Staying in Ksamil: Islets You Can Wade To, and a Village That Grew Too Fast

Four small islands offshore, water the colour of the brochure, and a village that went from nothing to the busiest beach in Albania in about fifteen years.

by Theo Hart · Updated 28 February 2026

Ksamil is the picture that sold Albania. Four small islands sit a hundred metres or so offshore, the water between them is shallow and improbably clear, and in the early two thousands almost nobody outside the country had heard of the place. It is now the busiest beach destination in Albania, which is both the reason to go and the reason a lot of people leave disappointed in August. What it is not is a town: it is a beach with accommodation built around it, very fast, and it shows.

What is actually there

The islets, four of them, wadeable and swimmable in normal summer conditions.

A string of beaches, most with sunbeds, umbrellas and a bar behind them.

Very clear shallow water, which is the genuine attraction and lives up to the photographs.

Accommodation, in quantity, ranging from rooms above a restaurant to newer hotels.

Restaurants, mostly seafood, mostly aimed at visitors.

Not much else, and no old town, because there was not one.

The far south around it

Butrint, a few kilometres away, the best archaeological site in the country and UNESCO listed.

The Blue Eye spring, inland, on the road towards Gjirokaster.

Saranda, fifteen minutes north, for a promenade, transport and more restaurants.

Boat trips, along the coast to coves with no road access.

Corfu, visible across the strait, with a ferry from Saranda.

Coves north of Saranda, which are quieter than anything in Ksamil.

Swimmers in shallow turquoise water at a beach in Ksamil, Albania

Practical notes

Sunbeds are rented everywhere and are inexpensive; free stretches of beach exist and are smaller.

Water shoes help, since much of the shore is coarse shingle.

Shade is scarce beyond the rented umbrellas.

Cash for beach bars and small boats.

Parking is the daily problem in high season.

Buses and furgons run to Saranda frequently and cheaply.

Being honest about it

August is very crowded and the access road congests.

Development has been rapid and some of it is unfinished.

Prices are higher than the Albanian norm because the market allows it.

The islands are busy too, in high season.

Litter on the busier beaches at the end of a hot day.

September fixes most of the above.

Where this fits in an Albania trip

Three to five nights in the far south, whether you sleep here or in Saranda.

For the town fifteen minutes north and its districts, our guide to where to stay in Saranda covers the options.

For the direct comparison between the two, our Saranda or Ksamil guide covers the decision.

And for the version of this coast built around two people and a sunset, our romantic Albania guide covers where to go.

An aerial view of a small wooded islet and boats in clear water off Ksamil, Albania

The short version

Ksamil has the best swimming water in Albania and is a beach with accommodation rather than a town. Come in June or September rather than August, when it is the busiest place in the country. Sleep in Saranda and commute the fifteen minutes unless you have small children or the beach is the whole holiday. Book early and check the actual walk to the water rather than the photograph. Add Butrint and the Blue Eye, which are both close and both better than another day on a sunbed.

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Book early and check how far the beach really is

Ksamil accommodation has expanded faster than almost anywhere in the Balkans, which means two things for a booking. The first is that July and August genuinely fill and the good value places go months ahead, so early booking is not a marketing line here. The second is that a great deal of what is advertised as being in Ksamil is a ten or fifteen minute uphill walk from the water, on a road with no pavement, which is a different proposition at two in the afternoon carrying beach things. Read the location rather than the name, look at the satellite view, and prioritise walking distance over the balcony photograph.

Compare stays in Ksamil

Also worth booking ahead

Flights to Tiranafrom $60compare routes and dates Tours & ticketsfrom EUR 20Berat, Butrint, Osum canyon eSIM for Albaniafrom $5active on landing Car for the Rivierafrom EUR 20per day, the best way to explore

Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you, which helps support the site.

Common questions

What is Ksamil?

A village at the far south of the Albanian coast, close to the Greek island of Corfu across the strait, with a group of small islands a short swim or wade offshore and some of the clearest water in the country. It has gone from a small settlement to the most visited beach destination in Albania within about fifteen years.

Is Ksamil worth staying in?

If beach days are the point of your trip, yes, and it has the best swimming water in Albania. If you want a town with a life of its own, no, because Ksamil is essentially a strip of accommodation and beach bars built for exactly this. Many people stay in Saranda and come for the day.

Can you walk to the Ksamil islands?

To the nearest ones, in normal summer conditions, yes: it is a short wade and swim through shallow water and people do it constantly. Conditions vary, the bottom is uneven and there is boat traffic, so it is not a formality. Small boats also run across for very little, which is the sensible option with children.

How crowded is Ksamil in summer?

In July and August it is the busiest beach area in the country, with sunbeds covering the shore, the access roads congested and the islands themselves busy. June and September have the same water and far fewer people. Anybody who dislikes crowds should either come outside high summer or base elsewhere.

What else is there to do around Ksamil?

Butrint, the UNESCO listed Greek and Roman city, is a few kilometres away and is the best archaeological site in Albania; the Blue Eye spring is inland; Saranda is fifteen minutes north; and boat trips run along the coast and to the coves. That combination is what makes the far south worth several days.

Should you stay in Ksamil or Saranda?

Ksamil for the beach, Saranda for a town with restaurants, a promenade and transport connections. They are fifteen minutes apart and a lot of people split the difference by sleeping in Saranda and spending days in Ksamil, which works well and costs one short bus or taxi ride each way.

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