Himarë

Himara is a city on the coast of Albania in the Albanian Riviera. 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, you will 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.

Understand

Bay of Himara

Himara or Himarë is a bilingual (Albanian and Greek) town that sits between the Ceraunian Mountains and the Ionian Sea.

The region of Himarë is predominantly populated by an ethnic Greek community. There are a lot of traditional taverns or fish restaurants in the centre of Himarë—all serving tasty food.

Get in

By bus

There is no official bus stop but all busses stop at least at the 1 "Big Market" (red supermarket at the road behind the beach). Arriving in Himarë, let the driver know where you'd like to get drop off.

Public transportation buses connect from Vlorë or Tirana (there are few a day depending on the season, see bus section of Tirana article). It is the cheapest, but not the fastest way—from Tirana 1,200 lek and about 5 hr bus ride).

Furthermore, there are connections from/to Gjirokastër, Elbasan, and Athens daily.

There are multiple buses a day from/to Sarandë (1½h, 700 lek). As of August 2022, the buses to Sarandë are scheduled at 07:00, 09:00, 11:30, 13:00 (and more in the afternoon). Not all busses coming from e.g. Vlorë stop in Himarë, especially if they are already full. Ask your accommodation hosts for up-to-date details.

By car

Himarë is located on the SH8 highway (next to the riveria).

• Tirana – 4½ hr, 220 km (140 mi)
• Vlorë – 2 hr, 70 km (43 mi)
• Sarandë – 1¼ hr, 53 km (33 mi)

Following the road from Tirana or Vlorë, you will pass the Llogara-path and 1 Maja e Çikës (2,045 m) which has a wonderful view of the Ionian Sea. You will find a few restaurants where you can stop for a quick bite before continuing on the road. The road also borders the beautiful Parku Kombëtar Llogara National Park.

By bicycle

Himare lies at the EuroVelo cycling routes 8.

See

• 1 Himarë old town (Kastro) (A relaxed 40 minutes walk from Himara center up the hill, all along the road.). uBilt 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. (updated Jun 2023)

  

  Himara old town

• A few miles south of Himara, in the bay of 2 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.

• 3 Porto Palermo Castle. The port of Porto Palermo is a monument of cultural heritage built on a peninsula between Himara and Qeparo in the district of Vlora, Albania. The small castle is set in a beautiful setting on a peninsula in the small tectonic bay of Porto Palermo (in antiquity known as Panormes Bay). The castle is located not far from the village of Qeparo. The port of Porto Palermo is located in the bay of the same name on the Ionian Sea coast in southern Albania. The castle is located on an island about 30 m from the shore where the narrow waterline between the coast and the island is filled with stones and to realize a land connection with it. The castle has a triangular planar shape with three powerful ramparts in the corners. Entrance is located in the middle of the southern wall. On the sea side, between two bastions a trapeze-shaped surface is surrounded by turret-walled walls. The rest of the castle is made up of a large number of covered environments that end up in the upper part with a shared terrace. The premises were used to shelter the garrison while one of them served as a prison. (updated Jul 2019)
• 4 Porto Palermo Cave. The cave of Porto Palermo is located near the former submarine base that is still under the patronage of the army. It is a karstic cave created by limestone activity and its length is only a few meters from any direction. Entry is severely damaged and there have been no formal excavations or researches of its history. It is mainly famous for its scenic and tourist attractions as well as the idyllic surrounding beaches. It is also a very interesting destination for exploration and diving. (updated Jun 2023)
• 5 Kukum Castle, Qeparo village (near Palermo, 84 km S of Vlore). It was built in the 2nd century BC. 

• Vranisht Dolmen - At the top of Mount Mesimer there is a giant stone, several tones, erected horizontally and standing on two vertically raised stones. From the locals it is called The Stone In the Sky" and from researchers he is estimated to be a Dolmen. So this object seems to have been raised in prehistoric periods as well as some others across Europe and beyond (similar to Stonehenge) has been an object of worship, the cult, for the ancient inhabitants of these parts. To date, Vranisht Dolmen is considered to be the only one, not only in Albania but perhaps even wider in the Balkans.

• Ali Pasha's Tower – Ali Pasha's Tower or Vlashaj's Tower is located in the village of Qeparo about 1 km north of it. There is no reliable data on the reasons why Ali Pasha built this beautiful villa in this area as close to the coast and a small Ionian harbor, as well as near the rugged mountain terrain of Labëria, difficult to overcome and penetrate in depth. It is not excluded that this flat in the form of a fortress, in a geographic position that controls very well the possible stretches that can be approached from the village of Qeparo, with a large yard and with high perimeter walls, separated from the village and in a strategic position, it can hardly be taken lightly by aggressors. It, in a simple analysis, seems to have been built as a base with special strategic interests for Pashain of Ioannina, for the shadows of an eminent danger when she would have to abandon the country and go to the west through the sea, as it is not so far from here, is Porto Palermo, where Ali Pasha also built a coastal military fort, which he considered important for Ionian control and as a possibility for his departure to the west. Another possibility should have been the need to have a cottage near the coast, for vacations, as not far from here he had completed his marriage ceremony with Vasilic, exactly at the Church that is at the entrance of Porto Palermo.
• Pirates' Cave – It is a natural carstic cave made famous by the book of Petro Marko and then by the film of the same title. It is on the same hill with the Monastery of St. Theodore. Set on steep rocks, in a deep sea, the cave has important tourist values that remind you the Middle Ages. According to the legend, the cave was once a haven of pirates and ships. It can only be reached by the sea.

Do

• Himarë center & promenade – You can walk next to the beach and drink coffee in one of the coffeebars in the centre
• Cycling
• Kayak – You can rent "sit on top" kayaks on the beach. The costs for a 2–person boat range from 400–800 lek/hr. From the southern end of the Himare city beach you can reach the secluded 1 Filikurit beach in half an hour one way.

Hiking:

• 2 Gjipe beach – Walk along the beach, start in Himara cross to. 3 Livadhi beach (1 hr), on to Aquarium/Guma and 4 Jalë beach (2 hr) until you reach Gjipe (4 hr)—the hiking trail is partly marked. It continues to Dhërmi (6 hr). In Himarë the trail starts behind the 5 soccer field. The first kilometer is not on the coast but you will get there after 15 minutes. Gjipe beach is an incredibly natural landmark with an untouched canyon next to it. However, in high season it tends to be full with lots of boat trippers arriving and loud music.

• 6 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.

Eat

• Cafe Kanda (Kanda Kafe), Rruga Qendrore Spile. 07:00-02:00. This small half bar restaurant and half traditional house in Himara serves delicious traditional cuisine with a very cheap price. 500 lek. (updated Sep 2021)

Drink

• Mojo Cafe Bar (Mojo Bar), Himare Sh. 8, ☏ +355 67 488 3187. 07:00-03:00. Bar in the most populated and vivid area of Himare. (updated Sep 2021)

Sleep

Budget

• 1 Himara Hostel. It is set in a renovated traditional stone house with a peaceful garden full of fruit trees. It is just a 5-minute walk from the main beach. Bikes and kayaks are available for rent (€8 per day). It is open all year. From private €29, dorm €10, tent €7. (updated Mar 2019)

Mid-range

• Solive, Potam, Himare 9425 Albania, ☏ +355 69 263 9898, eltonibali40@gmail.com. Check-in: 12:00, check-out: 10:00. Small bed and breakfast, friendly environment. English- and Italian-speaking hosts. (updated Sep 2021)

Go next

From north to south:

• Tirana – The vibrant and contrasting capital of Albania.
• Vlorë – A lively seaside city, nice beaches south of town. Passenger ferries to and from Italy dock here.
• Vuno – A sleepy and small mountain village with adorable view and traditional atmosphere (just 30 minutes from Himara).
• Gjirokastër – A city in stone, an absolutely must see during your trip through Albania
• Sarandë – A bigger city on the seaside with a ferry port (ferries go to the Greek island of Corfu).