TRAVEL : ALBANIA for AFAR – Describe The Fauna | Kelsey + Zivi

ADRIATIC CROSSING

selection published on AFAR MAG

last fall a friend’s italian wedding took us east to tuscany and we started dreaming up what it would be like to trek even further east afterward. albania came onto our radar and we were instantly intrigued by this country with the largest stretch of undeveloped mediterranean coastline. we spent a week taking busses and hired rides (mostly in mercedes, the unofficial car of albania) from the southern hub, sarande, through the capital city tirana, and over the montenegran border.

afar published a few images sharing our story of the trip.
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For decades in Albania no one could enter and no one could leave. The country existed under an oppressive communist regime into the 1990's and is still coming back from the effects of being relatively cut off from the rest of the world during this time period.

Montenegro

Blocc Neighborhood in Albania's Capital City, Tirana

Castle Overlook in Gjirokaster, Albania

For about $20 we hired a private driver (two actually, as his friend came along) to take us on a day tour of the region and drop us off at our next destination. We went up a mountain pass by a dam that led us to a natural cold water spring - Albania's Blue Eye - that comes bubbling up from deep below the ground and has become a popular road trip stop over when traveling through the area. This is Albania’s paradise. We spent time swimming, taking pictures and chatting about happenings with our drivers.

We continued on and finally we descended into a valley where the city of Gjirokastra is located. The whole city of Gjirokastra is a UNESCO heritage site - a white-washed city built up a hill with a castle on the top.

We arrived into Albania's southern 'resort' town of Sarande the next evening and found accommodation just south of town in a 10 or 12 room hotel with a private beach and restaurant. Needless to say, we stayed for 2 nights and didn't stray far.

Even before we left for Europe we had our sights set on Albania - the pristine coastline, a young tourism industry and affordable travel were all very enticing to us. So, when we boarded the ferry to Greece, we knew we would be trekking from South to North through the Balkans.

Berati is also a white washed, UNESCO heritage town with steep cobblestone streets, hidden cafes, and a castle at the top of a hill. But in this castle, instead of a museum, is a significant population. Somewhere around 1000 families - we were told - still actively go about their lives inside the castle walls. There are cars, restaurants, shops, bars and even a few hotels all inside this walled portion of the city at the top of the hill.

This 1950s era boat is owned by the captain and operated by 3 crew members, a host, a chef and a skipper, and it spends the tourist season puttering up and down the Dalmatian coast with an ever changing cast of 15-25 guests going to and from different cities the whole time.