Albania (english version)

 Given the travel restrictions during the pandemic, in the summer of 2000 I decided to check a beach and snorkeling destination which had been on my list for a while and could be reached by car with no Covid testing or quarantine - Albania.
The Adriatic / Ionian Sea is very beautiful, very much alike the water in Greece or Croatia, which are neighboring countries. The western orientation of the coast is less favorable for sunbathing in the morning, but does offer gorgeous scenery at sunset.

 

The road through Bulgaria and Macedonia is pretty tiring (we stopped for one night in Macedonia at a hotel ideally suited for transit - Hotel Manastir Sv. Joakim Osogovski). The roads in Albania are not the worst, there are some highways, they are free (there is not even a vignette), but the speed limits are annoyingly low: 40 and 80 km/h.
The landscape, flora and fauna are similar to those of Greece, unfortunately the garbage by the side of the roads, in ravines and even on the bottom of the sea is in (far) greater quantities.

Sea view from 1000m altitude

 Shkumbin River when we entered Albania

The same river after some heavy rains

Since we had a long stay, I divided it between three areas - Sarande, Himare and Vlore. The accommodations (on average 35 euros/night) were great, two of them right on the beach, and one 150m from the sea; the only problem we had (on a few occasions, fortunately not for long periods of time) was the water supply. Which is ironic, since all around us there were springs (including at the bottom of the sea!).

By the way, one place that needs visiting is The Blue Eye, a karst spring with a huge discharge, 18400 l/s, a very spectacular and photogenic phenomenon. Unfortunately, the lack of civility makes itself noticed here as well; although there's an entry fee (small, truth be told), the wooden platform once constructed for viewing the spring from above is completely destroyed...

Blue Eye

 

Regarding the sea life, in addition to the creatures I'm used to see in the Mediterranean, I had the opportunity to see 3 species of fish, 3 of crabs and a sea urchin I wasn't familiar with, a lot of beautiful algae and a spectacular tunicate.

 Callinectes sapidus - Swimming Crab  (Blue Crab)

  

Eriphia verrucosa - warty crab

 

 

Maja squinado - European spider crab

 

 

 Percnon gibbesi

Thelepus setosus  - spaghetti worm

Botrylloides leachii - colonial tunicate

Pennaria disticha
 

 

 

Sphaerechinus granularis - Purple sea urchin

Sparisoma cretense - Mediterranean parrotfish

  Epinephelus marginatus (Dusky grouper) with two Isopod parasites

 

 

 Ctenophore Jellyfish invasion

 

 

 

Night Snorkeling

 

 

Unfortunately the beaches are mostly organized, besides the fact that you have to rent a sunbed (at the accommodations on the beach the villas had sunbeds included in the price) you have to endure an extremely bad and (usually) very loud music...

 Heaven Beach - Sarande

 

In the Sarande area the roads to the beaches are mostly dirt roads, be prepared to have your car covered in dust.

 

From the boat we rented in Ksamil, we noticed an unorganized beach, which we visited the following day, but the road was even more unpleasant since part of it had to be traveled on foot. However, the water was very beautiful, they were very few people around, it was well worth the effort.

In Himare at the sea bottom there were a lot of sweet water springs, water that is very cold and ruins the visibility. I did however get the chance to photograph the halocline and thermocline phenomena in all their glory.

Underwater spring in Himare

The geology is spectacular, the pebbles / stones on the beach are beautifully colored and interesting.

 

In Vlore we experienced unfortunately the worst deviation from civility - we saw on two occasions individuals throwing dynamite in the water (!), not even very far from the tourists. These actions resulted in dozens of dead fish in the water.

 

 Vlore

 

 

The food was cheap and good, the fruits very tasty (particularly the figs and the grapes), the pies (Byrek/ Burek) excellent, fish and sea food, gyros, pizza, ice cream... massive greek and italian influence. The people were either very nicer or out to rob you (like the guys from the boat rental) or suspicious of you (at customs, leaving Albania our car and luggage were searched - I don't know what they were looking for, it was fishy that we spend 21 days in their country!) To conclude, a cheap destination, with beautiful landscapes and a seaside with a lot of good beaches with crystal clear water, but with a level of civility that leaves to be desired.

Ksamil

Sarande

 

Lëkurësi castle and panoramic view of Corfu island

 

The storm from the last night

The end :)