Tips to Visiting Himare: Albania’s Most Unique Beach Town
Himare is tucked into the mountains. On our way, we passed a few beaches, but there was little indication of a town. Then, you turn a corner, and the city reveals itself. We had found an inn only 300m away from the beach and perched up on the mountain side with fantastic views, so we were excited. The GPS, bless its soul, had a tough job and in a country like Albania, we learned the hard way how much we rely on technology and good old American capitalism.
The Stay: Making an Entrance
Take it from us, if you don’t have a working phone, you need to coordinate with the B&B owner or with your hotel on how and when you plan to arrive. There were absolutely no signs to direct us to our hotel, Beleri House, and as a result, we suffered varying degrees of mental, physical and mechanical breakdowns.
Looking back, we laugh at how we were sweating through our clothes and almost crashed our rental car, but in reality, it would have been much easier if we just contacted our host Arian beforehand.
Beleri House itself is just peaceful to put it best. The front porch is very green when you walk in, filled with plants, flowers and grapes hanging from an arbor roof. It feels like someone’s home and an organized business at the same time.
Arian, to his credit, welcomed us like guests into his home. Rather than your standard check in, once we were settled, he invited us to the front patio where we sipped homeland Raki (traditional Albanian grape brandy) and talked about whatever came to mind.
We learned the property had been in their family since the 1960s, when the government decided who could live where. Now, an opening economy has allowed them to add an additional two floors to the house and renovate the front patio and dining room.
Arian was happy to get to know us and share a little bit of his story, which we thoroughly enjoyed. Most importantly, he’s a local guide worth his weight in gold. He gave us recommendations on all of the local restaurants, directions on how to get to a secluded beach via kayak, and tips on local hikes we would’ve never found without his advice.
The Adventure: What Made It All Worth It
The hike to Livadi Beach is a great example. It’s a beautiful and simple enough hike. However, unless someone points it out to you, it would be next to impossible to discover. As Americans, we’re used to trails with signs and markings directing you where to go. It seems unmarked trails are more common in this part of the world.
Even with Arian’s directions, we got lost 3 or 4 times on this hike in 100ºF (37ºC) weather. Without direction from Arian, we would have quit and taken our car, which would have been a shame because the hike is short and beautiful with some fun surprises.
In just a couple hours, we explored the non-touristy sites of Himare, overlooked cliffs onto crystal clear water and walked past some of Albania’s old communist bunkers. We even stumbled upon a shepherd calling for his runaway goat up a mountain. We didn’t understand a word he said, but hearing the goat answer back is one of those sounds we’ll never forget.
The Food: The Magical Remoteness
This corner of the world is still remote and that’s what makes it truly magical. When we finally made it to Kico Meniko, the restaurant Arian had recommended on our way, we were stunned by a place that could not exist in the US. Arian had described it as “unorganized,” and that’s a pretty accurate description.
The restaurant has what looks like 5 theater box seats, built into a rock cliff overlooking the water. It’s simply built with concrete and straw roofs for shade. If you’re American like us, you might worry briefly about the structural integrity of these balconies but you’ll quickly get over it once you sit down and take in the view. It’s also great for social distancing because there’s plenty of space.
The waiter spoke little English, and when we tried asking whether this was the restaurant we were searching for, he had to ask a colleague to triple check. There is no menu, but we managed to order squid, shrimp, salad and what we thought were two glasses of house wine.
Turns out we ordered a “kilogram” of house wine. As we sipped, we noticed the chef run out to the water to clean the shellfish he was about to cook for us. Yes, the word “unorganized” is an appropriate statement, but I would say it’s informal yet homey. Kiko Menico might look and feel different than what we’re used to, but the food is delicious and unpretentious spots like these make travel memorable.
The waiter spoke little English, and when we tried asking whether this was the restaurant we were searching for, he had to ask a colleague to triple check. There is no menu, but we managed to order squid, shrimp, salad and what we thought were two glasses of house wine.
Turns out we ordered a “kilogram” of house wine. As we sipped, we noticed the chef run out to the water to clean the shellfish he was about to cook for us. Yes, the word “unorganized” is an appropriate statement, but I would say it’s informal yet homey. Kiko Menico might look and feel different than what we’re used to, but the food is delicious and unpretentious spots like these make travel memorable.