A Local’s Guide to the Albanian Riviera: Where to Live, Invest, and Explore in South Albania

If you’ve ever driven the southern coastline of Albania, you know exactly why people fall in love with it before they even park their car. The moment the road curves and the Ionian Sea opens up — that deep, impossible blue — something shifts inside you. I’ve lived in Saranda for years, and that feeling still gets me every single time.

This guide isn’t a tourist brochure.
It’s the Albanian Riviera through the eyes of someone who’s walked its hills, met its families, shown its homes, and watched it grow into one of the Mediterranean’s most exciting destinations.

So, let me take you along the coast I call home.
Not perfectly. Not formally.
Just honestly, the way we’d talk if we were sharing a coffee by the promenade.

Where the Riviera Begins: Saranda

Saranda has a heartbeat of its own.
Some days it’s slow, almost lazy — fishermen fixing their nets near the harbor, kids running for gelato, the sea flat like glass. Other days it moves fast: construction noise, taxis honking, cruise passengers stepping off the port with wide eyes.

I’ve lost count of how many buyers I’ve helped here, but every viewing reminds me why Saranda apartments for sale attract people from everywhere — Italians, Poles, Swedes, Americans… all discovering that this little city offers something rare: Mediterranean living that’s still accessible, still warm, still human.

And personally?
I truly believe Saranda offers the best value on the entire Mediterranean coast.

One apartment I always think about is this quiet, luxurious 1-bedroom on Skënderbeu Street — a place where the sea looks like a moving painting from every window, and the residence has its own private pool. If you want to see what I mean, here it is:
https://www.vivaview.al/en/properties/seaview-1-bedroom-apartment-for-sale-in-saranda-skenderbeu-street-fully-furnished
The neighborhood is calm, safe, and tucked into a higher part of the city where the view is never blocked. Perfect both for living and investing, especially if you’re searching for seaview apartments that still feel intimate.

But let’s keep going, because the Riviera doesn’t end here.

Ksamil — The Jewel That No Longer Needs an Introduction

I remember walking with clients near the small road leading to the peninsula — the one shaded by olive trees where the cicadas get louder in July. They stopped mid-step, simply staring at the water, and whispered, “Are we really still in Europe?”

That’s the Ksamil effect.

But beyond the famous photos, Ksamil is evolving into a place where quiet luxury is becoming the standard.
New neighborhoods.
Modern residences.
A softer, more elegant style of architecture.

Take for example this modern 1-bedroom apartment set to be completed in summer 2025 — located in a brand-new area just 7 minutes from the beach, with a private swimming pool for residents and a very calm atmosphere:
https://www.vivaview.al/en/properties/modern-1-bedroom-apartment-in-ksamil-62m2
It’s not flashy… just refined in a way that feels fresh for Ksamil.

Another one I find myself mentioning often is a sleek 1-bedroom in White Residence, also finishing in 2025, again with private pool access and that same quiet, upcoming neighborhood vibe:
https://www.vivaview.al/en/properties/1-bedroom-apartment-for-sale-in-ksamil-65m2

And then you have the duplexes — the type of property that truly changes how people imagine living here. Not many know that some of the most private, high-end homes in Ksamil are not villas, but duplexes with their own dedicated pools.
Like this one here:
https://www.vivaview.al/en/properties/luxury-duplex-for-sale-in-ksamil-new-building-pool-near-beach-139m2
Two pools (one exclusively for the duplex), underground parking, only a short 300m stroll to the beach and center. Everything brand new. For a family or for investment — the ROI can reach around 16% yearly, which is becoming normal for premium properties in Ksamil.

But while Ksamil is stunning, I always tell buyers to explore a bit further.

Butrint, Manastiri & The Spaces Between

Everyone knows Butrint because of the UNESCO site — but not everyone realizes how peaceful the road between Ksamil and the Monastery Beach area feels in late afternoon. The light falls differently there. A kind of golden haze. Sometimes, when I finish a viewing early, I stop there for a quick swim. It’s the perfect place to breathe before returning to the busy parts of town.

There’s also a tiny spot near the water where locals still gather for an afternoon raki. You won’t find it on Google Maps. No sign outside. It’s just… there. And somehow those simple places tell you more about the Albanian Riviera than any Instagram reel ever could.

Heading Deeper Into the Coast: The Wild Beauty of Borsh

Borsh is a different story.
Wilder. Softer. More spacious.
The kind of place people choose when they want privacy but still want to stay connected to the sea.

I’ve always felt a special connection to Borsh because life moves at a different rhythm there. Just last month, during a viewing, the owner of a small roadside restaurant insisted we try their homemade pomegranate juice “fresh from the tree.” That’s the south — hospitality you can’t script.

For those searching for beachfront property or affordable properties with long-term value, Borsh is one of the most promising areas of the Albanian Riviera.

Even the properties reflect that simplicity-meets-luxury energy:
spacious land, soft colors, stone details, sunlit verandas.

While I’m not adding the full White Villas info here since this version of your request didn’t include the link, the overall feeling remains: Borsh is where people come when they’re ready for space, quiet, and nature.

Himara, Qeparo & The Charm of Slower Places

When I drive through Qeparo, I always slow down.
Not because the road is narrow (it is), but because something in me wants to take in the moment. The whitewashed houses, the curve of the bay, the little bakery that sells byrek with herbs from the owner’s garden.

For buyers who want authenticity, these towns become irresistible.
They may not have the same buzz as Ksamil or Saranda, but they offer another kind of value — one that grows every year as travelers search for quieter, more rooted Mediterranean experiences.

A small tangent here — sometimes when I’m showing property in Qeparo, I get distracted by the old stone terraces that climb up the hill. They remind me of my grandparents’ stories about summers spent picking olives. Funny how real estate brings back memories you didn’t know you missed.

Anyway. Back to the guide.

Why Buyers Fall in Love With the Riviera

The reasons are endless, but here are a few that come up again and again:

– the light (you’ll understand once you see a Saranda sunset)
– the warmth of the people
– the food
– the affordability compared to Greece or Italy
– the feeling that you’re buying into a region still rising

And then there’s the investment logic.
New constructions, improved infrastructure, growing tourism — everything is moving in one direction.

People who once came only for holidays are now searching seriously for Saranda apartments for sale or seaview apartments anywhere along the coast. And honestly, I get it. When you’re here, it’s very easy to imagine staying longer.

A Riviera For Every Kind of Buyer

What I’ve learned through the years is this:
the Albanian Riviera isn’t one thing.

It’s slopes and valleys. Villages and beaches. Cafés filled with life and empty roads that feel like they belong only to you. It’s perfect for the buyer who wants a beachfront property with access to everything, and also perfect for the buyer who wants to hear nothing but the wind and the sea at night.

Sometimes people ask me,
“Where should I buy?”
And I wish I could give one answer.

But truthfully, the best place depends on the rhythm you want.

If you want energy: Saranda.
If you want elegance and water like nowhere else: Ksamil.
If you want space and nature: Borsh.
If you want charm: Himara, Qeparo.

And if you want long-term value?
Honestly — anywhere on this coastline.

The Riviera Isn’t Finished Yet

One thing I always tell clients is this:
we’re still early. The Albanian Riviera is growing, but it hasn’t peaked. Not even close. New projects are coming, new roads, new restaurants, new neighborhoods with architecture that finally matches the beauty of the land itself.

You can feel the momentum — in the cafés, on the beaches, in the way people talk about the future here.

Buyers see it too.
They feel something real happening.

Final Thoughts From Someone Who Lives Here

Sometimes I stay out a little longer than I should after a viewing in Ksamil or Borsh. I take the coastal road back to Saranda and let the curves slow me down. The sea glows in the kind of blue that’s hard to describe. The mountains turn purple. And for a moment, everything feels exactly right.

That’s the Albanian Riviera.
Not just a destination — but a feeling.

And if you’re thinking of buying here… well, I can’t blame you.
I live here, and I still wake up grateful for it.