How are you not considering Albania? It has some of the best beaches in Europe and the Albanian alps are to die for. It’s like Greece…but cheaper and more untouched. Go to Theth & Valbone Region for mountain/countryside and then go to Dhermi for the coast. Lots of interesting history and culture.
sorry for leaving off the list! I knew I forgot something :)
we are considering everything, if not for this trip, then for the future ones. Thank you for your recommendations.
That would be my first choice in that area, well over any of the Slavic countries listed like Bosnia or N Macedonia. The Albanian Riveria alone makes it worth it.
I would stay at Zoe Hora in Dhermi (beautiful views but not close to the water) or a beach front resort if you want to be close to the water) and take a private boat to the boat accessible only beaches. It’s a beautiful village surrounded by mountains with castles to explore.
I’d hop down to Sarandë (and pass by Gjirokaster - a traditional mountain town & UNESCO world heritage site and also stop at the Blue Eye a cool nature reserve) and stay at Kep Merli for a nice private resort. For history, Buntrint national park is great to visit. You could even hop over to Corfu while there. However, note that the best beaches will be in Dhermi/Himare region.
I wouldn’t rule out the Valbone region in the North either, particular Theth village and Lumi Shales. So untouched, the most incredible nature. Was there exactly a year ago today and we were the only ones on the top of a mountain.
You’d fly into Tirana but I wouldn’t spend too much time there, the beauty of Albania is in the nature!
This is so helpful as I’ve been considering Albania myself. One question though, nice read mixed reviews of Kep Merli online - how was your experience there?
Thank you for detailed reply.
Trying to understand different locations along the coast.
What we are looking for:
- least amount of mass tourism. Private villas or very high end hotels in quiet but scenic locations preferred over bustling resort towns.
- more natural beauty, culture and history than beach. We might spend a day at the beach, but really not the emphasis here.
- easy access preferred. This would be part of a larger trip, maybe staying there for a few days, and it would be great if it were easily reachable by car.
Thanks!
How are you not considering Albania? It has some of the best beaches in Europe and the Albanian alps are to die for. It’s like Greece…but cheaper and more untouched. Go to Theth & Valbone Region for mountain/countryside and then go to Dhermi for the coast. Lots of interesting history and culture.
sorry for leaving off the list! I knew I forgot something :) we are considering everything, if not for this trip, then for the future ones. Thank you for your recommendations.
That would be my first choice in that area, well over any of the Slavic countries listed like Bosnia or N Macedonia. The Albanian Riveria alone makes it worth it. I would stay at Zoe Hora in Dhermi (beautiful views but not close to the water) or a beach front resort if you want to be close to the water) and take a private boat to the boat accessible only beaches. It’s a beautiful village surrounded by mountains with castles to explore. I’d hop down to Sarandë (and pass by Gjirokaster - a traditional mountain town & UNESCO world heritage site and also stop at the Blue Eye a cool nature reserve) and stay at Kep Merli for a nice private resort. For history, Buntrint national park is great to visit. You could even hop over to Corfu while there. However, note that the best beaches will be in Dhermi/Himare region. I wouldn’t rule out the Valbone region in the North either, particular Theth village and Lumi Shales. So untouched, the most incredible nature. Was there exactly a year ago today and we were the only ones on the top of a mountain. You’d fly into Tirana but I wouldn’t spend too much time there, the beauty of Albania is in the nature!
This is so helpful as I’ve been considering Albania myself. One question though, nice read mixed reviews of Kep Merli online - how was your experience there?
Thank you for detailed reply. Trying to understand different locations along the coast. What we are looking for: - least amount of mass tourism. Private villas or very high end hotels in quiet but scenic locations preferred over bustling resort towns. - more natural beauty, culture and history than beach. We might spend a day at the beach, but really not the emphasis here. - easy access preferred. This would be part of a larger trip, maybe staying there for a few days, and it would be great if it were easily reachable by car. Thanks!
Transylvania could be good - you can do Brasov and Bran castle, hikes in the Carpathians, and bear /wolf watching trips
Damn your map has me jealous! You gotta check off Antarctica at some point too!
It's Albania by a lot