Most people who go to Albania spend about four days there. They do Tirana for a day or two — the colors of the buildings, the Blloku neighborhood, maybe Skanderbeg Square — and then they head south to Saranda because it’s close to Corfu and it shows up on every “hidden gem Europe” list.
Saranda is fine. Saranda is actually pretty good. But Saranda in summer is also increasingly full of tourists who all read the same “hidden gem” article.
Vlore is where you go when you want Albania before the tourists find it.
I lived there for three months. Here’s what it’s actually like.
Getting There
Vlore sits on the Albanian Riviera, about two and a half hours south of Tirana by bus or car. The road through the mountains is [ADD YOUR DETAILS: describe the drive if you did it by road — what does the scenery look like?].
The bus from Tirana costs [ADD YOUR DETAILS: approximate cost — it’s very cheap, a few dollars]. It leaves from [ADD YOUR DETAILS: which bus station in Tirana if you remember]. Alternatively, you can rent a car in Tirana and have significantly more flexibility, which is what I’d recommend.
The City
Vlore is Albania’s second-largest city but it doesn’t feel like a big city. It feels like a city that’s comfortable with itself. There’s a long waterfront promenade — the Lungomare — where people walk in the evenings, eat, drink coffee, let their kids run around. It’s the kind of evening culture that parts of Southern Europe do better than anywhere else on earth, and Albania does it without charging you €15 for a beer.
[ADD YOUR DETAILS: Describe a specific evening on the Lungomare — what did it look and feel like? What time of year was it?]
The old part of the city has [ADD YOUR DETAILS: describe the older neighborhoods, any historical sites, architecture]. Independence Square (Sheshi i Flamurit) is worth spending time in — this is where Albanian independence was declared in 1912, and there’s something about standing in a place with that much history that most visitors completely drive past.
Where to Eat
The most important thing I can tell you about eating in Vlore: do not eat at the restaurants facing the water on the main promenade. They are fine. They are also overpriced by local standards and aimed squarely at tourists.
Walk one or two blocks back. Find the places with plastic chairs and handwritten menus. Order whatever they tell you is good that day.
[ADD YOUR DETAILS: Specific restaurants or food spots you found and loved]
The byrek in Albania is [ADD YOUR DETAILS: describe Albanian byrek — the flaky pastry — how it compares to anything you’d had before]. You can get it for almost nothing from bakeries in the morning. I ate it almost every day.
[ADD YOUR DETAILS: Other specific foods that stood out — seafood on the coast, specific dishes, anything memorable]
The Beaches
The beaches around Vlore range from [ADD YOUR DETAILS: describe the range — what are the beaches like? Crowded, quiet, rocky, sandy?]
The Karaburun Peninsula is one of the most genuinely stunning pieces of coastline I’ve seen anywhere. It’s only accessible by boat, which is part of why it’s still so clean and quiet. [ADD YOUR DETAILS: Did you go to Karaburun? Describe what it was like.]
[ADD YOUR DETAILS: Any other specific beach or coastal spot you’d recommend near Vlore]
The People
I want to say something about Albanian hospitality because I think it’s the most underrated part of the country.
Albania has a concept called besa — a word that roughly translates to a code of honor around keeping your word and protecting your guests. It’s not just a word; it shows up in how people actually behave. [ADD YOUR DETAILS: A specific interaction with a local in Vlore that demonstrated this — a moment of generosity, help, connection]
I don’t speak Albanian. My Albanian never got past hello, thank you, and [ADD YOUR DETAILS: any other Albanian words you picked up]. People helped me anyway. Every time.
Cost of Living
This is important: Albania is one of the most affordable countries in Europe for travelers. During my time in Vlore I was spending roughly [ADD YOUR DETAILS: your approximate daily budget or monthly cost of living there]. Accommodation, food, coffee, transport — all of it adds up to a fraction of what you’d spend in Western Europe.
[ADD YOUR DETAILS: What you paid for accommodation — apartment rent or hotel cost per night]
Why You Should Go Before Everyone Else Does
Every year, a few more travel bloggers write about Albania. Every year, a few more flights get added. Every year, the crowds that fill Dubrovnik and Santorini push a little further into places that used to be left alone.
Vlore still has a few years. Maybe more, maybe less. But right now, in this specific moment, it is one of the most rewarding places you can go in Europe — genuinely undiscovered by mass tourism, genuinely affordable, genuinely beautiful, and genuinely warm.
Go now. Thank me later.
— Baldo
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