My week in Albania at that time consisted of visiting beaches, mountains and culinary specialties. I had previously known about its coastline, rocky mountains and hospitable people, but I could not even imagine that this country would be a great place for my vacation. My friend and I then decided to spend seven days here, exploring Albania to the maximum.
Day 1: Arrival
We arrived in Tirana, the capital of Albania, and after our short tour of the city, we decided to head south to the coast. And so our first stop was the city of Dhermi, which was located along the Riviera. When we got to the beach, the water was clean and transparent, which was very cool. We decided not to waste time, dropped our bags and went straight to the sea. The water was warm while we were swimming that day, and after that, all the problems of everyday life seemed to disappear.
As the sun began to set, we immediately found a place on the beach to watch the sunset and the evening sky. We sat in silence and drank a glass to begin our first journey.
Day 2-3: Beach holidays and coastal restaurants
We spent the next two days by the sea. Every morning we woke up to the sound of the waves and went down to the sandy beach. At that time, we discovered several places along the coast where the water was cleaner.
One of the highlights for me was just walking along the coast and finding little bars and cafes where you could relax. The food in these places was delicious. I remember there was one special dish of fried seafood – octopus, shrimp and squid – that was cooked and served with lemon. And paired with Albanian white wine, it was just an unforgettable dinner.
Our subsequent evenings there were just as special. We would return to the beach just in time to see the sun set over the horizon. For me, it was basically the perfect way to unwind after a day of swimming.
Day 4: Hiking in the Albanian Alps
For the following days of our trip, we decided to swap the beach for the mountains themselves. Albania’s landscape was varied there, and we decided to explore the famous Albanian Alps. We then headed north to the small village of Theth, which was nestled deep in the mountain range. The drive was an adventure in itself, with large winding roads, views of valleys and peaks.
We then set out early in the morning, the air was crisp and cool that day. The trail took us through the forests, past the waterfalls themselves and through the clear streams that I saw. From afar, the mountains looked beautiful.
One of the highlights of the hike was reaching the Blue Eye of Theta, this is the same natural spring with bright turquoise water that I saw. It was cold at that moment, but after a few hours we decided to dive into the water.
We finished our day in a small house in the village, and spent the night in this hostel. There was a cafe near it where we decided to go, the food there was incredibly delicious and we ordered roast lamb, fresh vegetables from their garden and a side dish byrek, this is an Albanian pie made of dough with cheese and spinach. It was basically the perfect end to an unforgettable day in the mountains.
Day 5-6: Coastal Relaxation
After our mountain hike we were back on the coast, this time in the town of Saranda, another place on the Albanian Riviera. Saranda had a lively promenade lined with restaurants and cafes.
We decided to spend the days here the same way we had in Dhermi – relaxing on the beach and swimming in the clear waters where we also explored the surrounding area. In the evening we had dinner at a family restaurant, which was located on a hill overlooking the sea. The owner recommended us a dish called tavë kosi, a traditional Albanian casserole made from lamb, baked with yogurt and eggs.
