South Albania Riviera Trip A Complete Itinerary from Vlora to Himara
This journey is not meant to be rushed. It unfolds slowly, through light, scent, texture, and time. From Vlora to Himara, the Albanian Riviera reveals itself in layers. If you allow it, it becomes less about places and more about how those places are felt. Vlora to Llogara where the landscape begins to shift Leaving
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Uji i Ftohtë, Vlore: Cold Water, 32 Springs and the Story of a Changing Coast
There is a point along the waterfront of Vlore where the city begins to change. The promenade continues, but the coastline becomes rockier. The terrain starts to rise. Smaller beaches appear between sections of stone. Across the Bay of Vlora, the Karaburun Peninsula becomes part of the horizon, while the road ahead leads towards Jonufër, Radhimë,Read More
The Secret Life Between the Rocks Octopuses, Cuttlefish and the Creatures Hiding in Plain Sight
Part I — When the Landscape Opens Its Eyes At first, it looks like an ordinary rock. Sunlight moves across its pale surface. A few strands of algae bend near the edge, while the wavering water redraws the shadows every second. Nothing appears unusual until one detail breaks the pattern. An eye opens. For aRead More
The Underwater Forests of the Mediterranean
Why Posidonia Matters More Than Most Visitors Realise Most visitors encounter Posidonia oceanica twice and misunderstand it both times. The first encounter happens in the water. A swimmer looks ahead and sees a dark area spreading across the seabed. Against the pale limestone and turquoise shallows of the Bay of Vlora, it appears deeper, colderRead More
Snorkelling the Bay of Vlora The Mediterranean Begins Only a Few Metres from Shore
The first surprise comes before you see a single fish. You lower your face into the water, take one slow breath through the snorkel, and the familiar coastline disappears. Voices from the beach collapse into a distant murmur. The weight of your body seems to change. Sunlight begins moving across the seabed in bright, restlessRead More
The Secret Life Between the Rocks The Small Creatures That Keep the Bay Alive
The child places both hands around the stone. It lies in water barely deep enough to cover his ankles, close to the rocky shore south of Vlora. The upper surface is warm, pale and almost empty except for a thin green stain around its edge. He begins to lift it. “Wait,” the older man says.Read More
Sea Turtles of the Albanian Coast Ancient Travellers in a Changing Mediterranean
The child is looking for another dolphin when he sees the stone breathe. It floats ahead of the boat, dark and almost motionless. For several seconds, it could be a piece of wood carried from the coast or a rock appearing through the surface. Then a head rises. Air enters. The head disappears, and theRead More
When Dolphins Enter the Bay What Their Appearance Reveals About the Sea
The child sees the breath before he sees the dolphin. It rises briefly above the surface, a small burst of air and spray that disappears before anyone else turns towards it. “There,” he says. The boat has left the busier waterfront behind. The buildings of Vlora are becoming smaller, Sazan lies ahead in the summerRead More
After the Last Swimmer Leaves Sunset, Night Swimming and the Second Life of the Bay of Vlora
The last swimmers do not leave the water at the same time. Families begin gathering towels while the Sun is still above the horizon. Children are called back from the shallows, umbrellas close one after another, and the voices that filled the afternoon slowly move towards the promenade and the first tables being prepared forRead More
Where the Sea Meets the Lagoon Sea Turtles, Flamingos and the Hidden Nurseries of Narta–Zvërnec
Most visitors arrive at Zvërnec looking towards the wooden bridge. It crosses the shallow lagoon towards an island of dark trees, disappearing beneath the forest before reaching the monastery. In the late afternoon, the water can become so still that bridge, sky and shore seem to exist twice—once above the surface and once inside it.Read More