Step out of Valza Boutique Hotel, cross the road, and the Bay of Vlora is right there. Ten beaches and two free spots lie along one short stretch of coast, from the pier in the north to Hotel Nimfa in the south. Here is how to choose yours.
The two nearest beaches to Valza Boutique Hotel, Vilat (Te Vironi) and Kalaja, are both about 300 metres away, a five to six minute walk. Most beaches in Uji i Ftohtë, the southern end of Vlorë, are paid beach areas: from mid-May you rent one umbrella and two sunbeds for 1,000 to 2,000 lekë, depending on the beach. If you prefer your own towel, there are two free spots, marked on the map below. The beaches here are small pebbles, not sand, and the water gets deep after the first two or three metres. Valza Boutique Hotel does not provide beach towels.
Beaches near Valza Boutique Hotel at a glance
- Where
- Uji i Ftohtë, the southern coast of Vlorë, between the pier opposite Hotel Priam and Hotel Nimfa.
- On foot
- Vilat (Te Vironi) and Kalaja: about 300 m, 5–6 minutes from Valza Boutique Hotel.
- By car
- Every other beach on the map: 2–3 minutes, with free parking at most places.
- Price
- One umbrella and two sunbeds: 1,000 to 2,000 lekë, depending on the beach. Two free spots for your own towel.
- Season
- Paid beach areas open in mid-May.
- The sea
- Small pebbles. Deep water after the second or third metre: you swim, you do not wade.
Map of the beaches near Valza Boutique Hotel
The map follows the real coastline of Uji i Ftohtë, drawn from OpenStreetMap. North, towards the centre of Vlorë, is on the right; south, towards Orikum, is on the left. Valza Boutique Hotel is the blue building in the middle, with Marina Bay on the shore directly opposite.
Red umbrella: paid beach area, one umbrella and two sunbeds. Green dot: free spot, bring your own towel. Orange: our two picks within walking distance. Map: Valza Boutique Hotel, coastline and roads © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Which beach is right for you?
With children
Vilat (Te Vironi), 5–6 minutes on foot. A paid beach area and the favourite of our families. The water gets deep quickly, so keep little ones close.
For two
Kalaja, 5–6 minutes on foot. Two small beaches reached by steps, with a little more adventure.
With your own towel
The free beach by the stairs, between Hotel New York and the pier, or the free spot near Kalaja.
Pool and sea
The pier opposite Hotel Priam, with a pool behind it. 2–3 minutes by car towards the city.
Vilat (Te Vironi): our first pick for families
Ask a local for “Te Vironi” and they will point you to the beach by the villas: it is the same place. It is about 300 metres north of Valza Boutique Hotel, a five to six minute walk along the coast, past the small headland where the summer estate of Albania’s communist dictator still stands. Vilat is a paid beach area with umbrellas and sunbeds in neat rows, and it is the beach our guests with children choose most often.
One thing to know before you go: like the rest of this coast, the sea floor drops quickly. After the second or third metre children can no longer stand, so bring armbands for the youngest and stay at the water’s edge with them.
Kalaja: our second pick, for couples
Kalaja is not one beach but two, tucked under the rocks and reached by a flight of steps. It lies about 300 metres south of Valza Boutique Hotel, again five to six minutes on foot, and Google Maps calls it Cliff Beach. The steps keep it a little wilder than Vilat, which is why young couples like it. Close by there is a free spot for those who bring their own towel. Kalaja is also where the young people of Vlorë dive from the rock: read the story in Uji i Ftohtë: the freshwater springs and Kalaja Beach.
All the beaches, from the pier to Hotel Nimfa
Every beach below is 2–3 minutes by car from Valza Boutique Hotel, with free parking at most places. From north to south, as you see them on the map from right to left:
The pool and pier opposite Hotel Priam. The northernmost stop on our map: a pier runs out into the sea, with a pool behind it on the shore. Good for a day when some of you want the sea and some want the pool.
The free beach by the stairs. Between the pier and Hotel New York, a flight of stairs leads down to a small free stretch. No umbrellas to rent: bring your towel, your shade and your water.
Hotel New York beach. A paid beach area in front of the hotel.
Vilat (Te Vironi). Our first walking pick, described above.
Marina Bay. The hotel directly opposite Valza Boutique Hotel, with its own paid beach area: the closest umbrella to our door.
Hotel Liro beach. A small beach with little space.
Kalaja (Cliff Beach). Our second walking pick, described above, with a free spot nearby.
Hotel Kristera beach. A paid beach area between Kalaja and Hotel Nimfa.
Hotel Nimfa beach. The southernmost on our map, towards Orikum.
For sand rather than pebbles, head north towards the city centre: the long sandy beaches of Vlorë are described in the beaches of the Bay of Vlora.
Paid or free: how the beaches work
Most beaches here belong to a hotel, a restaurant or a beach bar, and you pay for the place, not for the sea. One umbrella with two sunbeds costs 1,000 to 2,000 lekë, depending on the beach, and you pay at the beach. Some of the beaches run by hotels and restaurants also have toilets. The paid beach areas open in mid-May.
The sea itself is free for everyone. If you would rather spread your own towel, use the two free spots on the map: the free beach by the stairs between Hotel New York and the pier, and the spot near Kalaja. Please note that Valza Boutique Hotel does not provide beach towels, so pack your own or buy one in town.
What is the sea like in Uji i Ftohtë?
Clear, pebbly and deep a few steps from the shore. The beaches are made of small pebbles: they keep the water clear and do not stick to you, but they get hot underfoot at midday and water shoes make the first steps easier. After the second or third metre you are swimming.
Swim a little and you may feel sudden ribbons of cold. Uji i Ftohtë means “cold water”: along about 1.7 kilometres of this coast, fresh water from the mountains rises at sea level from 32 springs, and in the middle of summer it cools the sea around you.
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Small pebbles, clear water and deep blue a few metres out, with Karaburun across the bay. Photo: Valza Boutique Hotel
On a calm morning the colours are exactly as in the photo above: turquoise over the pebbles, deep blue a few strokes further out. Our one-minute film shows the same coast from the air, from the rocks to the path along the shore.
Uji i Ftohtë, the coast in front of Valza Boutique Hotel, in one minute.
A beach day like a local
- Morning
Breakfast at Valza Boutique Hotel, then a five-minute walk to Vilat while the sea is at its calmest and the umbrellas are still free.
- Midday
Back to your room for the hottest hours: the beach is close enough to go and come back.
- Afternoon
Down the steps to Kalaja, when the light turns golden over Sazan Island.
- Evening
A shower, then up to the sixth floor for sunset at Eden by Valza.
Did you know?
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300 m
From Valza Boutique Hotel to Vilat and to Kalaja, five to six minutes on foot
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1,000–2,000 lekë
One umbrella and two sunbeds, depending on the beach
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32 springs
Freshwater springs at sea level along the coast of Uji i Ftohtë
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2 free spots
For your own towel, both marked on the map
What to bring
- Your own beach towel: Valza Boutique Hotel does not provide beach towels
- Water shoes for the pebbles
- Armbands for small children: the water gets deep after two or three metres
- Sun cream, a hat and water, above all at the free spots, where there is no shade to rent
- Some lekë for the umbrella and the beach bar
Is Uji i Ftohtë good for a beach holiday?
Yes, if…
you like clear water, short walks and the freedom to go back to your room between swims.
Maybe not, if…
you want long sandy beaches with shallow water for toddlers to paddle in.
The fix: sandy beaches are a short drive north towards the city, and our reception will tell you which one suits your day.
Go deeper
Our corner of Vlorë
Valza Boutique Hotel is a family-run 4-star hotel in Uji i Ftohtë, the calm southern end of Vlorë, across the road from the sea. From your room the nearest umbrella is a few minutes away, and after the beach Eden by Valza waits on the rooftop. For anything not on this page, ask our reception: we swim here too.
