The Forgotten Villages of Albania – And Why They Might Be the Future of Authentic Tourism

A couple of weeks ago, I drove up a winding road just outside Saranda with a client who was curious about something different. “I want peace,” he said. “Not another beach club or packed promenade. Just a quiet place with charm.” That sentence stuck with me.

Because here’s the thing – Albania is full of quiet places. Places that most tourists never see. Villages where the road still has more goats than cars, where the only sounds are crickets and the hum of old women sweeping their stone courtyards.

And yet, they’re slowly fading.

These are the villages I grew up hearing about from my grandparents. Places where families gathered under fig trees, where bread was baked in wood ovens, and where the rhythm of life was slow, simple, and sincere.

Today, many of them are empty. Young people left for Tirana, Italy, Greece. Houses stand still, some without roofs. And yet… the bones are good. The views are breathtaking. And the potential? Enormous.

Why These Villages Deserve a Second Look

Let’s take a quick detour — have you ever driven from Saranda toward Borsh and taken a random turn inland? Try it one day. You’ll find places like Piqeras, Fterra, or Çorraj. Villages clinging to the mountainside, untouched by the chaos of modern development. There, you’ll see century-old stone homes, many abandoned, some still lovingly maintained.

One of my favorite stops is a tiny spot above Qeparo – old Qeparo, not the beachside one. There’s an olive tree near the top of the hill that locals say is over 700 years old. I once met an 82-year-old man sitting beneath it who told me stories about the Italian soldiers who passed through during the war. He didn’t want to sell his house, but he said, “If someone would just fix the roof, this place would be alive again.”

And that’s the point. These places aren’t dead. They’re just sleeping.

Authentic Tourism Is More Than a Trend

The rise of “authentic experiences” in tourism isn’t going anywhere. Travelers are tired of packaged resorts. They want connection, meaning, stories. In these forgotten villages, that’s exactly what you get.

Imagine restoring a stone house in the hills of Finiq or Borsh. Turning it into a guesthouse with handwoven linens, locally made raki, and morning walks through untouched olive groves. Tourists would love it. And they’d pay for it, too.

One of our clients actually did something similar with a villa outside Borsh – part of our Vila 1 & 2 project – modern comfort blended with traditional style, surrounded by nature. He started renting it on Airbnb last summer, and guess what? Fully booked for August within a week. Mostly French and German guests. All looking for exactly this: real Albania.

Not Just for Tourists – For Investors, Too

I truly believe that Albania’s most overlooked real estate opportunities aren’t on the coast – they’re just a few kilometers inland.

Now don’t get me wrong. If you’re looking for beachfront property or Saranda apartments for sale, we have stunning listings like White Residence with full sea views and modern finishes. You can sip espresso on your balcony while watching the ferries come in from Corfu.

But for those willing to go a little off-grid? You can buy an entire stone house in a mountain village for the price of a used car. Renovate it with €20–30k, and you’ve got a boutique guesthouse or your private summer retreat with views that rival Tuscany.