Yes. Without a doubt, yes , and I say that not just as someone who sells property here, but as someone who wakes up to the Ionian Sea every morning and still hasn't gotten used to how blue it gets in June.
Let me be honest with you, though. This isn't going to be one of those glossy travel articles that tells you everything is perfect. Albania in 2026 is beautiful, affordable, and a little chaotic. And that's exactly why I love it.
First, the Real Answer
People ask me this all the time. "Rein, is it actually worth coming?" Usually they've seen a reel of Ksamil that made it look like the Maldives, and they're suspicious. Rightly so , the internet lies.
But here's the thing. Albania is one of the last places on the Mediterranean where you can sit at a beachfront taverna, eat fresh-caught fish, drink a decent local wine, and pay maybe €25 for two people. Try that in Croatia. Try that in Greece. You can't anymore.
The Albanian Riviera hasn't been swallowed by mass tourism yet. There's still that rawness. That feeling that you've found something before everyone else did.
What Nobody Tells You
The roads. Let's start there, because someone has to.
Some of them are wonderful , the coastal highway from Vlorë down through Llogara Pass is genuinely one of the most dramatic drives in Europe. You climb through pine forests and then suddenly the whole coastline opens up beneath you. I've driven it a hundred times and I still slow down at that first viewpoint.
Other roads? Let's just say you'll want a car with decent suspension.
And the electricity used to be unpredictable, though honestly it's mostly sorted now, especially in the developed areas. I mention it only because I respect you enough not to pretend Albania is Switzerland.
But none of this ruins anything. If anything, it's part of the charm. This country rewards people who are a little flexible.
Where You Should Actually Go
Everyone goes to Ksamil. And you should too , those tiny islands you can swim to, the water so clear you can see your shadow on the seabed. It's stunning. It gets busy in August, so go in June or September if you can.
But let me give you a couple of local secrets.
There's a small taverna tucked behind the pebble beach at Borsh that most tourists drive straight past. Family-run. No menu in English, no problem. The grandmother cooks whatever came out of the sea that morning, and I've taken more than one client there after a property viewing because it says more about southern Albania than any brochure ever could.
Then there's Gjirokastër, up in the hills. A stone city, UNESCO-listed, where the old Ottoman houses climb the slope like something out of a dream. Have a coffee in the bazaar. Albanians take coffee seriously , it's not a drink here, it's a social institution, and if someone invites you to sit, you sit. That's just how we are.
And Saranda itself, my home. The promenade at sunset, the whole city out walking, the smell of grilled corn and roasted chestnuts depending on the season. I truly believe Saranda offers the best value on the entire Mediterranean coast, and I've stopped apologizing for saying it.
A Little About What I Do (Since You're Curious)
I run a real estate company here , VivaView : and I won't pretend I didn't hope you'd read this. But I'll keep it light, because you came for travel advice, not a sales pitch.
Here's what surprises most visitors: a lot of people come for a holiday and leave thinking about staying. It happens more than you'd guess. Something about a week here rewires people.
Last month I took a couple from Germany to see a place in Ksamil : nothing extravagant, just a bright two-bedroom with the sea filling the whole window. She went quiet for a moment, then turned to me and asked how quickly they could move. That's the moment I do this job for. Not the paperwork. That look.
So yes, if the idea crosses your mind, we help with that. We've got everything from affordable seaview apartments to genuinely spectacular luxury villas along the coast. And because we also build , my family's construction company is behind a lot of what you see going up here , we can offer things direct, which matters more than people realize when they're buying abroad.
We also created VivaView Management, which handles the rental side for owners. Most of our managed apartments belong to foreigners who bought here and wanted the place looked after and, frankly, earning money , while they're back home. We take care of everything: guests, cleaning, maintenance, the lot. Depending on the property and the level of service, our management fee runs somewhere between 17% and 20% of the rental income. Not bad, considering the alternative is managing a beachfront apartment from another country in another language.
Anyway. Back to the travel.
The Money Question
This is where Albania really wins.
You can eat like a king for very little. A good coffee costs about a euro. A proper meal, ten to fifteen. A beer by the sea, two or three. For anyone coming from Western Europe, the first few days feel almost suspicious , like there's a catch you haven't spotted yet.
There isn't. Prices are simply lower here, and long may it last.
And if you're the type who starts doing mental math about property while you're on holiday , you know who you are , the numbers are just as friendly. There are still genuinely affordable properties along this coast, Saranda apartments for sale at prices that make people from London or Munich blink twice. Beachfront property here still costs a fraction of what it does two hours away by boat in Corfu.
That won't be true forever. It's already changing.
When to Come
June is my favorite. The sea's warm enough, the crowds haven't fully arrived, and the light is soft in a way that photographs can't quite capture.
September's a close second. Warm water, fewer people, that gentle end-of-summer feeling.
Avoid the second half of August if you can help it. That's when everyone , Albanians included, since the whole country basically goes on holiday at once : heads for the coast. It's fun in its own way, but it's not the quiet, discover-something version of Albania I'd want your first visit to be.
One More Thing Before You Go
I get emotional about this place, so forgive me.
I've watched Saranda change over the last few years. New buildings, new energy, new faces from all over the world. Some locals worry about it. I understand that. But mostly what I see is a coastline that people are finally noticing , the Albanian Riviera stepping out from behind its more famous neighbors.
We're building things here I'm proud of. There's a project called Slates going up right now , every apartment with a sea view, an infinity pool, three levels of private parking , the most premium thing we've done so far. And further up the coast, Sun Palase in Palasë, which sits on one of the most beautiful stretches of beach in the whole country. I say that as someone who's biased, obviously. But also as someone who's seen a lot of coastline.
So , is Albania worth visiting in 2026?
Come and find out. Bring good shoes, an open mind, and a little patience for the roads. Sit down when someone offers you coffee. Swim in water you won't believe is real.
And if, somewhere around day four, you catch yourself wondering what it would cost to stay a little longer , well. You know where to find me.