Riddle country, “new love in the Mediterranean” ... No wonder they say so. Two seas (Ionian and Adriatic), ancient cities under the protection of UNESCO, amazing virgin nature, excellent cuisine, friendly, hospitable people. Meet this is Albania. Holidays at sea in this country is still new to Russian tourists. But travelers from Western Europe quite appreciated the developing infrastructure in Albania. After all, prices here are much lower than in neighboring Croatia, Macedonia or Montenegro. Not to mention Greece or Italy. What do Russian tourists write about a beach holiday in Albania? What resorts of this country are worth visiting? What to see and what to try? Read about all this in our article.
Where is Albania located. Visa and Currency
This country has long been closed to foreigners. Therefore, now with great interest, curious tourists tend to explore a new land in Albania. Russian vacationers say that a trip to this country is a bit like a trip by time machine. You can find yourself in a Caucasian resort, but ... somewhere in the 1990s. Of course, in Albania there are no gang fights and everything is pretty nice. Locals are trying very hard to ensure that tourists have the best impressions of the country. But our tourists have preserved many prejudices about this region in the west of the Balkan Peninsula.
What exactly is the Republic of Albania? Holidays at sea, exciting excursions to ancient cities, hiking in the mountains, gastronomic tours - all this is now quite accessible to foreigners. For Russians in the summer and in September-October, a visa is not needed. You can stay in the country for ninety days, but only during the period from June 1 to October 31. At the entrance, it must be stated that the purpose of visiting the Republic of Albania is to rest at sea. At other times of the year, tourists from Russia require a visa. The national currency of Albania is the lek. It contains a hundred kindaroks. The correlation with the Russian ruble pleases: fifty kopecks in one lek. But locals often take into account US dollars and euros.
Climate in Albania
Nature gave this Balkan country about three hundred sunny days a year. Moreover, it rains mainly in the first half of spring and in November. If we talk about beach holidays in Albania, reviews say that the peak of the tourist season falls (however, like everywhere else in these latitudes) in the summer months. Although it is comfortable to sunbathe and swim in the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, you can from late April to the first half of October. On the coast in July, the water temperature is +22 ... +25 degrees, and the air temperature ranges from +28 ... +32 ° . In January (the coldest month of the year) it does not fall below + 8 ° C. Summer heat is easily tolerated: the Mediterranean Mistral is constantly blowing from the sea. Mountains are another matter. There the climate is more severe, and in winter the temperature at an altitude of a thousand meters drops to -20 ° C. The Albanian Alps are high mountains, and on their peaks about six months lies snow. Although there are very few ski resorts in the country. The best vacation in Albania at sea - reviews of tourists on this issue are the same - in September. And without that low prices are falling even more. But the temperature of water and air remains high. Albanian September is a quite summer month.
Territory
The Balkan country consists of seventy percent of picturesque mountains covered with forests. If you are interested in the beach and the sea, then you should choose one of the coastal resorts of Albania. This is Saranda, Durres, Shkodra, Vlore or Fier. In each of them, in addition to the wonderful beaches and the warm sea, the tourist will find a lot of interesting and informative. In Durres, for example, there is a Roman amphitheater, the ruins of a Byzantine fortress and a Venetian tower. Many cities of the country were built before our era. But if you are interested in just an excursion vacation in Albania, the reviews advise you not to miss Berat in any case. This open-air museum meets the Orthodox and Muslim worlds, separated by a river. The capital of Tirana is a piece of Turkey frozen in time, there are so many ancient mosques and houses in the Ottoman style in the city. Fans of medieval castles are waiting for Skanedeberg, Croye and Petrel.
Ecological rest in Albania: reviews of tourists
The pristine nature of this country attracts many travelers. Tourists are advised to go on independent or group excursions to the Tomor Mountains (and at the same time visit the medieval Bektas Monastery ) or the Albanian Alps. Scrapara Canyons or the Valbona River will leave a lasting impression. A special place among the natural attractions of Albania is occupied by the national reserve “Lure”. Ohrid Lake is a visiting card of the country. If you are in Tirana and have some time to relax in Albania, reviews of tourists are advised to go to the picturesque mountain Daiti. It is located in the vicinity of the capital. Ecotourism begins to develop in coastal villages. Residents of former fishing villages are happy to accept vacationers. Beaches, ancient castles or archaeological parks, beautiful mountains, delicious authentic food from a farm, this is all of Albania. Holidays at sea here never comes to the fore. The main was and remains the amazing uniqueness of the country. All tourists unanimously reiterate: even the most lazy travelers can not resist the charm of the Balkan Republic and leave the seal pastime for excursions.
Ionian Albania: Holidays at Sea
Photos of the beaches of this Balkan country will make you cast aside all doubts. Holidays in Albania are cheaper than in neighboring Croatia, and the surrounding nature is cleaner. In that case, is it worth going the beaten path of many thousands of tourists? After all, you can get a quality vacation for little money and feel like a pioneer. Four hundred twenty-seven kilometers stretch the beaches of Albania. Mostly they are sandy, although lovers of warming stones on pebbles will also find a good coast for themselves. From Saranda to Vlore, the Riviera of Flowers stretches. This is the Albanian coast of the Ionian Sea. There are many bays that were harbors in ancient times. The local elite prefers the Riviera of Flowers, on which the most popular beaches are Divyak, Golemi, Durres, Leger, Velipoe. Pebble coasts are in the vicinity of Vlora. Albanian resorts such as Saranda (opposite the Greek island of Corfu), Dhermi and Himara are popular here. The coast is replete with cliffs, the sea is deep. Reviews recommend this Riviera to snorkelers and divers.
Adriatic coast
This area starts from the Gulf of Lalsit at the border with Montenegro and extends south to the resort of Vlore. The golden sandy beaches of the Albanian Adriatic are great for children. The coast is a lot of braids with a shallow sea and a gentle slope. Pine forests often grow near the beaches, so a pleasant stay here can be combined with health improvement: there are a lot of useful phytoncides in coniferous trees. The most famous resorts of Albania on the Adriatic coast are Dermi, Shenjin, Durres, Kuna. Reviews find it difficult to answer the question of which of the two seas is better and which beach has cleaner water. Everyone agrees that for comfort you should turn to network five-star hotels. They often have their own beach, the improvement of which meets European standards. The longest is Durrem. This is fifteen kilometers of sand. The most elegant reviews called the beach of Saint John near the resort of Leger.
Saranda
This resort reviews recommend lovers of peace and languid bliss. Although curious and active tourists here also have something to do. Nearby is the ancient city of Butrint, sung by Plutarch. Saranda is a destination for gastronomic tours. Here they try grilled meat and seafood. But the main attraction of Saranda is a beach holiday. Ksamil Beach (Albania) is located ten kilometers from the resort and is the southernmost village in the country. The only negative, according to travelers, is its remoteness from Tirana International Airport - 250 km or five hours on the way! However, the rest of the beach is superb. Snow-white sand, against which the water seems endlessly azure. The notorious Bounty ad could have been shot on Ksamil Beach. There are several mini-hotels here, but the choice of accommodation is greater in neighboring Saranda.
What to try in Albania
Shopping is best done in Tirana, the capital of the Republic of Albania. Recreation at sea reviews recommend combining with a tasting of local delicacies. Local cuisine was influenced by Turks, Greeks and Italians. For drinks, try the Skanderberg brandy and brandy - grape vodka. For wines, reviews are recommended by Aquila Liquori, Cobo, Luani and Gjergj Kastrioti.
Useful Tips
Albania, a beach holiday in which is sufficiently developed, is still a Muslim country. The patriarchal way of life is still preserved here. Therefore, you need to be polite and tolerant of the customs of the people to whom you came to stay. Ladies should not sunbathe topless. This is fraught not only with conflict, but also with a large fine. Photographing local residents is possible only with their consent. Reviews say that Albanians are very fond of children, so it’s good form to praise the child. But to compliment local girls and women is not recommended.