Central Riviera · Cave Country
Boat Tours from Himara: The Caves, the Canyons & the Cold War
Pirate's CaveGjipe BeachPorto Palermo
Himara occupies the most central position on the Albanian Riviera, roughly 80 km south of Vlora and 60 km north of Sarande, which makes it the ideal base for a boat tour that can run in either direction. To the north lies the dramatic cave coast: Pigeon's Cave (Shpella e Pëllumbave), the karst sea arch of Gjipe Canyon, Crystal Bay, and the legendary Pirate's Cave, a cathedral-scale grotto that a speedboat motors directly inside. Further north along the Karaburun Peninsula: the full-day route to Grama Bay, one of the most remote and historically remarkable places on the Mediterranean coast.
To the south, a completely different experience: the calm, sheltered inlet of Porto Palermo, home to Ali Pasha's triangular 19th-century castle, five private coves, and a 650-metre Cold War submarine tunnel built between 1969 and 1988 to shelter Whiskey-class submarines. The tunnel is visible from the water and is part of every southbound tour.
The Albanian Riviera's most thrilling half-day. Three caves, a canyon, and a beach accessible only from the sea, in three hours.
Book this tour →History and hidden beauty south of Himara. Ali Pasha's 19th-century castle and a 650-metre Cold War submarine tunnel, both seen from the water.
Book this tour →The definitive Albanian Riviera boat day. 35km of coastline, 8 stops, and the final destination: 23 centuries of carved inscriptions at Grama Bay.
Book this tour →Calm water, an Ottoman castle, Cold War infrastructure, and the Ionian turning gold.
Book this tour →One of the most spectacular sea caves in Albania, on the cliffs south of Dhërmi, approximately 9 km north of Himara by sea. Actually two adjacent caves, lit by refracted blue-green light from the water. A speedboat motors directly into the larger chamber, where the echo and the light are extraordinary.
The dramatic limestone gorge where a river canyon meets the sea, between Dhërmi and Vuno. Gjipe beach is accessible only by a 30 to 40 minute hike or by boat, making it one of the most naturally protected beaches on the Riviera.
A deeply sheltered inlet 12km south of Himara, dominated by the triangular castle of Ali Pasha of Ioannina, built in the early 19th century. Adjacent to the castle is a 650-metre submarine tunnel built between 1969 and 1988 to shelter Whiskey-class Soviet submarines, decommissioned in 1998 and now visible from the water.
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