Most Beautiful Beaches Near Himare

If you are wondering what are the most spectacular beaches near Himare, look no further. In this post, I will list five of my favorite beaches near Himare and then some… Because the list of Himare beaches is almost endless!

I was really looking forward to visiting Himare and exploring all the beautiful beaches on the Albanian Riviera. Himare had been touted to me on many occasions as the best place in Albania for a beach trip, and I was very excited.

I chose Himare as my ‘beach stay’ during my two-month-long Alabiania trip and it became my favorite beach town in the country. I even invited my friend to ”visit” me for a few days for a girly vacation.

Perhaps because the rest of the Albanian coast left me with mixed feelings, and some parts of the famous Albanian Riviera were overall disappointing. But more on that in this post.

If you are looking for this one awesome beach town in Albania with access to stunning beaches, great restaurants, and a summer chill vibe – Himare should be your choice.

But why? Surely many other beautiful coastal towns and resorts in Albania offer great beaches!

Yes, they do! With places like Dhermi, Borsch, or Ksamil leading the way. What makes Himare special is that there are not only great beaches within the town but if you are willing to drive or rent a scooter or quad (or even hike), you can experience some of the most beautiful beaches not only in Albania but in the entire Balkans!

The town of Himare is pretty charming as well. Although, like many other towns in Albania, it has turned into a busy, bustling resort town (especially in the summer), it is a lovely town to stay in, relax, and enjoy a whole range of great restaurants, bars, and cafes.

Given its popularity, Himare is still quite affordable. You can find pretty affordable accommodation, very good and inexpensive food, and a free public beach, which has become a rarity in Albania.

So if you are ready to experience the best Himare beaches, here is the list of my favorite ones.

Table of Contents

Best beaches near Himare – my top 5

Gjipe Beach

Although Gjipe Beach, out of all the beaches on this list is the furthest from Himare, it is my favorite and well worth the trip!

Gjipe Beach is not only the most beautiful of all Himare beaches but probably the most beautiful beach in Albania.

The water is crystal clear, and although the place is gaining in popularity it has retained its remote feeling. I dreamt of visiting Gjipe Beach ever since I first saw the photos of it, and I was not disappointed.

You can easily spend a whole day at this beach. And if you feel like it, you can even camp there overnight. There are a few bars/restaurants on the beach, but most visitors brought their own food, including BBQs and tents!

How to get to Gjipe Beach:

You can get to Gjipe beach by both land and sea from Himare and also from Dhermi. No busses are heading towards Gjipe Beach, but you can always hitchhike, which is quite common and safe in Albania.

If you would like to reach Gjipe Beach by boat, there are numerous tours and transportation options from Himare. The most popular tourist office Himara Seas the Day is located right in the center of the town but you will find many more just as you walk around the town.

The most popular way of getting to Gjipe Beach is by car. You have to be aware though that you cannot drive all the way. You will have to park the car at the top of the hill (€3 for the day) and walk down for around 25 minutes (average) to reach the beach. It takes around 40 minutes to get to Gjipe Beach from Himare by car.

Trust me it is so worth it!

Considering renting a car in Albania? If you are traveling in high season, book early. Prices increase the later you book a car. Of course, you can also rent a car at the airport. There are several car rental agencies outside the arrival terminal. You can also negotiate the price. You can also search for the best prices and pre-book online on Rentalcars or Discover Cars website.

Jale Beach

Jale Beach is my second favorite of all the Himare beaches and it is definitely a beach that keeps on giving!

Jale is not only one of the best beaches near Himare but also a great place to spend a day or even several days! Around Jale Beach, there are a few hotels and quite a few campgrounds. I also noticed a lot of campers and RVs parked around there too!

The beach is beautiful, and the water here was the clearest of all the Himare beaches I visited. I just could not leave the water! The deck chairs were also quite affordable and it was the only Himare beach where we rented a lounger and umbrella.

There are tonnes of facilities at Jale Beach. From a couple of really good beach bars and restaurants to a small souvenir market, small stores, and even an ATM machine. Jale Beach is definitely a destination in itself.

An added bonus is that you can take a short hike from Jale Beach to another beautiful beach in Himare – Aquarium Bay! More on that one in the next paragraph.

How to get to Jale Beach from Himare:

The best way to get to Jale Beach from Himare is by car. The drive takes about 15 minutes and parking for one day costs 500Lek ( €5 ).

You can also hike to Jale Beach from Livadhi Beach, which is also within walking distance from Himare! Livadhi is not on this list (not my favorite), but you can make a great hiking day out of it! If we didnt rent a car and I was there solo, I would definitely do this!

Aquarium Bay

Aquarium Bay is a small but very picturesque bay great for a more intimate swim and wonderful for snorkeling! I saw some brave people having fun rock jumping there.

The water is super clear and there are some cool caves and hidden nooks you could swim around. Since it’s a small beach, there may be limited space to put your towel down in high season, so I recommend coming early in the morning.

Aquarium Bay Beach is within walking distance of both Jale Beach (15 minutes) and Livadhi Beach (35 minutes).

How to get to Aquarium Bay:

Aquarium Bay Beach is accessible on foot from either Jale Beach or Livadhi Beach. It takes around 15 minutes to get to Aquarium Bay from Jale Beach and 35 minutes from Livadhi.

If you arrive at Jale Beach by car, you could also drive towards Aquarium Bay and park around 5 5-minute walk away from the beach. This is also where I have seen the largest amount of RVs and Campers. What a great place for camping!

If you dont want to drive you can hike to Livadhi Beach first and the to Aquarium Bay. Or you can hitchhike too!

Llamani Beach

Llamani Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Himare and for a good reason. It was the first beach my friend and I decided to visit, and when we arrived (around noon), we learned that there was no more space to park the car! So be sure to arrive early!

We went to the nearby Palermo beach and returned around 3 p.m. when many locals went to lunch.

Llamani Beach is definitely one of the best beaches near Himare, and if you only visit this one beach, you will not be disappointed. Although it is a pebble beach, we didn’t hire the loungers. The pebble is quite fine and it was comfortable to lie on the towel. The water was glorious!

There are a few beach bars where you can order a cocktail or a meal, you can rent a paddleboard or a kayak.

Important tip: If you stay at Mumbas Beach Club, you do not pay for the parking, but you have to pay for the sunbeds and you can’t consume your own food and drinks.

We stayed a little further out, did not rent sunbeds, but had to pay 1000Lek (€10) for the carpark. We did, however, bring our own lunch, so all in all, it was an affordable beach day. To avoid the hassle, don’t walk through the main beach club entrance, just the side path, and head straight to the end of the beach.

How to get to Llamani Beach:

Llamani Beach is only around a 10-minute drive away from Himare. You can get there by car but you can also rent a scooter or a quad in town.

Prinos Beach

This is one of the three city beaches in actual Himare, and in my opinion, it is the nicest. Although it is very busy in summer as it is close to many resorts and hotels, it is especially beautiful in the evening or at sunset.

It offers excellent facilities with sunbeds and umbrellas, showers and a whole range of very cool beach bars! I spent my last evening in Himare on this beach and had a wonderful evening!

It is also a great beach for a morning dip (as is another beach nearby – Sfageio) as the water is calm, super clear, and of the perfect turquoise color in the morning!

There are three public beaches in the center of Himare, all quite beautiful, but Prinos Beach was my favorite.

But to be frank, whichever of the Himare beaches you choose, you will love it! Himare is a perfect beach town boasting crystal clear waters.

Honourable Mentions

Ok, I couldn’t just stop here. If you have more time in Himare and want to explore more, there are a few more beaches near Himare that are worth visiting. I told you Himare is a beach lovers paradise!

Palermo Beach

This Himare beach definitely has more of a local feel. My friend and I made a short stop here when we couldn’t find a parking space at Llamani Beach, and it was a really nice find.

It’s a small, double-sided beach just before the main Porto Palermo beach and has great views and even a castle as an added bonus! The view from the castle is awesome!

Very local, without lines of sun loungers and umbrellas, Palermo Beach is a great alternative if you are not keen on resort-like beaches. The water was very clear and of excellent temperature, perfect for swimming!

We were not impressed with the restaurants there. We really wanted to eat there because the menu looked good and the setting was beautiful, but we were never served and just left after 20 minutes. They seemed overwhelmed with guests though, so I maybe it was just a one-off.

Parking at Palermo Beach was free, if a bit wild. However given it is not the most popular beach in the area we found a spot after a couple of minutes, even during the peak hours of the day.

Borsh Beach

Borsh is one beach on this list that I was unable to visit, but I have heard many great things about it. Although Borsh is the furthest from Himare, I have heard people singing songs about this place, so if you get the chance, you should definitely visit Borsh Beach.

Borsh is one of the biggest beaches on the Albanian Riviera and is very popular with locals, tourists, and camping amateurs. There are even a few official campsites on the beach. Don’t be discouraged if you find the beach crowded near the entrance. It’s a large 7km long, beach so just wander further down and you’re sure to find a quiet spot.

I’ve listed Borsh as one of the best beaches near Himare, but you can actually stay in Borsh as it’s a small town however with not many facilities.

Sfageio Beach

I have already mentioned Sfageio Beach as it is one of the main beaches in the centre of Himare. It is a very pretty beach, but due to its central location, it is quite crowded in high season.

Sfageio Beach extends towards Himare promenade where you will find several bars, restaurants, shops, and plenty of entertainment.

I walked past this beach a couple of times early in the morning and it looked stunning so I suggest taking an early swim there for the best views and no crowds!

Packing essentials and important tips for visiting Himare beaches

All the best beaches near Himare as well as in the center of Himara are pebble beaches. On some the pebbles are larger and more uncomfortable to walk on, on others they are so fine that you can comfortably lie on them with a towel and be comfy.

I highly recommend getting water shoes. I bought mine in Himare, but you can also order them online before your trip. Unless you have tough feet, you will find them especially useful. I even hiked in them to Gjipe beach and biked to some beaches in Vlore. It is a worthwhile purchase.

Pack your snorkel! Some of the best beaches in Himare, as well as many other beaches on the Albanian Riviera, are great for snorkeling. Especially Aquarium Bay and Porto Palermo.
There are a few semi-big supermarkets in Himare where you can buy some basic groceries. But do not expect shopping malls or larger clothing stores. Plenty of souvenir stores, jewelry stalls, and beach supplies.
If you are planning a boating trip, consider getting a dry bag. This is a purchase that will keep on giving and you will use it again and again.
You can’t drink tap water on the coast of Albania. Take a refillable water bottle with you. If you don’t fancy filtering your water, I recommend getting one big 7l plastic bottle in the supermarket. It will last you much longer.
If you want to save money on lunch, stop by my favorite bakery Furre Himare, which has an incredible selection of bureks and savory pastries, and pack them for your beach day.
Two of my favorite restaurants in Himare are Hercules and Himare 28, I ate at Hercules twice – it was that good. And the service was the best I experienced in all of Albania.
If you don’t have a car and do not want to rent a scooter or quad, you still have plenty of beaches to choose from within Himare town. There are some travel agencies spread around the town where you can book a nice boat tour, and hitchhiking is perfectly safe in Albania, so you can try that too!

Where to next?

Traveling along the Albanian coast? here you will find my honest guide to Vlore.

For my Northern Albania guides check out this complete travel guide to Shkoder, and this guide to visiting Theth and hiking to Valbona, as well as my honest opinion on taking a day trip to the Shahla River.

If you are following my Albania itinerary You are probably heading towards Gjirocaster – one of the most magical towns in Albania and then to the wonderful town of Berat! If you only have time to visit one of the UNESCO towns, you might find this Gjirocaster and Berat comparison article useful!

In this post, you will find your complete guide to the best things to do in Tirana.

Happy travels and enjoy Albania!

Pati

Do you have questions or would like to connect?

If you have any questions or comments head over to my awesome free FB Group for Solo Budget Travellers! You can connect with me and become part of a community of like-minded travelers! I will answer all your questions! You can also follow me on Instagram!

If you found this post to be of value to you you can also buy me a coffee by clicking the blue Support Me button floating freely somewhere on the page or by clicking here. This way I will know that you found this post valuable and will allow me to keep producing those articles.