Himarë
Understand
Himara or Himarë is a bilingual (Greek and Albanian) town located between the Ceraunian Mountains and the Ionian Sea. It is part of the Albanian Riviera with the most beautiful beaches in the area: Spile and Marachi beach are local in Himarë; Livadhi and Jali beach are close by and pretty too - especially in the low season when you have the beaches all to yourself! Thanks to its seclusion, the nature around Himarë is still relatively untouched. The crystal blue waters make Himara a popular holiday destination and remains a relatively undiscovered part of the Mediterranean.
The region of Himarë is predominantly populated by an ethnic Greek community. There are a lot of Greek traditional taverns or fish restaurants in the centre of Himarë - all serving tasty food.
Get in
By bus
Public transportation buses connect from Vlorë or Tirana (there are few a day depending on the season). It is the cheapest but not the fastest way (from Tirana 1000 lek and approx. 6 hours bus ride). Furthermore, there is a direct line from/to Gjirokastër, Athens, Elbasan daily. There is no bus station in Himarë, let the driver know where you'd like to get drop off.
By car
Himarë is located on the SH8 highway (next to the riveria).
- Tirana (4.5 hours - 220 km (140 mi))
- Vlorë (2 hours - 70 km (43 mi))
- Sarandë (1.15 hours - 53 km (33 mi))
Following the road from Tirana or Vlorë, you will pass the Llogara-path and 🌍
Maja e Çikës 
See
- Himarë old town, Kastro (relaxed 30 minutes walk from Himara center up the hill): built around the ruins of the old castle, a magical place where you can watch the sunrise over the sea, meet the love of your life or enjoy the peace of your own companionship. It was built in the Illyrian period and is still partially preserved. Where today many of the buildings have fallen apart and rather persist as a ruin. In addition to the old buildings, there is also a very old church.
- Himarë center & promenade: You can walk next to the beach and drink coffee in one of the coffeebars in the center.
- A few miles south of Himara, in the bay of Porto Palermo, a small peninsula, there is a fort that is said to have been built by Tepedelenli Ali Pasha at the beginning of the 19th century. However, it is likely to be much older, probably built by the Republic of Venice at about the same time as the similarly constructed fortress in Butrint.
Do
- Kayak
- Biking
- Hiking 1) Gjipe beach: Walk along the beach, start in Himara cross to Livadhi beach and Jala beach until you reach Gjipe (walking distance approx. 4 hours - the hiking trail is not well marked). Gjipe beach is an incredibly natural land mark with a untouched canyon next to it. 2) Pilur: a sleepy mountain village with a beautiful view over the scenery of the Albanian Rivera. To reach Pilur, there is a hiking trail inland, which is not always easy to spot, but the view is worth it.
Sleep
Budget
- 🌍 Himara Hostel. It is set in a recently renovated traditional stone house with a peaceful garden full of fruit trees. It is just a 5-minute walk from the main beach and they offer private rooms (from €29 per night), dormitories (approx. €10 per night) and camping (€7 night) for those with a tent (to rent available). Bikes and kayaks are available for rent (€8 per day). It is open all year.
Go next
- Vuno - sleepy and small mountain village with adorable view and traditional atmosphere (just 30 minutes from Himara)
- Sarandë - bigger city on the seaside with a ferry port (ferries go to the greek island of Corfu)
- Vlorë
- Tirana - vibrant and constrasting capital of Albania
- Athens - ancient and modern capital of Greece
- Gjirokastër - a city in stone, an absolutely must see during your trip through Albania