The water colour at most of Albania’s beaches is exceptional, but even with that in mind, Aquarium Bay stands out. This picture perfect little cove has crystal clear turquoise water and it’s very well sheltered making for a really relaxing place to swim. As long as you pick a sunny day your jaw will definitely drop when you see it for the first time!
The high rock walls and small sea cave add to the allure and make Aquarium Bay a must visit when in Himare. Here’s how to get there and what to expect when you do.
Visiting Aquarium Bay
Accessing the beach by car
Contrary to what we’d read before visiting, you can actually drive to within a few minutes walk of Aquarium Bay. However, the road is unsealed and narrow in places.
The vast majority of people will drive from Jale Beach where the road is in good condition for much of the way.
It is dusty and has some stones, but generally speaking, it’s suitable for any car up until the last couple of hundred metres.
Just over 1.3km into the unsealed road there is a brief, but somewhat steep descent. It looks like nothing until you try and drive back up it. Due to the dusty surface we saw a few people skid a little here.
However, there is room for about 6-8 cars to park just before this steep section and you are less than a 5 minute walk from Aquarium Bay at this point.
Once you’ve come down the small hill there is more parking (in front of Guma Beach) and then the final, again brief, ascent to the closest parking area to Aquarium Bay is a bit rocky. I wouldn’t take a hire car on this section unless you’re really confident.
We saw a couple of tiny Micras up there so it can be done, but in my opinion it’s not really worth the risk.
It’s worth noting that most of the unsealed road is quite narrow and in high season you are very likely to face oncoming traffic which may be a little hair raising along the narrower parts of the road. You may also find that unless you go early or late in the day the parking spots closest to the beach will be gone.
For this reason you might prefer parking 940m into the unsealed road where there is a large flat parking area (of sorts, it’s basically by what looks like a tip…).
The easy to reach parking spot
You can then walk the final 550m or so to Aquarium Bay and avoid any worries about two way traffic or the little hillier sections.
If you’re totally averse to unsealed roads you can walk the whole road which is easy enough, though perhaps less enjoyable in high season if people are driving past you and kicking up dust.
There is another road from Livadh Beach but we didn’t take this route so can’t really comment on its condition.
The quickest route to Aquarium Bay on foot
You can reach Aquarium Bay from the eastern side of Jale Beach and the western end of Livadhi Beach.
We saw a little of what the route from Livadhi Beach looked like when we hired a boat for the day and it was much hillier than the route from Jale - though it would be nicer as I think it’s a foot path and not a road.
The route from Jale Beach is easy but uninspiring as you are just following the road the whole way. The only reason to walk all the way from Jale without using any of the closer parking points is if you are arriving by public transport or you don’t want to drive on an unsealed road at all.
If that’s the case the walk is just under 1.5km each way with an elevation gain of 25m.
Just over 1.3km into the walk you will reach Guma Beach. I’ve seen it mistaken for Aquarium Bay, don’t make the same mistake!
Guma Beach
Guma Beach is just 150m from Aquarium Bay, separated by one small hill. It’s a pretty pebble beach with clear water and far less visitors than its neighbour. It’s nice, however, it is rightly overshadowed by it’s truly special neighbour.
If a quiet beach is the most important factor for you, then it is a better option, but it’s not as beautiful as Aquarium Bay, nor as good for swimming as it is shallow for a longer distance.
It would be a good idea to bring water shoes if you want to swim here as shuffling over those pebbles is foot torture.
The same pebbles can be found at Aquarium Bay, but as it’s deeper earlier you don’t have to walk over so many of them!
There is beach cafe here, but it’s pretty relaxed (no loud music etc) - at least it was during our visit in June!
Aquarium Bay
From Guma Beach you need to head briefly uphill to the car park and then down to the beach.
The final 50m down to the beach is a steepish descent made easy by the large tyres put in to form a stable track which would otherwise be loose and slippery.
Aquarium Bay is a pebble beach - as they all are in this part of Albania. It’s what gives the water that exceptionally blue colour but the trade off is that it’s not as comfortable for walking on or lazing around - although it didn’t deter anyone from laying out their towels!
There were mercifully no sun loungers on the beach here, which is very rare for the area. I get why people like them for the comfort factor, but it was nice to find a beach that was a little more natural. Again, there is a cafe above the beach, but it did feel somewhat removed.
We visited in the middle of the day in June and the beach was very busy, but I imagine in high season it would be body to body.
You might want to come early or late if you’re visiting during this time and crowds bother you.
Swimming at Aquarium Bay
Aquarium Bay is probably my favourite place to swim in Himare. The water is an exquisite blue as well as being incredibly calm. The high rock walls and turquoise water really do give it the wow factor.
The water is quite cool in June, which worked in my favour because although the beach was busy, few people swam, choosing to take a quick dip instead.
I didn’t find the water cold as its warmer than my usual swim spots in Australia, so if you’re used to cool water swimming you’ll find it completely fine.
It warms up a lot in July and August, so I felt quite lucky to be there in June and have the chance to swim alone.
There is a small sea cave on the right side of the beach (when facing the sea) and if you wander inside you can see all the pink coraline which is beautiful.
You can swim out from the bay and around to Guma Beach easily enough, but I wouldn’t really recommend it as so many boats go up and down this stretch of water and it wasn’t a relaxing experience!
Unless it’s a kayak, boats aren’t allowed into the bay itself and instead stop outside and passengers can then swim across to the beach.
All in all, it’s an exceptional beach and if you’re lucky enough to visit in off season and get it to yourself, it would have a totally different vibe.
May would probably be your best bet for that as long as you aren’t put off by the cold water temps!
If you’re looking for other Himare beach recommends, we have you covered here.
Keep them wild
Please remember to take all rubbish with you and keep these places wild and pristine - as with anywhere in the outdoors. It’s important to leave them exactly as you found them so they will remain beautiful for generations to come.
Litter tends to breed litter, so if you do spot any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the area, it will go a long way to keeping the area clean.
Please remember to wear reef safe sunscreen to protect the marine life inside the water.
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Everything you need to know about hiring a boat and exploring the epic beaches and sea caves of Himare without a guide. We’re sharing exactly what we paid and what to expect as well as all the stops you can make and tips for avoiding the crowds.