Photo: Albinfo (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Sea and islands · Albania
The Riviera road over the Llogara Pass
From Vlorë to Himarë by private car: up through pine forest to the Llogara Pass, then down to the turquoise beaches of the Ionian.
The Albanian Riviera · Albania
The experience
The Riviera road is one of the finest coast roads in Europe. It leaves Vlorë southwards along its bay, then climbs through the pine forest of Llogara National Park to the pass at over 1,000 m.
At the top there is a stop with restaurants grilling meat over wood, and a view along the whole coast from Palasë to Himarë, with Corfu visible on clear days. The road then winds down in wide bends to Palasë and Dhërmi.
We stop in the white village of Dhërmi, at Gjipe cove, reached on foot between the cliffs, and in Himarë with its castle and harbour, with a fish lunch by the sea. The drive can be split over two days with a night at a beach resort.
It is a mountain road with many bends, so we choose a driver who knows it well and a comfortable car, and stop whenever you want to take photographs.
Albania
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