I will probably be back again next year,” said another foreign tourist accompanies by a friend who is in Albania for his second time.
“I was amazed by the virgin Riviera on my way from Vlora to Saranda,” said a Kosovo tourist.
“I love it. I came from the U.S. to Kosovo and now I am on the Albanian Riviera,” said another tourist.
Along the Albanian Riviera, beach lovers can soak up the sun along white sandy beaches dotted with olive and citrus trees, says the U.K’s Daily Mail, which this year ranked the Himara beach on the Riviera as one of the most beautiful in the Mediterranean.
“This region along the Albanian Riviera is full of white sandy beaches, olive and citrus trees and stunning Byzantine architecture. Take a dip in the Ionian Sea and enjoy the breathtaking 2000-metre high Llogara mountains to the northeast, all while perfecting your tan,” says the Daily Mail.
Exploring the Albanian Riviera
“Unsung, undeveloped and eminently affordable, the Albanian Riviera has all the natural attractions of its Croatian counterpart further north but without the crowds and considerable expense. Here you have white-sand beaches, crystal-clear waters, and Mediterranean villages barely changed since long before King Zog.” That’s how U.S-based Frommer’s travel guide described the Albanian Riviera in 2012 when it named the southern coastal area stretching from Vlore to Saranda along the Ionian Sea as the top value destination around the world.
“Paragliding and hiking provide peaceful recreation in a landscape dotted with lemon groves, olive plantations, and castles built by medieval Sultans intent on taking Corfu. Borsh is considered the warmest spot in Albania. Romans, Greeks and Venetians scrapped for its three-mile-long beach, the longest on Albania’s Ionian coast.”
Back in 2012, The Globe and Mail, Canada’s largest national newspaper, placed the Albanian Riviera as the top destination among the six best places to visit in 2012.
“The beaches and the scenery in the Ionian Coast of Albania, also known as the Albanian Riviera are stunning, and you won’t find yacht-loads of tourists,” said The Globe and Mail.
The Albanian coastline south of Vlora down to Saranda offers one of the most scenic and spectacular views along the Adriatic and Ionian coasts, says the Western Balkans Geotourism portal.
“The road past the tunnel follows the rocky cliffs and blue waters of the Adriatic, with charming hotels and popular beaches along the way. South of Orikum, the road heads inland and moves down a dramatic valley with steep mountains on either side. There are many small villages situated high in the mountains and visitors will see small booths by the side of the road with mountain tea, raki, wine, honey, olive oil, and fresh milk for sale.”
At the end of the valley, the road twists and turns through a steep pass and the vegetation changes from fields to pine forests. Flag pines, which are named for their flat tops, shaped by decades of wind whistling through the pass, can be seen. There are many roast lamb restaurants serving succulent and juicy roasted meats.
Just before Albania opened its new tourist season last May, French and Swedish media paid tribute to Albania’s rising tourism industry, recommending the Balkan country famous for its coastal but also cultural heritage tourism as a top destination for 2015.
French magazine L’Express ranked Albania as the top third global destination to visit for 2015, describing Albania as the new pearl of the Balkans.
Featuring a picture of the Qeparo village in the southern Albanian Riviera, the magazine recommended Albania for its beautiful beaches and mountains, the UNESCO World Heritage sites and its 2,500-year history with Roman and Byzantine elements.
What makes Albania a favorable destination for French tourists is also the newly launched direct flights to Paris and Brussels twice a week and the cheap prices and quality Albania offers, the magazine says.
Meanwhile, Swedish journalist Kicki Lind who visited Albania in summer 2014 has also paid tribute to Albania’s beautiful coastline, mountain tourism and historic sites.
“How could it have taken over twenty years for a country that holds so much to see to appear on the international tourist map,” wondered the Swedish journalist on her feature called “New light on Albania” which was published on three prestigious Swedish newspapers.
Albania promoted its coastal and cultural heritage tourism at a series of European destinations in early 2015 and has been featured as an emerging Mediterranean destination by several prestigious media and travel portals.
Albania’s tourism was showcased in Vienna, Madrid, Milan, Prague and Berlin tourism fairs this year while The Telegraph, the National Geographic Traveler, the Culture Trip portal recommended the Balkan country as an unexplored Mediterranean destination.
Albania offers a miscellaneous picture of coastal and mountain tourism and has been attracting more and more foreign tourists in the past few years being nicknamed as “A New Mediterranean Love” and “Europe’s Last Secret”.
In January 2014, The New York Times ranked Albania as one of the top four global destinations to go to for 2014, placing the Balkan country as the single European destination on top of the list. The prestigious daily newspaper ranks the Albanian coast the number four destination to visit, describing it as Europe at its best on a rugged shore and noting that “the Maryland-sized country combines the rugged beauty of Croatia with undiscovered ruins of Turkey or Greece.”
The rating by New York Times came after Lonely Planet tourist guide ranked Albania as the top destination for 2011 and the country was placed sixth in CNN’s top 10 destinations for 2011.
In May 2014, U.S-based APCO Worldwide and its StrawberryFrog ad unit was announced the winner of an international competition on branding Albanian tourism which in the past four global crisis years has suffered a decline in income. The global ad campaign is being led under the slogan “Albania, Go your own way.”
Saranda
A characteristic mussel and olive oil festival opened the new tourist season in the southernmost Albanian town of Saranda, nicknamed the pearl of Albanian Riviera.
“Your destination, Our Saranda’ will be this year’s tourist slogan. In Saranda you come as a visitor and leave as a guest,” Stefan Çipa, the outgoing Saranda Mayor has said.
“Last year we had some 500,000 visitors, mainly from Kosovo,” he says, adding that this season finds Saranda in improved tourism infrastructure.
“Tourism holds a great promise in stimulating economic development and employment growth across this beautiful country…I wish Saranda and Albania’s coastal regions a wonderful tourism season,” said U.S. embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Henry Jardine at the opening of the tourist season in Saranda last May.
The southern coastal town was named as one of ten great ports by daily USA Today back in 2014.
“Sarandë. Get to this Albanian beach town on the Mediterranean, near Corfu, on Windstar and SeaDream. Also known as Saranda, the town is near Butrint National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on a picturesque lagoon. Archeological ruins in the park reflect the fact that Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Venetians and Ottomans ruled the area at various times.” That’s how USA Today news portal described the southern Albanian town of Saranda which it has recently named one of the ten great cruise ports people have ever heard of.
Known as the pearl of Albanian Riviera, the southernmost Albanian district of Saranda is a top destination in Albania during summer, offering tourists a combination of rocky and sandy beaches as well as cultural heritage attractions such as the Butrint UNESCO World Heritage site and the Blue Eye spring. Situated just next to the Greek island of Corfu with regular ferry lines, Saranda remains one of Albania’s top destinations despite the boom of uncontrolled constructions somehow spoiling the beauty of Albania’s southernmost coastal town.
In 2013, Saranda, known for its beautiful pure Ionian waters, was named by the United States Price of Travel portal as the third cheapest beach destination in Europe.
“The town of Sarandë in the south is arguably the highlight of the Albanian Riviera, and part of its appeal is that it’s just across the channel from the (also modestly priced) Greek island of Corfu. Perhaps one day it will be competing for the mass market cheap holidaymaker, so it could be a good choice for those who like to go to those places first so they can complain about the development later,” says the portal.
“Saranda is a great location for summer travelers who want a good deal without having to compromise cleanliness or good food. Whether you want to relax on the beach and swim to one of the islands in Ksamil, visit ancient archaeological sites like Butrint, or perhaps just enjoy a nice meal or drink next to the glistening Ionian Sea, you will likely find yourself charmed by this unique location,” says a Saranda promotional website.
Vlora, where the Adriatic meets the Ionian
“It’s here in sunny Vlora (the ancient Aulon) that the Adriatic Sea meets the Ionian, but the beaches are muddy and grubby, and the port town has really outgrown itself and is now a morass of overdevelopment. History buffs will still enjoy the museums and historic buildings, while beach lovers should hold out for the villages of Dhërmi, Drymades or Jal, all further south,” says the Lonely Planet tourist guide.
Located in south-western Albania where the Adriatic and Ionian seas meet, Vlora enjoys a beautiful position as the gateway to the Albanian Riviera, which is the gem of Albanian tourist attractions. The town with its wide boulevards decorated by huge palm trees has a real southern Mediterranean feel to it. It is located in front of Karaburuni peninsula and the Sazani Island, close to various sandy and rocky beaches and the scenic nearby mountains. Vlora is home to Albania’s second largest port, having regular ferry boat connections with Italian ports of Bari and Brindisi.
The oldest traces of civilization in the area of Vlora date back to the 6th century B.C. In ancient times, the city was founded as a port, and was known under the name of Aulona, famous for its olive groves and vineyards.
Although an important town throughout history, its claim to fame came on November 28th, 1912, when Albanian leaders led by Ismail Qemali declared the country’s independence there to end five centuries under Ottoman rule. The town was the first capital of independent Albania.
The Museum of Independence, The Vlora Bay, Orikum, Ali Pasha Tepelene Castle, the Pass of Llogara and the Karaburun peninsula are some of the Vlora’s landmarks.
