Quiz: Which Albanian Coastal Town Should You Move To?

— Written by someone who’s walked every step of the Ionian coast with keys in their pocket and sand in their shoes

Let’s be honest — deciding to move to the Albanian Riviera is the easy part.

Crystal-clear water, fresh seafood for less than a coffee in Paris, sunsets that make you want to quit your job and stay forever… yeah, we get it. But then comes the harder question:

Where exactly should you live?

Saranda? Ksamil? Borsh? Somewhere even smaller?

I’ve helped couples, families, and solo dreamers figure this out for years, and trust me — there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. So today, let’s make it fun.

We’re doing a light quiz.

No login. No email capture. No nonsense.

Just some friendly guidance from a local who’s walked this coast a hundred times, shown just as many homes, and eaten way too many plates of grilled octopus along the way.

1. What’s your ideal kind of morning?

A) Espresso by the sea, walking distance to the market, maybe a chat with the fruit vendor.

B) A quiet breakfast with a view — no honking cars, just waves and birds.

C) I don’t want to hear a single sound. Maybe a goat in the distance.

If you picked A — Saranda might be your place.

This is a real city (by Albanian coastal standards), and yet, it’s intimate enough to feel like a neighborhood. There’s a rhythm here. In the off-season, locals still gather at the café near the port, old men play dominos under palm trees, and you’re never far from the best bakeries.

I recently showed a couple a 2-bedroom seaview apartment in Gold Residence — they weren’t looking for anything flashy. Just space, calm, and that “balcony with a soul.” They found it. The balcony sold it more than I did.

2. When it comes to neighbors…

A) I like some company. People to wave to. Maybe grab a drink with.

B) I’d prefer a few friendly faces, but mostly peace.

C) Let me live like I’m in my own little kingdom.

Mostly B or C? Then we’re heading toward Ksamil or Borsh.

Ksamil has a unique off-season life. It’s just far enough from Saranda to have its own identity, but still has restaurants open in winter — like that place near the school that does the best fresh mussels. No menu. Just ask for “what’s good.”

And Borsh? Borsh is a different tempo altogether. A wide beach, old olive trees, and families who’ve been here for generations. One of my clients — a German artist — chose Borsh for that very reason. “I want to hear myself think,” he said. He bought a plot just outside the village and now paints from a terrace that overlooks both mountains and sea.