To start off my summer travels I hopped on a plane over to Eastern Europe, more specifically Albania.
Himarë has ended up being not only one of my favorite places in Albania, but one of my favorite places on the Mediterranean Sea. The Albanian Riviera is already just so absolutely unreal in itself- and Himarë is right in the center of the most beautiful spots in the region.
THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS TO TOURS, HOTELS, PRODUCTS, ETC. THESE HELP ME EARN A SMALL COMMISSION AT NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE TO YOU. XOXOXO
Himara is a smaller town with a slower pace compared to its neighboring resort cities. Though there is still a good amount of cafes, bars and stores along the Main Street, it is more relaxed, cheaper and much less crowded-even during the peak summer season months-than Ksamil or Vlorë.
The beaches-whether it be the secluded beaches or the public beaches-are clean and beautiful, and there is plenty of things to do in and around the town.
THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS TO TOURS, HOTELS, PRODUCTS, ETC. THESE HELP ME EARN A SMALL COMMISSION AT NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE TO YOU. XOXOXO
Himare is located around 4 hours south of Tirana, around 2 hours south of Vlorë, and just over an hour north of Sarandë (where the ferry comes in from Corfu as well).
This little oasis was definitely not empty, but I have no doubt that in the coming years, Himara-and Albania as a whole-will become much more of a popular travel destination. Everybody deserves to experience this beautiful spot in their lives, but get there quick before it is too hot.
How Long To Spend In Himarë
I stayed in Himara for 5 nights, and I could have stayed longer. Not only is Himara a beautiful town to explore and relax in, but it is a great home base to explore the Riviera and other towns in the Southern end of the country. I think that it is wise to factor that into planning how long that you will stay. Himara is also surrounded by beautiful beaches to spend your days at if you have access to a bike or car, which again, factor that into planning how long that you will stay.
If you are planning on staying up in the old town, I would consider booking more nights down on the water.
Best Time To Visit Himarë
The best times to visit Himarë are the Spring and Fall shoulder seasons, specifically September-October for the perfect weather and perfect water temperatures after the Summer.
Himare has a warm climate with overall fine weather year-round, but as our Earth continues to heat up, the Summer (especially July) has been getting so extremely hot. Himarë are is a good place to try to beat the heat by sitting in the water all day, but the sun still gets pretty intense. Of course I spent my time in Himarë during July, during the days it would get up to 40°C (104°F).
Daily Spending and Budget in Himarë
Currently, Albania is extremely affordable to visit, but that changes as the years go on. Especially being smaller than the resort towns, I knew that I was going into a much different price of living than other Riviera towns on the Mediterranean but I was still shocked.
During my time in Himarë, I spent no more than $40 a day (not including accommodation and flight prices).
Spending Breakdown:
Hotels: $35/night and up
Hostels: $15-$50/night
Meals: $3-$20
Drinks: $1-6
Coffee: $0.50-$3
Attractions and Beach Clubs: Free-$10
How To Get To Himarë
Getting around Albania can be stressful going into at first if you do not have a car, because there is still such a little amount of information on the buses online, but it is actually very easy, especially getting to and from Himara.
By Bus:
Albanianbus.com seemed to be the most spot on, with some options to book in advance, but I found that a lot of the time there was definitely buses running that weren’t listed on the site. Rivierabus is the main bus company for traveling down to and around the Southern coast, but there is a good amount of different companies as well.
It is best to check with someone at your accommodation or a worker around the terminals and stops if you want to actually find out what the bus situation is.
From Tirana:
From Tirana, all buses depart from the Tirana South and North Bus Terminal, around a 15 minute drive away from the city center. At the terminal, there seemed to be a good amount of different buses with signs depicting their routes down to Himara.
The daily buses from Tirana to Himara run:
-5am (unconfirmed for everyday), 7:30, 13:00 (unconfirmed for everyday), 15:30
From Vlorë:
From Vlorë, the buses depart from the Vlorë Station. There are multiple direct buses that run daily.
The daily buses from Vlora to Himara run:
6:00, 7:40, 8:00, 8:25, 10:00, 11:30, 12:00, 14:00, 15:50
From Sarandë:
Many people traveling to Himara are coming up from the more well known Saranda. From Saranda, the buses depart from Rruga Flamurit next to the Synagogue remains and Friendship Park.
The daily buses from Saranda to Himara run:
5:30, 7:00, 9:00, 13:30, 18:00
Himarë’s Old Town (Fshat) and Castle
Before I even start with the beaches or anything, I am putting Himarë’s castle and old town first on this list.
The old settlement has a beautiful old castle that dates back around 3,500 years (!!!), and a village that is home to a small population that live among the ruins.
The town has insane history, one of my favorite parts about my visit was learning about, and experiencing a lot of it first hand and up close. This was probably my favorite place that I visited in Albania. When the insane mid July heat began to cool down for the evening I walked about 2 km up into the hills from the center to the unreal fortress that looks over the coast of the Ionian Sea that dates back over 3,500 years.
My favorite church in the castle, the Church of St. Sergius and Bacchus, has stone walls that date back to 786 (!!!!) and unreal post-byzantine art inside. The energy inside was intense but so fascinating. I really love to try to imagine all that these stone walls have seen.
The castle is mentioned in writing from all the way back in the 1st century, and it has survived all of these years through the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman Empire, both world wars and much more. I would recommend going up at sunset, the light is so beautiful and the walk back down as the town lights up below is beautiful as well.
The Best Places To Stay In Himarë
I stayed at Filikur Hostel, and it was my favorite in Albania. The family that owns it is so unbelievably kind, the view from the deck and from my room was so beautiful. A huge bonus is also it’s close proximity to Filikur Beach, it is no more than a 5 minute walk to the start of the trail down the cliff.
$:
Filikur Hostel From $16/night
Sunbakers Hostel From $15/night
$$:
Spile Rooms Lukas From $40/night
Seaside Hotel From $35/night
$$$:
Aphrodite Garden Rooms & Apartment from $87/night
Toni Retzo Rooms From $131/night
When visiting Albania, or even Corfu and super northwestern Greece, Himarë seriously is just a must hit. I would recommend it over Sarandë, and I can’t wait to go back soon and to explore more of the smaller towns on the Riviera.
Madigan Murphy 