The Best Beaches on the Albanian Riviera

The Albanian coast packs more than 50 distinct beaches into a 100-kilometre stretch. Here are the ones worth planning your trip around.

Beach quick-look table

Beach	Region	Type	Crowds (Aug)	Access	Best for
Ksamil islands	Ksamil	Pebble + sandy coves	Very high	Walk + swim/boat	Photogenic, families
Pulëbardha (Seagull)	Saranda	Cliff-backed pebble	Moderate	Car	Dramatic scenery
Mirror Beach (Plazhi i Pasqyrës)	Saranda–Ksamil	Pebble	Moderate	Car	Clarity, day-trippers
Borsh	South Riviera	Long pebble beach	Low	Car	Space, families
Gjipe	Himarë–Dhërmi	Hidden pebble cove	Moderate	Hike or boat	Adventure, snorkelling
Jala	Himarë	Pebble cove	Moderate–high	Car	Beach clubs, younger crowd
Dhërmi main beach	Dhërmi	Pebble	High	Walk	Nightlife, party scene
Drymades	Dhërmi	Long pebble	Moderate	Walk/car	Beach clubs, length
Filikuri	Himarë	Tiny rocky cove	Low	Boat only	Snorkelling, seclusion
Porto Palermo (castle bay)	Himarë	Pebble + castle backdrop	Low	Car	History, swimming

Full per-beach guides (with maps, sunbed prices and best months) are being published through May–June 2026. See the best time to visit for crowd patterns by month.

How we rank them

We score each beach on five attributes: water clarity (a 1–5 visual scale verified against TripAdvisor photos and our own visits), August crowding, access difficulty (walk / car / boat), family-friendliness (presence of shade, shallow entry, lifeguard), and value (sunbed and umbrella cost). Tables get updated quarterly during the May–October season.