Tumbling down a mountainside in a cascade of grey slate roofs, Gjirokastër is one of Albania’s most atmospheric towns — a UNESCO-listed “City of Stone” where Ottoman mansions, a vast hilltop fortress and cobbled bazaar streets sit layered over a turbulent modern history. Many travellers blast past it on the way to the coast; those…

Few places in Albania look as unreal as the Blue Eye. A deep sapphire “pupil” ringed by glowing turquoise, fed by ice-cold water surging up from a cave so deep no one has ever reached the bottom — it’s one of southern Albania’s most photographed natural wonders, and an easy half-day trip from the coast….

With its powder-white sand, calm turquoise shallows and a cluster of tiny islands just offshore, Ksamil has earned its nickname as the “Maldives of Europe.” Sitting at the southern tip of the Albanian Riviera, this once-sleepy village is now Albania’s most famous beach destination — and for good reason. This guide covers the best beaches,…

Saranda (Sarandë) is the beating heart of the Albanian Riviera — a lively coastal city curled around a horseshoe bay, gazing across the water at the Greek island of Corfu. It’s where most travellers base themselves to explore southern Albania, and with good reason: from here you’re minutes from the Blue Eye and the beaches…