Albania is quietly one of the best value romantic destinations in the Mediterranean, for a reason that will not last forever. You can still get a terrace above turquoise water, dinner for two with a bottle of local wine, and a boat to a cove with no road to it, for what a single decent meal costs in the places across the water. The infrastructure is not polished and there is no resort strip pretending to be Santorini, which is precisely why it works.
Where to go
Himare and Dhermi, for terraces above the water and the best of the Riviera.
Ksamil, for turquoise shallows and small islands you can swim out to.
Gjirokaster, for stone lanes, a castle and evenings with nobody in them.
Berat, for a lit castle above a river and dinner in the old quarter.
The Llogara pass, for the drive and the view down onto the coast.
Theth, if you want mountains rather than sea and you both walk.
What to actually do
Hire a small boat in Ksamil or Himare and swim somewhere with no road to it.
Dinner on a terrace at sunset, which is the whole point of the west facing coast.
Walk Gjirokaster after dark, when the stone lanes empty and the castle is lit.
A wine tasting at one of the small producers inland from the coast.
A long lunch at a fish restaurant in a village rather than a resort.
Nothing at all, for one full day, which is what the terrace is for.
Where to stay
Above the beach rather than on it, for a terrace, a view and a lower price.
West facing, so the sunset is from your own chair rather than a walk away.
Small hotels and guesthouses, which is what this coast does well.
Himare or Dhermi for the Riviera proper, Ksamil for the shallow water.
One base per week, because moving along the coast road eats the days.
Gjirokaster or Berat for two nights inland, which changes the trip completely.
Practical notes
Cash for boats, small restaurants and village stops.
The coast road is winding and slow; drive it in daylight.
Book the good terraces ahead in June and September, and well ahead for August.
Prices are in lek, and the small places are cash only.
Sunset times shift a lot between June and September; check before booking dinner.
Sun protection, because the terraces and the boats have no shade.
Where this fits in an Albania trip
Ten days: a week on the coast in one place, two nights inland, and no rushing.
For the coast in detail and which villages suit which kind of trip, our guide to the best places on the Albanian Riviera covers the map.
For the area with the shallowest water and the easiest swimming, our guide to staying in Ksamil covers where to sleep.
And for the short inland detour that everybody photographs, our guide to the Blue Eye covers what to expect.
The short version
Come in June or September rather than August, and spend the money on a west facing terrace above the water instead of a central address. Stay in one place on the coast for a week and add two nights in Gjirokaster or Berat for the contrast. Hire a boat on a weekday and swim off it somewhere with no road. Eat in villages rather than resorts, carry cash, and leave one whole day with nothing in it.
