Himara Travel Guide: Beaches, Old Village & Coves

Himara (Himarë) is the most balanced base on the Albanian Riviera: a real working town rather than a resort strip, with beaches you can walk to, a cobbled castle village on the hill, and a scatter of turquoise coves within 15 minutes. It sits roughly halfway down the Ionian coast between Vlora and Saranda, and it is where I would sleep if I wanted one spot for several days instead of hopping between the flashier beach names. Here is what to do, where its beaches actually are, how to get here and where to stay.

Why base yourself in Himara

Most Riviera towns force a trade-off. Ksamil has the sand but the crowds; Dhermi has the nightlife but the prices; the tiny coves empty out after dark. Himara is the compromise that works: big enough to have proper restaurants, a supermarket, an ATM and a bus stop, small enough to still feel like a Greek-Albanian coastal town rather than a building site. It has a historic Greek-speaking community, which shows up in the food and the older generation’s language, and it stays lived-in through the shoulder season when the pop-up beach bars further north have shut.

The layout is simple. Spile is the main town and its central beach; the old village and castle sit on the hill above; and the best swimming beaches string out a few minutes’ drive north and south. You can happily spend three or four days here without repeating a beach.

The beaches

Himara’s beaches are pebble and shingle rather than sand, with the clear, deep, cold-ish water the Ionian is known for. Water shoes help. Here are the ones worth your time.

• Spile (town beach) is the central strip, right below the town, handy for a quick swim between meals and walkable from any town-centre room. It is the busiest and the most convenient rather than the prettiest.
• Livadi is about a 10-minute drive south, a long pebbly beach backed by pines that rarely feels packed even in August. The water shelves gently, so it is the one to send families to.
• Potami is a short hop south of the centre, a turquoise bay lined with beach clubs and seafood places, with sunbed-and-umbrella sets renting for roughly 10 to 20 euros a day. More relaxed than the town beach, still easy to reach.
• Llamani is a small, pretty cove run as a private beach - you pay for a sunbed to use it, it is quiet midweek, and it turns into DJ and foam-party territory on summer weekends.

One honest safety note. Filikuri, the snorkelling cove people rave about, is no longer a beach you should hike to: after a fatal accident in 2025 the safety rope on the steep path was removed and the overland route is not recommended. Reach it the sensible way instead - a water taxi from Himara or Potami, or a kayak if you are confident. The snorkelling is genuinely some of the best on the coast, but get there by sea.

The old village and castle

The part first-timers skip and later regret skipping is the old town on Barbaka hill above Spile. Himara’s castle (Kastro) is a hilltop warren of ruins whose earliest walls go back to around the 5th century BCE, with cobbled lanes, a couple of old stone churches, and houses that are slowly being restored into holiday homes. It is half ruin, half living village, and it is the most atmospheric corner of Himara by a distance.

Come up for sunset. From the walls the sun drops straight into the Ionian, the coastline below turns gold, and it is comfortably the best sunset viewpoint in town - time an early dinner at one of the tavernas up here around it. The walk up from Spile is steep but short; drive if the heat is fierce.

Boat trips and hidden coves

The coast around Himara is stitched with coves you cannot easily reach by road, and the local move is to go by water. Small boats and water taxis run from the Spile dock and harbour to Filikuri, the sea caves, and quieter pockets north toward Gjipe and the Dhermi coves. Half-day boat trips are cheap and are the best way to swim somewhere with no road access and no crowd; you can also rent a kayak in town if you would rather do it under your own power.

How to get to Himara

Himara is on the coast road (SH8) between Vlora and Saranda, and buses and furgons run it through the day in season.

• From Saranda: about 54 km and 1.5 hours, with roughly seven buses a day (first around 05:30, last around 18:00) for about 800 ALL. The easy option if you are coming up from Ksamil and the far south.
• From Vlora: about 62 km and 1 hour 40, tickets roughly 8 to 10 euros, over the Llogara Pass or through the new tunnel.
• From Tirana: a long haul of 3.5 to 4 hours down the coast; most people break it in Vlora or arrive as part of a Riviera trip rather than a single dash.

You can reach the town without a car, but you will want wheels (or to rely on water taxis and the odd taxi) to reach Livadi, Potami and the coves. If you are driving the whole coast, our Albanian Riviera road trip runs right through here, and the best time to visit Albania guide explains why the shoulder months are the sweet spot.

Where to stay and eat

Base yourself in one of two places. Spile (town centre) puts you on the promenade with restaurants, the ATM and the bus stop on your doorstep, and the town beach a minute away. Livadi or Potami trade the walkable town for a quieter beach and a more resort-like feel, better if you have a car. In July and August the good-value rooms go early, so book ahead rather than rolling in and hoping. For a wider comparison of the coast’s towns, see where to stay on the Albanian Riviera.

Eat seafood. The Greek influence shows in grilled fish, olive oil, feta and slow-cooked lamb, and the tavernas up in the old town are worth the climb for the view as much as the food. Prices are gentler than Ksamil or Dhermi for similar quality, which is a big part of Himara’s appeal.

Good to know before you go

A few practical details that save hassle. The town runs on cash - carry lek for tavernas, sunbeds, water taxis and the bus, as smaller places do not take cards; there are ATMs in Spile but they can run dry on peak weekends. Tap water is best avoided for drinking, so buy bottled. The town itself is walkable, but the distances to Livadi, Potami and the coves are just far enough that you will want a car, a scooter or a water taxi rather than a long hot walk. And do not plan a whole trip around Filikuri by land - it is now a boat-only beach.

When to go

The Riviera season runs roughly May to October. Late May to June and September to early October are the sweet spot: warm sea, open beach bars, gentle prices and room to breathe. July and August bring the hottest weather, the fullest beaches and the highest room rates, and the coast road clogs with traffic. Outside the season much of Himara shuts, though the town, unlike the pop-up cove bars, keeps a pulse year-round.

Which base is right for you?

Still deciding between the southern beach towns? Himara wins on value and coves, Saranda on nightlife and day trips, and Ksamil on sand - the full head-to-head is in our Himara vs Saranda vs Ksamil comparison. For the bigger picture of the coast, read our guide to the Albanian Riviera, and if Himara turns out too quiet for you, the Saranda travel guide covers the busier hub an hour and a half south.