If you love spectacular beaches and dazzling turquoise water that you don’t have to pay to access then you’ve come to the right place. Himare’s beaches are absolutely stunning and unlike at Ksamil they haven’t been completely taken over by beach clubs and sun loungers.
Everyone comes here for the beaches, but some are definitely better than others, so we’ve only included the wow-y ones in this guide because who wants to go to a mediocre beach if there are show stoppers you can reach with just a touch more effort?!
As well as the best beaches we have a few other ideas for you too, whether that’s dining at one of the best restaurants in Albania complete with a million dollar view, to hunting for the hidden submarine bunker, hiring a boat and exploring the sea caves, or catching sunset from atop the castle.
Here are the unmissable things to do when visiting Himare.
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1: Hire a boat to find sea caves and secret beaches
2: Dine with a million dollar view at the best restaurant in Himare
3: Check out one of Albania’s best beaches: Filikuri
4: Hunt out the eerie submarine bunker
5: Swim in the calm turquoise waters of Aquarium Bay
6: Catch a sunset from the castle at Old Himare
7: Hike to an amazing beach and canyon
Things to do in Himare
1. Hire a boat and check out the sea caves and secret beaches
Our boat wasn’t a looker, we’re talking a motorised dinghy here, not a fancy speed boat, but hiring it made for the most fun day we had in Himare, and we had a lot of fun in Himare!
You don’t need a license or ever to have driven a boat before, the max speed is about 10mph after all, but if you want to have you own Robinson Crusoe moment it’s an experience not to be missed.
if you don’t want to hire a boat you can see all the beaches and sea caves on a group tour instead (or a private tour but they are reeeeally expensive unless you have a group to share the cost with).
We cover all the stops you can make in this guide but for a quick overview of the highlights you can stop at the remote spit of sand known as Couples Beach, swim through a hidden sea cave to a glowing blue pool, boat right into a giant sea cave known as Pirates Cave and kick back at one of the most stunning beaches in the area, Pigeons Cave Beach.
2. Dine with a million dollar view at the best restaurant in Himare
The view from the Fig and Olive restaurant is exceptional, it feels like the kind of place you’d see in a movie with its mountain and sea panorama and all the little lanterns and twinkling lights amongst the trees.
It was easily the most special meal we had during our five week trip, nowhere else had an ambience even close to it.
The food is delicious with fresh seafood unsurprisingly being the winner. The wine is good too (better than most we tried in Albania) and the homemade dessert of the day is tasty and free of charge. They even did a fab decaf espresso which was not easy to come by in Albania.
If you’re visiting in peak season (and maybe even shoulder season) you need to book a table. It’s so popular they have someone at the bottom of the hill turning people away all night!
Despite booking a few days out we couldn’t secure one of the tables right on the edge with the best views, so if that’s what your heart is set on then book as far ahead as you can. If you’re going to chance a walk in then come early as most people prefer eating late in this part of Europe.
You can see the restaurant’s location here on Google maps, they have a bit of parking just outside the restaurant but not much. A taxi might be preferable and it’s not far from the centre of town (around 2.5km).
3. Check out one of Albania’s most spectacular beaches, Filikuri Beach
Filikuri Beach is the kind of beach you dream about when planning a trip to Albania, with the most exquisite blue water and huge stripey cliff walls, it truly has the wow factor.
It will be right up your street if you love your beaches feeling wild and remote because there isn’t a sun lounger in sight and it’s all the more special for it.
The fact you can’t drive to the beach means getting here is a bit of adventure however you choose to do it, and that also keeps the beach less busy than those which are easier to access.
Although in reality Filikuri is also pretty easy to get to whether you opt to hire a boat for the day, kayak over, take a water taxi, or hike down (though the latter is no longer recommended, which we cover in this guide).
4. Hunt out the eerie submarine bunker
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 water droplet falling 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’s a 1.8km walk to reach the bunker unless you have a car that can drive down a steep unsealed road, in which case it’s a mere few hundred metres.
You’ll also pass one of our favourite beaches in Himare along the way, and this one is hidden far away from the huge crowds of the area’s more well known beaches.
Here’s how to find the bunker and what to expect from the trail.
5. Swim in the calm turquoise waters of Aquarium Bay
I loved every single place that I swam in Himare, but if you really twisted my arm I would tell you that Aquarium Bay was my favourite.
This sheltered cove is wild swimming heaven, with clear turquoise water hemmed in by gorgeous rock walls keeping it oh so calm and serene.
When you see it for the first time it would be hard not to let out a ‘wow’.
However, we did visit in June when the water was cool enough that most people didn’t swim. It would be different in July and August and therefore during these months you might want to come early or late in the day if you are crowd averse.
Getting to Aquarium Bay is possible by car, on foot, or by boat or kayak and we outline everything you need to know about visiting in this guide.
6. Catch a sunset from the castle at Old Himare
We almost sacked off going up to the castle for sunset having had a long day exploring in the sun, but I am so glad we didn’t.
The castle is located on top of the hill in Old Himare and the view is, as you might expect, gorgeous, especially in the soft light of sunset.
However, it’s more than just a view, the crumbling castle ruins are so atmospheric, with huge bushes of delicate pink flowers slowly beginning to reclaim them.
Their scent perfumes the air and on a sultry summer’s evening it will fulfill any romantic notions you may have, whereas by day, under the full heat of the Albania sun, it would not have the same allure.
You can’t drive right up to the castle, but you can get close by parking here (we paid 100 Lek/€1).
From here you climb up the cobblestone path for 300m to the castle. Normally entry to the castle is 300 Lek (€3) but there was no one collecting the fee in the evening.
It is worth allowing some extra time to wander the picturesque cobble streets which make up Old Himare.
We recommend stopping by the delightful Cafe Butterfly with it’s little terrace, wonderful view and friendly service.
7. Hike to an amazing beach and canyon
I don’t know many beaches in the world that can boast being backed by a huge canyon, and that’s only one of the things that makes Gjipe Beach special.
The beach itself is stunning, with dramatic cliff walls that are popular with cliff jumpers and small sea caves you can swim to if the sea is calm.
In recent years you can now rent sun loungers and while I am not a big fan, I have seen pictures of the beach before and it was covered in tents, so it’s actually more attractive now with the uniform loungers, and there is still plenty of space to lay down a towel if you prefer.
When it comes to the canyon, the full hike is pretty adventurous, with huge boulders to climb, but the first 1km is easy and worth doing if you can tear yourself away from that dazzling blue water!
The beach is accessible by 4WD, on foot, by kayak or by boat and you can read more details on all of your options here.
Where to stay in Himare
We stayed at Wait and Sea Hotel which was a five 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 made it 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 (and his family) is so lovely and will go out of his way to help you. 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).
Getting to Himare
Himare is located on the Albanian Riviera in the south of the country. It takes around 3.5 hours to drive to from Tirana, 1.5 hours from Ksamil and Sarande and 2 hours from Gjirokaster.
There are direct buses from Tirana, Sarande and Vlore. For other destinations it looks like you will need to change buses. You can also get the ferry from Corfu, Greece to Sarande and then take the bus to Himare.
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All the unmissable things to do in Himare, from exploring the beaches and sea caves, to hunting out the eerie submarine bunker, catching a sunset from the castle and dining at one of Albania’s best restaurants.