Himare is one of the most incredible places we’ve been in Albania and we felt so at home in this charming town. If you love finding incredible hidden gem beaches, relaxing in the sun, having amazing dinners in the evenings, and beautiful views surrounding you… Himare is your spot! The vibe here is very chilled out in the best way.

Things to Know Before Traveling in Albania & Himare

Currency

The LEK is the name of the currency in Albania. You must have cash to travel throughout Albania and you definitely need to have cash to travel in Himare. I recommend you bring USD or Euros with you to Albania and exchange them at many of the exchange shops they have almost everywhere. There are exchange shops and ATM machines in Himare that are easily accessible.  You may have read that “Credins” bank is one of the only banks that does not charge an additional fee.  There is no “Credins” in Himare so if you’re looking for that make sure that you hit one up in the North of Albania.  ATM’s in HImare will charge a fee though we found it to be generally between 5-6 USD.  

Weather

The weather in Himare is beautiful between May-September.  We traveled here in early July and it was HOT.  The ocean breeze did make for cooler evenings which was very nice.  People in Himare seemed to start their days quite early, they generally take a break mid day to get out of the sun and the heat of the day and come back out in the evening.  

How to get to Himare

Getting to Himare depends mostly on you and the way you want to travel. 

We found it very easy and convienent to drive around Albania.  We drove to Himare from Berat which took about 2.5-3 hours.  If you’re coming from the capital of Tirana it would take about 3.5 hours.  If you’re starting in the South and coming up from Ksamil or Sarande it would be about a 1.5 hour drive. 

In Albania if you’re not comfortable with driving you can also travel by bus.  I have read that these busses are easy once you get the hang of them but can be quite confusing.  I would suggest asking at your accommodation either in Himare or the town you’re traveling from about how to get where you need to be.  

Roads

People might tell you or you may have read the the roads are crazy in Albania.  Like most things when traveling this is a matter of perspective.  We live in Philadelphia which is a busy city in the US and we didn’t find Albanian driving especially challenging.  As long as you take your time and focus well you shouldn’t have any trouble on the roads.  One thing to note though is that you do have to be very alert at all times.  Roads are shared in Albania by cars, trucks, farmers, goats, donkeys, etc and people walk along a lot of the roads as well.  You will also encounter roads that seem too small to be two way streets but they almost always are.  Again, if you have patience and trust in your driving skills you will be just fine.  

The people

We found the Albanian people to be some of the kindest and most welcoming we’ve ever encountered while traveling.  People constantly went out of their way to help us, show us around, teach us things, or accommodate us.  Everywhere we went we found the same thoughtful, open, and inviting people.  I literally can not say enough about the kindness we experienced here.  I hope that this will be the experience of everyone who travels to this beautiful country.  

Safety

Albania can sometimes still be looked at with concern due to their history and wars and the countries political situation.  All of this is in the past and Albania is such a welcoming place.  Many different religions and types of people coexist here quite well and safety was a non issue for us on our trip.  

You should use the same level of caution in Albania that you would use anywhere else you travel.  We never encountered any unsafe situations or anything that even made us feel mildly uncomfortable.  

We didn’t feel nervous walking around at any time of day or night in any of the places we visited.  

*It is important to note that we don’t involve ourselves in nightlife or party very much so we can’t report on what a late night scene would be like in any of these places.  

As a female I felt safe walking around without my husband, running in the mornings, shopping in stores, and walking around anywhere we were.  

Where to stay:

First I will include where we personally stayed.  I will also include a few other options in case our spot isn’t available or you just feel like a different vibe or price range.  Make sure to read the notes for tips! 

Arxontiko Hotel: I can’t say enough about how much we loved this hotel.

First of all : book a sea view room. The view is just stunning.
Second of all: make sure you eat here! The food was incredible we had a lunch and a dinner here besides having the most AMAZING breakfast every day.
The family that runs this place is just beyond words. They are SO KIND, so thoughtful, so welcoming, we wished we could have stayed here longer and this was the longest stay of our trip! The room was clean and bright and beautiful, the shower was great, the AC worked great. This place was 11/10!!! Perfection!

If they’re not available or somehow this is not your vibe.. check out these other options.

Sea View Hotel Himare: What draws me to this one is the pool! Of course you don’t need a pool at the beach, but the idea of sitting by one before or after a beach day is so nice to me. This place looks really clean and nice and has excellent reviews and I would highly consider it if staying in Himare again.

Agrotourism Himare: We didn’t stay in any of agrotorisms on our trip but they seem like such a great type of accommodation. Often they grow their own food, have animals, and are in beautiful settings. I’m sure we would have enjoyed this place and it has exceptional reviews!

When booking it would be hugely helpful to me if you could book through my link! It is NO cost to you and gives me a small commission to support all the work I do on this blog and bringing you this info.

Things to Do/See:

We stayed in Himare for 3 days so there are many things on this list!  Don’t try to cover them all in one day!  

Kico Meniko: about a 25 minute walk from Himare when we were actually on a path to Livadhi beach, we found Kico Meniko. When we came upon it on the path we weren’t sure what it even was, it was so quiet and secluded. As we walked up we realized there were a few others there and we saw someone eating an incredible looking salad. We paid 10 USD and set ourselves up with some sun beds. We LOVED this place! The water was beautiful, it was calm and quiet, the people running the place were very friendly. It was a bit rustic and not the “beach club” scene you see in a lot of Albania, but that is what we loved about it! This was one of our favorite spots in Albania!

Livadi Beach: a large sand beach that is quite popular. Has beach chairs and set up for tourists with bars and places to eat.

Gjipe Beach: To reach Gjipe beach you need to put the Gjipe Beach Parking Lot in your google maps.  From Himare it was about a 20 minute drive to the parking lot.  From the lot you then walk about 30 minutes down a dirt path to the beach.  You’re in the blazing sun the whole way so it’s hot but if you’re reasonably fit it’s not too bad.  We saw super small children doing this and people in flip flops carrying all kinds of things etc.  We wore sneakers which made the walk a LOT easier.  

You could also ask a van or shared ride to drop you off at the road leading to Gjipe beach if you don’t have a car.  I’d encourage making sure you have a ride home when you’re ready to leave.

The road to the parking area is literally a 1 lane road for 2 lane traffic.  If you’re not into that you can also park up near the top and hike down into the canyon to the beach.  This hike would likely take twice as long and be strenuous on the way back out, but it can make for a really cool hike/beach experience. 

You can also visit Gjipe beach by boat (more to come on our boat tour).  You can take a speedboat taxi from Himare as well for a cost.  

Regardless of how you decide to get here its a really nice beach, a little less crowded then some of the others, beautiful for swimming, and has two spots to eat and grab drinks at.  The day we went there were umbrellas and sun beds for rent although as far as I understand this is not consistent and some days may not be there at all.  

Himare Castle: is another great spot to spend some time.  We spent about an hour here on our way home from Gjipe Beach as we had to drive past it anyway. Castles in Albania are not what you might imagine. The “castle” consists of the whole area surrounding the top of the hill and even some homes are considered included in what is the castle. The castle in a traditional sense is only partially standing but the remains are stunning and the views from this particular castle are really incredible. There are 1 or 2 small bars up here where you could grab a drink and a snack. If i were to go back I’d bring some wine and snacks and watch the sunset!

Himare Beach Hopping Tour: It’s so much fun to see Himare from the water! If you contact this company they’ll detail all the different options you have for exploring Himare from the water for the day or half day. Himare is FULL of amazing and secluded beaches. Some of them are easier to get to than others. Some are so small you can’t even believe they have names… but they all do. Spend the morning taking a boat ride to get a look at and stop off and swim at some of these excellent spots. We used Himara Beach Hopping Tours and we were very happy with their 3 hour tour of the North & South Beaches. This was a private tour and we saw tons of beaches as well as the area of Porto Palermo and the submarine tunnel which are incredibly cool to see!  

Potami beach: Another beach that is very walkable to the center of Himare and has tons of different spots with different vibes for hanging on the beach.  There are lots of places to eat here too so it can be a great spot to spend the day or a few hours.  

Himare beach: what I would consider to be the “main beach” as it is right in front of the promenade in the main area of Himare.  This is a beach where you can actually just stroll up and throw down an umbrella and a towel and hang out without having to pay for anything or use a “club”.  

Grama Bay: we didn’t make it to on this trip but heard incredible things about this beach.  You can take a boat trip here as well or drive as close as possible.  Our boat had an option to go here but it was more costly.   We wished we had more days here.  But if this sounds good to you switch it out for something else included here!

Porto Palermo: A neat fortress to see. Keep an eye on events in the area as I saw there were some fun music events here following our stay in Himare. We drove past here on our way into town and I even ran to see one morning (8 mile run to and from Himare).  This is a military base and old fortress and it also has a small beach nearby.  It is really neat to see and you may even want to spend a few hours there.  

Filikuri beach: was legit my favorite beach that we saw in Himare.  This beach is most easily reached by boat, but you can also do a semi hike here that involves using a rope to get down to the beach (not for the faint of heart).  It is just stunning when you are there and truly a sight to see.  

Where to Eat/Drink:

Arxontiko Hotel: I am listing our hotel here again because we had multiple meals here and they were all great.  Breakfast was huge and amazing.  We also had an excellent lunch here and dinner one night.  Our favorites were the grilled squid, zucchini balls, grilled fish, octopus special, and the greek donuts with breakfast in the morning!

Lefteris Tavern: This is a Greek restaurant and you’ll notice that Himare has a lot of Greek influence and there are a lot of Greek people living here. The food here was great and the vibe was really nice. People definatley love this place it had a crowd at almost all times. This is a chill Taverna, nothing fancy, just good and easy greek food. Definitely worth a visit!

UMI Sushi & Cocktail: This is a GREAT place to watch the sunset as well as change up what you’ve likely been eating for days. Traditional food is always amazing but so is getting sushi in an area with great fish. This place is excellent and also has plenty of non sushi options if that’s not your thing. My husband had a chicken & noodles dish. I loved everything I ate here!

Manolo Beach Bar: This was an excellent spot to grab a drink and watch the sunset! You could sit at little tables they put right on the beach and watch the water. It was a highlight for me of our trip!

Lido Cocktail Bar: Cute spot to grab a happy hour cocktail and people watch. They are set up right on the promenade so you can grab some comfy seating and a drink and watch the world go by. You can see sunset from here as well!

Hotel Potami Beach: We popped in here for lunch and they had a great view over the water. I had big shrimp and they were really delicious! This was a perfect break from the sun and a delicious lunch!

Creperie & Souvlaki: We did grab some quick souvlaki here for lunch one day and really enjoyed it!

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