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It was a clear, sunny Saturday morning last September. I was lounging on a picture-perfect beach in Halkidiki, Greece, facing the turquoise waters with an ouzo lemonade in hand… but I wish I was back in Albania instead.
Like many Americans, I have long hosted Mom Mia Style fantasies of a young woman’s solo adventure around the pristine coast of Greece. Although I didn’t expect crowds of extras to come out of windows singing ABBA songs, I was expecting a lot more than what I got.
I was ready for hills full of cinematic white houses adorned with blue shutters; for some of the most beautiful beaches in the world; for fresh seafood and moussaka; for a peaceful getaway of a lifetime.
Instead, I got an overpriced, overdeveloped, overcrowded, influencer-saturated disappointment.
Of course, the trip wasn’t that bad. I met lovely people and learned a lot about Greek history and culture.
Ultimately, two weeks of traveling around Greece ended up cutting the trip short. I found myself sweaty packed inside a ferry of equally red-faced tourists leaving Skopelos with a ticket in my pocket that cost more than a luxury sea-view hotel room in Saranda, marinating in serious regret for not having stayed in Albania.
Although I was tempted to blame my admittedly romanticized expectations, that honestly wasn’t the real problem.
The problem was that Greece simply could not keep up with Albania.
Here are five reasons why my trip to Albania was much better than my trip to Greece:
Untouched beaches
The crystal clear waters of the Greek islands just didn’t live up to the hype when the price of a beach chair was over $100 and I couldn’t move a meter without bumping into another American tourist. Give me the Albanian Riviera on that any day.
What Albanian beaches lack in notoriety, they make up for in untouched beauty.
Of course, the peak summer season, from June to September, brings more locals and tourists to the beaches, but you’ll still struggle to feel truly crowded.
Travelers who prefer undeveloped paradise beaches will have no trouble straying from the path here. If Greece has very few secrets left, the Albanian coast remains a paradise playground to explore.
The most popular beaches are:
- Durres – preferred for its easy 30-minute drive from Tirana and ferry access to Italy.
- Dhermi – home to countless music festivals.
- Vlora – popular for its palm-lined promenade and refreshing pebble beaches.
- Himarë – ideal for backpackers, off-trail adventurers and families.
- Saranda – offers something for every type of traveler, up and coming with digital nomadsand serves as a ferry access point to Corfu.
- Ksamil – known for its white sand beaches and affordable luxury, ideal for romantic getaways or getting together with friends.
Travelers willing to venture further afield to experience undeveloped beaches and minimal company can head to some of my favorite hidden gems: Karpen, Llamani, Drimadhe, Buneci, Gjipe, Spille and Borsh.
Friendlier locals
I’m not here to offend the Greeks, but Albanian hospitality has no competition.
I was offered free and safe rides between cities, meals at grandmothers’ houses, plastic bottles filled with homemade raki, places to stay overnight, tours of locals’ hometowns and much more . I felt safe every minute of my 10 months in Albania, which is something I can’t exactly say about Greece.
This probably comes in part from the exhaustion of the Greek locals in the face of decades of overtourism and endless waves of (probably irritating) visitors. Although I completely understand this feeling, I just haven’t felt as welcome here as I did in Albania.
Superior Coffee Culture
I had heard it all briki, the traditional Ottoman-inspired Greek café, before setting off on your trip. Unfortunately, I discovered that I much preferred its cousins, Turkish and Bosnian coffee.
Most of the coffee on offer during my trip to Greece was actually the Frappe style anyway.
Now, I know what you’re thinking, but this isn’t a Starbucks frappuccino.
The hit is made with instant coffee shaken in cold water (whose idea was that?) with ice, milk and lots of sugar. The grainy texture wasn’t really pleasant and the poor quality instant coffee reminded me of sleepless nights at university rather than an idyllic vacation.
The only good cup of coffee I had in Greece was from an Australian cafe in Thessaloniki, and there was nothing Greek about it.
On the other hand, Albanian coffee culture suited me perfectly. I’ve never had a bad cup of coffee in my 10 months in this Balkan country, from the third wave cafes of Tirana to the tiny roadside cafes of the Albanian Riviera.
You can get solid quality espresso literally anywhere in this country. It’s like some sort of coffee magic spell has been cast within the borders of Albania, I swear.
Regardless of how quickly you manage to end your black magic, you are encouraged to do as the locals do: spend a few hours enjoying life or connecting with friends over a small cup of espresso.
More affordable luxury
Remember Chez Maman Mia The song “Money Money Money”? I found myself humming as I walked along the sun-bleached Greek cobblestones after spending more on a single meal than I had spent on an entire weekend on the Albanian coast.
A simple coffee and pastry in the Sporades Islands cost me double what a full breakfast plate with Java And cost of mimosa on the beach of Himarë, Albania. The price difference widened as the day went on. At dinner, I paid 250% more for the same meal of grilled fish and a glass of wine at an equally casual restaurant.
Albania’s superior value extends to accommodation and transportation. Here are the details of my costs in Albania against Greece:
- Youth hostels – $9-11/night in Albania, $28-35/night in Greece.
- Nomade equipped apartments – $25/night in Albania, $55/night in Greece.
- 4-star hotel room with sea view – $53/night in Albania, $160/night in Greece.
- 5 Star Resort Suite with Sea View – $100/night in Albania, comparable options cost $350 in Greece, which I didn’t take.
Since the Greek islands and coastal towns are much larger than the Albanian Riviera, a 3-stop trip to Greece can just as easily cost you a few hundred dollars more in transportation than an Albanian adventure with double the number of ‘stops.
Crowds of tourists? Or?
We all know the iconic Instagram shots of Mykonos and Santorini. But have you seen the reality behind them?
It’s an endless serpentine line of monochrome white holiday cuts, interspersed with a few boldly bright ensembles. As the golden hour passes, increasingly hungry and irritable pseudo-influencers lose it little by little.
I had a front-row seat to the implosion of more relationships and friendships in these crowded hotspots than you might think.
And don’t even get me started on the idea of sitting in crowded Greek restaurants and beach clubs as a solo traveler in crowded, couples-friendly destinations. What a nightmare!
Of course, Albania is booming in popularity, but most of its beaches remain pristine and its incredible UNESCO World Heritage sites don’t have many people in sight. Even the most popular vacation spots in this Balkan gem are affordable and not yet overdeveloped, making it the obvious choice for your next European beach vacation.
Learn more:
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This article was originally published on TravelOffPath.com
