Walking into the tunnel that leads to the submarine bunker is a somewhat eerie experience. The water in the tunnel glows an ethereal shade of blue and there’s no sound but that of lapping water and the occasional drip from the ceiling.
It’s exactly as you would hope entering a bunker might be. Well sort of entering, you can stand beside the gigantic rusted doors but you can’t actually get inside. Even to get this close is a privilege only recently granted to the public.
It would be fun to see as a stand alone adventure in its own right, but what makes it even better is that you will pass one of Himare’s best beaches along the way, and this one is hidden far away from the huge crowds of the area’s more well known beaches.
Here’s what to expect from both experiences.
The walk to the Submarine Bunker
The stats
Distance: 1.8km each way
Elevation gain: 150m
Difficulty: Easy - moderate
Trailhead: SH8 Parking Area, south of Himarë
Summary: Although you can drive to within 400m of the bunker, there is only room for a couple of cars to park and the road is steep and unpaved.
There is loose gravel in places and honestly, I think most people will be more comfortable simply walking the road instead. We’ve also heard reports that you may be asked for money to park closer to the bunker while the top parking area is free of charge.
The majority of the walk is downhill and though steep in places, it’s not too slippery. The final 400m to the bunker is pretty much flat, but it’s on rocky terrain at times - all of it is fairly easy to walk on though.
Along this stretch you will pass the beach and a small bar.
The trail
From the parking area (full parking details at the end of the post) you will head along the road which leads downhill, but gradually at first. You will pass a couple of houses and then come to a gate after 300m.
This gate should be open, but was previously closed for many years to prevent access to the bunker.
You continue through the gate and along the gravel road. There’s a little bit of flattish road before the descent continues and steepens significantly as you get closer to the final parking point. You’ll get some great sea views as you descend.
Roughly 1.3km into the walk you’ll reach a t junction - go right (following the path and keeping the sea to your left). After another 100m you will reach a small bar.
The bar also owns access to the beach, more on that later. Just past the bar you will see a left turn down to the beach, but continue straight for the bunker, which is just 160m away.
There’s some rocky terrain but most of it can be bypassed by walking along the smooth rock slabs rather than the more rubbly sections.
The water along this stretch of the walk is spectacular, with turquoise and indigo tones that wouldn’t look out of place on a tropical island!
You will reach the tunnel leading to the bunker 1.8km after leaving the parking area.
The submarine bunker
The only sounds as you enter the tunnel are that of the iridescent blue water lapping against the base doors and the occasional water droplet falling from the ceiling.
The huge rusted doors look like something from a movie set and the whole atmosphere is exactly what you might hope it to be.
It’s hard to find out much about the history of the place because sources seem to confuse it with the Port Palermo tunnel bunker which is still closed to the public (we thought it had opened and walked down a big hill only to find a huge gate made of thorns and military keep out signs, so definitely give that one a miss!).
The bunkers were built due to the military delusions of the former communist leader Enver Hoxha, likely in the 1970’s.
We enjoyed simply being able to have a look, not to mention the fact that this was one of the few places in Himare we got entirely to ourselves.
If you wanted to learn more it would be best to go with a guide as there is absolutely no information at all at the site itself.
The water that flows through the tunnel glows an ethereal shade of blue and it would make for a very unique spot for a swim. Unfortunately we had some debris in the water on our visit so opted to swim at the beach instead.
Matheus Beach
Just a couple of hundred metres back from the bunker is the small private Matheus Beach. This tiny cove is split in two with a handful of loungers on either side.
The water was an exquisite shade of turquoise and the moment I saw it I knew I had to go for a swim. There were only two people on the beach leaving one side of the cove completely empty - and trust me, this never happens in the middle of the day in Himare during peak season!
I was a little disappointed to hear the beach was private and we were initially quoted 20 euros for two sun beds. I didn’t actually want to use a sun bed so negotiated it down to 5 euros which I was very happy to pay for this quiet little patch of paradise.
Entering the beach is a little rustic, it’s steepish and rocky, but it only takes a minute to get down.
The beach is shingle and very pretty but it’s that water that really makes it special.
It was a two tone turquoise and indigo and quite nicely sheltered making it calm for swimming. It was definitely a hard spot to leave!
Where to park for the walk to the Submarine Bunker
The parking for the walk down to the submarine bunker can be found just off the side of the road, which you can see here on Google maps. As mentioned you could drive closer, to just before the bar, but it’s a steep unpaved road and most people would probably prefer to walk down.
It takes around 10 minutes to drive to from Himare.
It’s close to the Porto Palermo Castle if you want to combine the two. If you do, you will pass a lookout at the side of the road which has an information board and a view of the tunnel that is still closed to the public - albeit a distant view!
Where to stay in Himare
We stayed at Wait and Sea Hotel which was a 5 minute drive from town, close to Livadhi Beach. We picked it for the sublime views and they didn’t disappoint.
It is sparkling blue sea and hundreds of olive trees as far as the eye can see. You also got to hear plenty of birdlife instead of the city hustle and bustle which was really relaxing.
The room we initially booked was very small, but we were kindly upgraded to a much bigger room which was great as we hadn’t realised how small the original room we booked was.
The bathroom was fab with a great shower that doesn’t flood the room - a very common problem in Albania! The host is so lovely and will go out of his way to help you and brekkie and parking is included. It’s also a few minutes walk from the best restaurant we visited in all of Albania (the Fig and Olive).
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