חופשה בקסאמיל באלבניה - כל מה שצריך לדעת

הריביירה האלבנית › חופשה בקסאמיל באלבניה - כל מה שצריך לדעת

My wonderful road trip began in the south of Albania. I made my first stop in the small holiday resort of Ksamil. I was particularly impressed by the beach and the highlights in the surrounding area. Don’t expect too much, there isn’t much to see in Ksamil. Nevertheless, I had a perfect start to my holiday here in the south of the country and can definitely recommend the area. In the following post, you can find all the information about the town, the region, and the highlights.

תוֹכֶן הָעִניָנִים

סקירה כללית

The Balkan state of Albania has so far been on the radar of rather few holidaymakers, and that is precisely where a great opportunity lies: Hardly anyone knows the beautiful beaches, and you visit a country that is less crowded even in the most beautiful bathing months. When planning your holiday to Ksamil, you may be initially confused by the name. It is used for the actual seaside resort, but also for the entire small peninsula and, in addition, for four small islands in the bay. This location makes Ksamil a paradise for beach holidays and gives the coast its apt nickname, the הריביירה האלבנית.

Getting to Ksamil

Tips and travel information for the seaside resort on the Ionian Sea. The small resort of קסאמיל is located in the very south of אלבניה, not far from the Greek border. You will reach the small holiday resort shortly after Saranda. I travelled from Corfu by ferry to Saranda (€20 one-way). From there, I took a rental car and then drove about 15 minutes to Ksamil. You can also take a taxi from Saranda (€10 to €15). During rush hour, it might take a while to get out of the city.

Accommodation in Ksamil

I booked a small room in a guest house (Villa Nertili) the day before. As we were in Albania in the low season, I paid just €12 including breakfast. Amazing, isn’t it? It’s generally really cheap in Albania. In general, you will find a large range of local guest houses and flats in Ksamil.

I received a very warm welcome from the owner. She showed me to my room with a sea view and brought me biscuits, raki, water, and coffee to welcome me. People in Albania are generally very hospitable and always go out of their way. My room had a wardrobe, a fridge, air conditioning and a small bathroom with toilet and shower.

I can definitely recommend the accommodation. Everything is really simple and a bit old. Nevertheless, you have everything you need. No more and no less. A small, delicious local breakfast is served.

Further accommodation options in Ksamil:

• Zace Studios
• Villa CACA
• House Pollo
• מלון ג'וני

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Further Reading: איפה לשהות בקסאמיל

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Ksamil – Beaches

I had no idea that there were such beautiful beaches in Ksamil. Really, without exaggeration! Fine white sand, turquoise-blue, crystal-clear water and small islands in the sea – absolutely amazing! In the high season, the place is said to be like Magaluf. Numerous bays are lined up here. You can reach the 4 islands by off the coast by boat or simply swim across.

The seaside resort of Ksamil is very beautiful during low season. This is also when the many sun beds and parasols are not yet set up and most of the bars and restaurants are still closed. I found this very pleasant. If you type ‘Ksamil Albania’ into Google, you’ll find pictures from the high season. You really don’t want to be there. Ksamil is the Caribbean of Albania. It’s understandable that most tourists travel there in summer.

The many bays are unfortunately somewhat built up with accommodation, restaurants, and bars. Concrete everywhere – unfortunately! However, the beaches are generally very beautiful. Especially the jetties that lead out onto the water. You can take really cool photos here.

Restaurants and shops in Ksamil

There are a few restaurants and bars in Ksamil. When I was in Ksamil, most of them were still closed. Only a handful of restaurants were open. In general, I was often the only guests in restaurants in Albania. That was a bit strange and took some getting used to. There are several restaurants right on the beach and in the seaside resort.

I can highly recommend the Abiori Bar Beach Restaurant. The food was freshly prepared and tasted delicious. I usually only paid €10 for a main course and drinks. There are also many supermarkets in the town itself, such as Big Market, Supermarket Alfa, Conad and Supermarket Gjordeni. In Saranda you will also find shops, banks, supermarkets, bars, restaurants and much more.

פעילויות

Snorkelling

Since many beach areas slope gently, you can wonderfully snorkel along the coast. Bring your own equipment or buy suitable snorkels and diving goggles directly from one of the local shops. You will be able to observe many small schools of fish passing directly by people’s legs on most days.

טיולי שייט

Everywhere along the beaches, you have the opportunity to rent small pedal boats and use them to travel across the sea to your heart’s content. You can either just spend some time on the water or look for your own little bay where you can sunbathe undisturbed.

Stand-up paddling

If you don’t just want to go snorkelling or take a pedal boat out to sea, stand-up paddling is a popular activity. You can rent boards and go exploring. Stand on the board and get active or sit comfortably on it and just enjoy the sea breeze.

Things to see in the surrounding area of Ksamil

There are various highlights in the surrounding area that you could visit. The good thing is that most of the routes are not that far by car. In the following section, we show you a few places worth seeing near Ksamil. More here: Albania – Top 10 Things To Do & See

הפארק הלאומי בוטרינט

I recommend visiting Butrint National Park, where you encounter a really beautiful ancient harbour town from the 8th century BC. The park is surrounded by Lake Butrint and the Vivar Canal. It is home to around 800 plant species, more than 240 bird species, 15 fish species and 39 mammal species.

The ruins of Butrint are particularly beautiful and represent an important building block of the past. It is said that Butrint is actually something like a second Troy, only on a smaller scale. I really enjoyed the tour. The entrance fee is 1000 LEK per person (€10.00). It’s just a 15-minute drive from Ksamil by car.

LOOKING FOR ACCOMMODATION?
I recommend the בוקינג.קום for your accommodation search. I have been booking my accommodation there for many years and was always very happy with the offers and prices.

The Blue Eye – Syri i Kaltër

If you are planning on travelling to ג'ירוקסטרה anyway, you will automatically pass by the famous Blue Eye. This almost 50 metre karst spring magically attracts many visitors. And I didn’t want to miss it either.

Although you can’t do much there, the scenery is almost magical. Everything glows in green, blue, and purple colours – very beautiful to look at. The Blue Eye is located about 45 minutes by car from Ksamil.

LOOKING FOR A HIRE CAR?
If you are looking for a cheap hire car, I recommend Disvover Cars. There you will find a huge selection and great prices. I have been using this platform to book my rental cars for many years.

The historic city of Gjirokaster

Of course, a detour to Gjirokastra is a must during your tour of Albania. The historic city is located in the south of the country and is just under 90 minutes away from Ksamil. Just under 20,000 inhabitants live in Gjirokastra. The town was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. All around it, the mountains (Mali i Gjerë) rise to almost 2,000 metres.

The wide Drino valley looks almost surreal, as if from times long past. The stone houses here climb several hundred metres up the mountainside. There are many small restaurants and shops in the old town centre and the castle of Gjirokastra on the top of the hill. Find out more here: Gjirokastra in Albania – Top Highlights & Travel Tips.

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