The Albanian Riviera is why people suddenly start googling “how hard is it to drive in Albania?”. One look at that cliff road and the water below and you get it. This is not a coastline you sit in one resort and “do”. It’s made to be driven slowly, with the windows down, stopping every time a side road or a flash of turquoise catches your eye.
This route strings together Vlorë, Himarë, Saranda and Ksamil – plus a handful of places you’ll probably like even more – into one simple, do‑it‑yourself road trip. No tours, no bus schedules, just you, the SH8 and a car you’ve sorted in advance so the only hard decisions are beach or taverna, swim now or swim later.
The Shape of the Trip
On paper, the Riviera is easy. Fly into Tirana or Corfu, get your car, and aim yourself at Vlorë. From there, the road climbs through Llogara Pass, drops to Dhermi and Jalë, softens around Himarë and Borsh, then swings into Saranda and Ksamil at the very bottom of the country.
In kilometres, it’s not much. That’s the trick: you’re not covering epic distances, you’re squeezing maximum life out of a compact stretch of coast. Give yourself five to seven days. One night near Vlorë, two around Himarë, two or three in Saranda or Ksamil. Enough space to linger when you fall for a place, and enough time to keep going when you don’t.
Vlorë and the First Hint of What’s Coming
Vlorë is less “cute seaside town” and more “real city by the water”, but that’s exactly why it’s a good starting point. You’ve got a busy waterfront, plenty of apartments, and enough bars and restaurants to shake off the travel day. It’s the last place that feels firmly like “normal Albania” before the Riviera flips the scenery up a notch.
Pick up your car here if you like to get into the groove before things get twisty. Do a sunset stroll along the promenade, find yourself a plate of grilled fish or a pizza, and treat Vlorë as your warm‑up. Tomorrow is when the road gets serious.
Llogara Pass: The “Okay, Wow” Moment
Leaving Vlorë, the SH8 quickly starts climbing into the mountains of Llogara National Park. The air cools, pine trees close in and the city falls away behind you. You twist up through the forest and then – quite suddenly – the trees break and the whole Ionian coastline explodes below. It’s the first time most people say “pull over, now” at least half a kilometre before the actual lay‑by.
This is one of the Riviera’s signature views. Take it in properly. Step away from the car, breathe, and realise that everything you’re looking at – the bays, the cliffs, the faint line of road curling along the edge – is exactly where you’re headed over the next few days. It sets the tone: dramatic, a bit wild, and nothing like sitting on a coach.
Dhermi and Jalë: Your First Swim Stops
Drop back down towards the sea and Dhermi appears: a long strip of beach backed by bars, hotels and the steep green hills you just drove over. Jalë is the next bay along, smaller but livelier, with music and parties in high season and a more low‑key vibe when the crowds thin.
This is where the trip stops being about views and starts being about swims. Park up, walk straight onto the pebbles and get in the water. You’re here now. Stay for a couple of hours, or stay the night – there’s no wrong answer, because tomorrow you’ve got more options just down the road. The whole point of having a car is you don’t have to overthink it.
Himarë: The Riviera’s Sweet Spot
Himarë is where the Riviera relaxes its shoulders. The town wraps around a broad bay, big enough to feel alive but small enough that by day two you’ll be exchanging nods with the baker. The long promenade is lined with cafés, ice‑cream stands and restaurants that slide gradually from family dinners to slow, late‑night drinks. Up above, the old village sits on the hill, all stone houses, cobbles and sea views.
Base yourself here for a couple of nights. Use your car to treat the whole coastline as Himarë’s backyard. One day you drive north to a quieter cove; the next you drift south to Borsh. You’re not locked into one stretch of sand because your hotel happens to be in front of it. Himarë lets you have a base and still feel like every day is a mini road trip.
Borsh: Big Beach, Big Sky
If Himarë is about a gentle buzz, Borsh is about room. The beach is long, straight and backed by mountains that make the whole thing feel cinematic. Even at busier times you can usually wander down the shoreline and find a patch that feels like yours. Beach bars and simple restaurants dot the edge, offering exactly what you want after a swim: grilled something, cold drink, minimal fuss.
Driving in and out is part of the pleasure. The road runs almost parallel to the sea for a while, so you get that classic “blue on one side, green on the other” view. Borsh is a good place to deliberately do very little. Bring a book, stay longer than you meant to, and remember you’re not on a schedule you didn’t choose.
Saranda: The Riviera’s Hub City
Further south, the Riviera gathers itself into Saranda – part holiday town, part local city, always with something happening. The seafront is a long curve of bars, restaurants and apartment blocks, the kind of place where you can arrive at 8pm and still be deciding where to eat an hour later. There’s a castle on the hill for sunset views, a harbour for ferry runs to Corfu, and a steady flow of people until late.
For drivers, Saranda is a strategic stop. You can park the car and enjoy a couple of “no‑driving” evenings, or you can treat it as a switchboard: one day trip to Ksamil, one to Butrint, one inland to the Blue Eye, all within easy reach. The key thing is that you’re choosing your own rhythm, not fitting into a tour operator’s schedule.
Ksamil: Postcard‑Perfect, Best With a Plan
Ksamil is the image that sells half the flights: shallow, crystal‑clear water, slightly whiter sand and those little islands that look like someone dropped them in by hand. It’s beautiful and it knows it. In July and August it’s busy, sometimes too busy; outside peak season it’s close to ridiculous in all the right ways.
Having a car means you can enjoy the pretty without suffering the crowds. Base in Saranda or Ksamil itself, drive in early for a coffee and a quiet swim, then retreat to other beaches once the day‑trippers pile in. On days when Ksamil feels too much, you simply don’t go. You aim your car at a smaller bay up the coast and have a completely different day for the price of a bit of fuel.
Detours: Butrint and the Blue Eye
Two easy detours turn this from a beach holiday into a proper road trip. The first is Butrint National Park, just south of Ksamil. It’s a mix of Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Venetian ruins wrapped around a lagoon, all dappled light and old stones and the kind of atmosphere that makes you speak a bit quieter without knowing why. Do a slow loop, find your favourite ruin, then drive back to the coast before the heat peaks.
The second is the Blue Eye spring, an inland pocket of jungle‑green forest hiding a natural pool that looks like someone poured ink into the water. It’s an easy drive from Saranda, with a short walk at the end. Go early or late if you can; it’s popular, but with the right timing it feels almost otherworldly. Either way, these are the kind of places that are awkward by bus and effortless with your own car.
Driving the Riviera Without Stress
The SH8 isn’t a racetrack, and it’s not a highway either. Think mountain road with views. There are tight bends, some narrow sections and occasional patches where the surface reminds you Albania is still catching up. Local drivers know it by heart and often move fast; you don’t have to match them. Keep right, let people pass when they want to, and drive in a way that makes you feel in control.
Practical bits: don’t plan your first time over Llogara in the dark, keep a bit of cash handy for parking, and try not to leave anything valuable visible in the car when you’re at the beach. None of it is complicated – it’s just the difference between a relaxed trip and a tense one. Treat the drive as part of the holiday, not a chore to blast through.
Setting Up the Trip With AutoZone.al
To actually make this road trip happen, you need a car that fits the route and the season. On the Riviera you don’t need a huge SUV, but you’ll appreciate reliable air‑con, enough power for hills and terms that don’t ambush you halfway through the week. The frustrating part is that every rental site shows you prices differently, hides different fees, and wants you to read pages of small print before you can compare anything.
AutoZone.al lets you skip that circus. You see offers for Albania from multiple companies in one place – from local specialists to international brands – and filter them by what really matters for this coast: pick‑up point (Tirana Airport, Tirana city, Saranda), gearbox, deposit, mileage and insurance. Instead of guessing which deal is “fine”, you book the one that clearly works for the way you travel. Then, when you hit that first lookout on Llogara and kill the engine, you’re thinking about the view – not whether you missed something in the rental contract.
