Why Is Albania So Popular Now? A Local’s Honest Take From the Heart of the Riviera

I get asked this question almost every week — sometimes by clients, sometimes by friends abroad, sometimes even by locals who suddenly look around and realize, “Wow… when did everything change?”

And honestly, I’ve been thinking about it too.
Why now?
Why Albania?
Why this moment?

I don’t claim to have all the answers, but after years of living and working in Saranda — walking these hills, meeting buyers from every corner of the world, watching neighborhoods evolve — I do have a perspective that’s a bit… closer to the ground.

So let’s talk about it. Plain, real, from someone who’s here every day.

A Country That Suddenly Feels “Discovered”

I still remember when very few tourists reached Saranda. Mostly Albanians from Tirana, some Greeks, a few Italians. The summers were beautiful but quieter.

Now?
You walk along the promenade in July and hear accents from Norway, the U.S., the Netherlands, the Gulf countries, even South America. It feels almost surreal sometimes.

A big part of this new popularity is visual. Albania photographs well — incredibly well. Those turquoise waters. The cliffs of the Albanian Riviera. The untouched beaches south of Himara. Even the everyday things: the little bakeries with sesame-covered bread, the evening xhiro where people walk as if the whole town is one big family.

And when people come, they feel something here.
A simplicity. A warmth.
A sense that life can slow down — but without losing excitement.

No marketing campaign could have created that.

Hospitality That Isn’t Performed — It’s Natural

One buyer told me a story that made me laugh. She said,
“Before I even decided to buy, your neighbor brought me fresh figs. I wasn’t sure if it was normal or if he just liked me.”

It is normal.
That’s one of the beautiful things here. Hospitality isn’t a “service” — it’s a habit. A reflex.

When you buy a beachfront property or one of the many Saranda apartments for sale, you’re not just buying square meters. You’re buying into a rhythm of life that still feels human. A coffee on the balcony at 7:30. The sound of scooters in the distance. Kids running between olive trees. The old men who shake your hand like they’ve known you forever.

This culture is a big part of why Albania suddenly feels different from the rest of Europe — in the best way.

The Shift in Real Estate — What Tourists Saw, Investors Understood

Here’s something I’ve noticed:
People first come here for vacation.
Then, the next summer… they come back with a serious question:

“Is it possible to buy something here?”

And yes, it is — still with affordable properties, especially compared to Greece or Italy. But prices are rising fast because demand is coming from every direction.

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

But don’t just take my word for it.
Look around at what’s being built today.

Some buyers prefer quiet luxury. Something easy, refined, effortless.
For example, there’s a brand-new Ksamil apartment, finishing summer 2025, located in a peaceful neighborhood and just 7 minutes from the beach. It even includes a private swimming pool shared with residents — a calm, clean design that doesn’t shout, it whispers. If you’re curious, here’s the link, no pressure at all:
https://www.vivaview.al/en/properties/modern-1-bedroom-apartment-in-ksamil-62m2

Another person might fall in love with Saranda itself — the hills, the sunsets. There’s a place on Skënderbeu Street that I visited recently, a 1+1 in a luxury building with a private pool and an open sea view that literally can’t be blocked. If you want to see what I mean, you can glance at it here:
https://www.vivaview.al/en/properties/seaview-1-bedroom-apartment-for-sale-in-saranda-skenderbeu-street-fully-furnished

And then there are the people who look for something timeless… new, but positioned in a way where the neighborhood will only become more valuable.
White Residence in Ksamil, for example — there’s a simple, elegant 1-bedroom unit finishing in summer 2025. Pool for residents, seven-minute walk to the sea. It has that new-neighborhood calm that many foreigners love.
You can peek at it here:
https://www.vivaview.al/en/properties/1-bedroom-apartment-for-sale-in-ksamil-65m2

These aren’t ads. Just small examples of what’s changing the market.

A Quick Tangent (Because I Can’t Help Myself)

Sometimes, before a viewing, I stop by this tiny café in the back streets of Saranda. The owner never writes down orders — he remembers everything. Local habit. While sipping my espresso, I listen to fishermen talk about the wind direction, or an older couple argue about whose olives will taste better this year.

It always reminds me why people fall for this place.
Even if they don’t notice it immediately, they feel it.

Anyway — back to the point.

Why the World Finally Noticed Albania

1. The Beauty Still Feels “Untouched”

Yes, Albania is getting popular — but it’s still not overbuilt or overpolished.
You still find empty coves on weekdays.
Unmarked beach paths.
Crystal water that doesn’t need Photoshop.

2. The Prices Make Sense

Where else can you find seaview apartments with modern finishes at these price points?
Where else can you get beachfront property without a billionaire’s budget?

Albania sits in that sweet spot of quality rising, but prices still reasonable.
For now.

3. A Different Kind of Luxury

Not the noisy kind.
Not the gold-and-marble kind.

A quieter luxury — sunsets, privacy, space.

Like the new 2025 Ksamil duplexes on the main road, only 300 meters from the sea. Two swimming pools, underground parking, complete privacy. Everything brand new. An ROI that can go up to 16% yearly.
These are the kinds of places that people never find in brochures, but fall in love with instantly:
https://www.vivaview.al/en/properties/luxury-duplex-for-sale-in-ksamil-new-building-pool-near-beach-139m2

Anecdotes From the Field

A few days ago, I was walking with a couple from Belgium through a neighborhood just above the Ksamil lagoon. We’d barely reached the top of a small hill when the view opened — the water turning from turquoise to silver-blue as clouds passed by.

They stopped talking mid-sentence.
Just stood there.

Moments like that happen almost weekly.
And it reminds me: People don’t buy walls. They buy feelings.
A sense of place.

The Local Details You Only Learn by Living Here

Let me share a few little things that outsiders usually discover later:

• There’s a small bakery near the old Saranda stadium that sells byrek so good clients often ask me to stop there before showings.

• In Ksamil, early mornings are filled with the smell of bakeries preparing fresh qifqi — a tiny detail, but buyers always comment on the “calm feeling” of the neighborhood.

• In Borsh, if you take a left turn before the main beach entrance and drive a few minutes up the hills, you’ll find a lookout point where almost every investor I’ve brought there has whispered “wow”.

These details matter. They create emotional memory.
And emotional memory is what sells homes.

What’s Next for Albania’s Popularity?

It will keep rising.
I’m convinced of it.

More flights, more interest, more visibility on social media. More curiosity from Americans, Northern Europeans, and Gulf families.

But here’s the thing:
The soul of the south — Saranda, Ksamil, Borsh — will stay the same. Albanians don’t change quickly. We adapt, but we don’t forget who we are.

That’s why the country feels… safe. Warm. Real.

And it’s why property values will continue to rise.

Final Thoughts From Someone Who’s Here Everyday

Albania is popular now because it’s finally being seen for what it truly is — a place where Mediterranean beauty meets simplicity, where affordability meets value, where neighborhoods still feel like home.

And if I’m honest?
It’s about time.

If you ever come to the south, maybe we’ll walk through Saranda’s hills together, or explore a quiet neighborhood in Ksamil. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll understand exactly why so many people are choosing to stay.

Because once you see this place the way locals do… it’s hard to imagine choosing anywhere else.