One of the
most prestigious travel websites, Travel and Leisure has listed Albania as the
1st up-coming destinations around the world. Albania has made to be
the first on the list leaving behind much known destinations in the world such
as: India, Peru, Egypt, Mexico etc.
“Albania
rose eight places to land in the 98th spot this year, meaning it's one of the
most exciting up-and-coming destinations for tourists.”
Getty Images/ AWL Images RM
You can’t
miss the Albanian Riviera for a perfect summer vacation and if you want to
something ancient from Albania, go to city of Gjirokastra.
As Travel
and Leisure suggests visiting the Albanian Riviera for teal waters and nearly
year-round sun, or wander through Gjirokastra, ‘The City of Stone,’ for a dose
of culture and history.”
This year the Sazan Island, which is still a military property will be used for tourists as a touristic destination. The agreement was signed today between the Minister of Defense, Ms Mimi Kodheli and the Minister of Tourism, Ms Milva Ekonomi. The island will open its doors from 1 May to 31 October, during summer season.
The decision was taken based on the repeated requests by tour operators in the country to use this island and all the beautiful part of Karaburun peninsula for tourists, to show them the best places of Albanian riviera.
Sasan Island once used as a fortification to protect the Country against invaders, during the communist times. In the islands lived many families of military personnel, so there are old communist buildings, remains of hospitals, schools. There was a life, even though the island has shortage of drinking water. The Minister of Defense, Mimi Kodheli, said that Sazan used to be habitable, and it may be an even bigger attraction since no tourist investment has been done so far.
The flora and fauna of the island is totally unexplored, and underwater archaeology as well as, which is thought to be very reach in the area.
The government wants to extend the visits of tourists by offering a wider variety of options and diversity on touristic products. Albania is known not only for Chrystal and virgin beaches, but also for its nature, cultural sites listed in UNESCO, as well as for adventure tourism and culinary.
Tourism increased with 15% in 2015, taking the total number of visitors to 4.7 million. It expected to be larger this year.
A gorgeous Mediterranean shore of stunning beaches and breathtaking coves
You might think the last time that was the case was when the Ancient Greeks were in residence. Welcome to the Albanian Riviera.
While holidaymakers flock everywhere else around Homer’s wine-dark
sea, the 50-mile coast remains refreshingly off the radar – thanks to
decades when Albania was a communist dictatorship and was previously
ruled by a monarch glorying in the name of King Zog.
Yet Albania has deep roots, back to when it was the Ancient Greek
colony of Ilyria, with important cities such as Apollonia and Butrint.
Their romantic ruins are a wonderful complement to pretty coastal
towns such as Vlora or more lively spots such as the seafood mecca
Saranda.
Butrint is flanked by an inland lagoon and sparkling straits with
views to nearby Corfu, a wonderful distraction as you wind along a coast
road backed by densely forested hills, olive groves and pretty villages
offering characterful cut-price places to stay or eat. As well as fresh
seafood, enjoy succulent grilled meats and simple salads.
If the summer heat does not demand cold local beer, sip wine from an
ancient viniculture region that the Ancient Roman writer Pliny described
as “luscious” 2,000 years ago. Today’s best bottles are made from
Kallmet (red) and Debine (white) grapes.
National parks
The Karavasta Lagoon is Albania's largest, with a rich ecosystem
including vast flocks of penguin and shallows teeming with eels,
surrounded by the rich forest of the Divjaka National Park. It is a
fantastic spot to combine seaside pleasures with nature tourism. The National Park of Llogara, meanwhile, marks the dividing point of
the Adriatic and Ionian seas. Walk in some of Europe’s most beautiful
pine forests, or get an adrenalin surge by paragliding off its dramatic
hills to swoop towards the nearby beaches.
Beaches
Dhërmi
This is probably the most best-known beach in Albania, stretching for
miles and lapped by deep blue water. While plenty of locals head here
in high season, it is long enough to find a quiet spot. Venture along to
the coves and little bays around the stretch known as Drymades beach.
Ksamil
Sitting close to both the pleasant buzz of Saranda and the historic
Unesco World Heritage wonders of Butrint, this is a perfect mix of beach
and culture. There are also grand views of Corfu, as this is the
closest point in Albania to the Greek holiday mecca.
Unsurprisingly, it is a hotspot for holidaying locals. But just as
with Dhërmi, you can escape frolicking locals, this time courtesy of a
trio of tiny islands into the turquoise waters of its bay. Swim out if
you are feeling strong – or just take a local boat.
Bunec
Some may be put off by this being a pale pebbly strand, but it has a
genuinely distinctive charm. A cool little river runs down the middle of
a beach that remains pleasantly quiet even in high summer. A couple of
cafés will keep you fed, and there is also a hotel right by the water.
Borsh
At four miles, this is the longest unbroken beach in Albania – an
impressive sight as it comes into view along the coast road en route to
the town of Borsh.
Despite its size, olive oil production is the main local activity
rather than sun-worship and swimming, so there is little in the way of
tourist trappings beyond a few laidback restaurants and bars. Go now
before the developers spoil the magic.
Albania will definitely be the travel destination of choice for tourists all over the world in 2016.
The number of tourists visiting Albania is increased significantly during 2015. According to Albanian Institute of Statistics, (INSTAT) tourists from South Europe comes in first place. During the summer 2015 there were about 1 432 601 tourists from South Europe. In the second place there are tourists from West Europe, about 137 811 tourists, and in the third place are East and Central Europeans about 83 892 tourists. The statistics belongs to third quarter of the last year. The number of Americans visited Albania last year was 57 125 followed by Asian people 13610. Albania has been nominated as one of the best destinations to travel for 2016 from the best travel media and bloggers all over the world.
Albania is safe place, with plenty of places to explore and admire. It is appreciated for the beautiful beaches, wonderful historic and archaeological places, but also for very unique cities, like Berat and Gjirokastra protected by UNESCO. Albania is not involved in the immigrants drama, the improved infrastructure and friendly people make it an appealing destination for 2016. Talking to tourism actors, we are sure that 2016 will be a better year for tourism in Albania.
Albania, a piece of Europe worth to discover - A great documentary by Austrian Television about Albania
By Edith Späll, Camera: Alexander Zech Master
An informative tour, the country, its people, culture and nature presents. The tour begins in Tirana, a young, vibrant and quite relaxed capital. Skanderbeg Square, National Historical Museum, visit to the market and the typical Albanian cuisine is part of our program.The next visit is the fortress of Kruja with Museum and stroll through the colorful bazaar.
Apollonia
The tour takes us to Apollonia, an impressive ancient city from the
6th century BC, and on to Vlora, in the town of Albanian independence.Impressive the monastery island with its famous Ikonastase Zvernec
before we climb the Llogara pass and admire the view over the beautiful
natural scenery.The journey continues along the Albanian Riviera, the most beautiful coastal region of the country. The deep blue waters of the Ionian Sea is bordered by white beaches and idyllic coves.
Saranda
We come across after Saranda Butrint, the archaeological site a UNESCO World Heritage Site.A short refreshment offers the Blue Eye, a crystal clear idyllic karst spring, a tip for nature lovers.
Finally, we visit the impressive castle of Gjirokastra and then stroll
through the village with its cobbled streets, which are lined with
souvenir shops, restaurants and cafes.
Blue eye
And last but not least we explored Berat the Old Town district within the castle is inhabited still, here lives the tradition. We visit the Cathedral and the adjoining Onufri Museum with valuable icons.
We return to Tirana and lead a very interesting interview with the Minister of Tourism.
Albania is definitely on
the map of World Tourism. One of the best travel agencies The Rough
Guide also suggest our country as one of top 10 destinations for 2016.
Albania is ranked number 5, after Nepal, Colombia, Cuba and Jordan, and followed by Romania, El Salvador, Wales, Kenya and Sri Lanka. Here is what Rough Guide writes about Albania. 5- Albania "Pay a visit to this beguiling corner of Europe now, before it garners the popularity it deserves. – Martin Zatko, co-author of The Rough Guide to Europe on a BudgetWhile nearby Greece and Croatia are well established on the tourist trail, Albania
remains something of a mystery to most. But those who go will find
fascinating UNESCO World Heritage sites such as the ancient Greek city
of Butrint, pristine beaches on the Ionian coast, gorgeous mountain
lakes, Ottoman architecture, and friendly locals to point you in the
right direction for discovery. Make the trip before the rest of the
world realises what they’re missing.
This article discover some of the lesser known itineraries of Albanian Riviera, Hidden beaches, "abandoned" villages, but superb views and great food. Thank you Giulia for your passionate writing!
By Giulia Blocal
Our base to explore the Albanian Riviera was Himarë; we liked this small town so much that just after our first relaxing afternoon at Himarë beach we decided to revise my original travel plan in order to skip the more touristic area of Sarandë and let Himarë be the longest stop-over of our Albanian journey: a whopping 4 nights out of 13! Of course we didn’t spend all four days lying down on Himarë beach (although Silvia would have loved that!) but we explored both the Northern part of the Albanian Riviera (and so Gjipe, Vuno and Jalë) and the Southern area too (Porto Palermo, Borsh and Qeparo).
#Albanian #riviera - Nice to be number 2 among top 5 "Rivieras" you would start hearing more and more. Listed from @canadadotcom
There was a time when travellers spoke of their holidays on the
riviera and they were referring to a trip to Italy, or maybe France, but
these days just about any coastal area with an eye on attracting
tourists is calling itself a riviera.
The word is actually from Italian and means coastline but in today’s
tourism marketing lingo the connotation is luxury living by the sea. If
you look hard enough, you’ll find several dozen regions around the world
that style themselves as “rivieras.”
Here are five of them that have probably never heard of: 1. Chinese Riviera
China is famous for copying consumer goods from other countries, so why
not copy destination names? The Chinese Riviera refers to the coastal
region near the city of Zhuhai in Southern Guangdong Province. But
they’re already fighting over the title because the trendy area on
Hainan’s west coast between Sanya Haitang Bay and XianghsuiWan also
refers to itself as the Chinese Riviera.
2. Albanian Riviera
Sandwiched between Greece and its Balkan neighbours is the overlooked
country of Albania. On its southern shores is a gorgeous coastline that
lines the Ionian Sea. Dotted with mountains, castles and sandy beaches,
this region is a bargain compared to many of the world’s other
“rivieras.”
3. Austrian Riviera
So how does a landlocked country get its own riviera? It doesn’t. You
have to go back in time to when the Austro-Hungarian empire spread to
the shores of the Mediterranean. In those times, the elite flocked to
the resorts near Trieste, which is now in Italy, and south along the
coast of Slovenia and Croatia. Travellers still go there today to enjoy a
relaxing lifestyle by the sea. 4. English Riviera
England isn’t famous for its warm waters, so to dub the coast of South
Devon a riviera might sound like a stretch, but you will find palm trees
in Torbay, so maybe it deserves the moniker after all. The town of
Torquay is also famous as the birthplace of Agatha Christie so you can
always read a book if the sun isn’t shining. 5. Brazilian Riviera
The euphonius beach names of Ipanema and Copacabana are already
world-famous, so why does Brazil need to promote its coast with a
“riviera?” Because there’s a lot more to the South American country than
Rio de Janeiro. The nation’s long coastline has a bounty of beautiful
beaches and just a few hours northeast of Rio, you can head to Armação
dos Búzios, or Búzios for short, to sample the sands of the dozens of
nearby beaches and stay in its many of the Brazilian Riviera’s resorts
which range from budget to extravagant.
Have you been to any of these rivieras? What about the original
rivieras or some of the many other regions which have adopted the label?
We’d like to hear about it in the comments.
Still number one !
Another serious media, this time from UK, Rough Guide, suggest the top 5 best
places visit in Europe for 2012. And number one is again our magical Albanian
Riviera, which was lately also awarded number one by Frommer’s. At our www.albania-hotel.com or www.albania-holidays.com you can
book different hotels in Albanian Riviera and also organize a trip to experience
yourself these hidden treasures of the Mediterranean coastline.
The best places to
visit in Europe in 2012
January 2012
London might get all
the press as the world floods in for the Olympics, but elsewhere in Europe
plenty of intriguing destinations are on the rise, either due to special events
planned for this year or new attractions that are just beginning to draw visitors.
So what are Europe's best holiday ideas in 2012? We've picked our top five.
Read on...
Albanian Riviera
Albania Riviera
Savvy beach bums have
begun to chart a course for a still-wild stretch of the Mediterranean:
Albania's shores, between the cities of Vlorë and Sarande. You may have to ride
a rattle-trap bus to get there, but you won't regret that when you settle in to
a dinner of fresh calamari in front of the electric blue sea.
