What’s It Like to Live by the Sea in Albania? A Lifestyle You Can’t Put a Price On

There’s a certain silence you only hear by the sea.

It’s not the absence of sound — quite the opposite. It’s the rhythmic splash of waves, the low hum of cicadas in the summer heat, a distant clink of cutlery from a taverna terrace where someone is likely enjoying grilled sea bass and a glass of raki.

It’s the kind of quiet that makes you slow down. Breathe differently. And if you’re like me — someone who’s spent years living and working along the southern coast of Albania — it’s a lifestyle that quietly reshapes you, without you even noticing.

So what’s it really like to live by the sea here? I’ll tell you the truth — it’s not always perfect. But it’s always real. And it’s something most people don’t even know they’re missing until they feel it for themselves.

The Call of the Albanian Riviera

I’ve lived in Saranda for more than a decade now. I’ve seen this town evolve — from a sleepy coastal village into a buzzing hub full of new energy, modern apartments, stylish cafes, and travelers who come “just to visit” and end up staying years.

And still, the thing that surprises people most isn’t how affordable the properties are. It’s how easy it feels to belong here.

The Albanian Riviera — especially the stretch between Saranda, Ksamil, Borsh, and Qeparo — is one of the last Mediterranean coastlines that hasn’t been fully consumed by commercial tourism. It still has soul. It still feels like people actually live here — not just pass through.

You’ll see an old man pushing a cart full of figs past a brand-new luxury complex. You’ll find modern seaview apartments for sale next door to family-run homes with vines growing over the porch. And the sea? Always there. Deep, blue, unchanged.

A Day in the Life (More or Less)

Let me give you a glimpse of a typical day living by the sea here. Not the curated Instagram version — the real one.

You wake up. The curtains are already glowing because the Ionian light is bright, even at 7 AM. You hear a seagull, maybe a fishing boat engine in the distance. You walk to your balcony — and there it is. That unreal blue. You never quite get used to it.

Some people jog along the Saranda promenade. Others sit at Bar Restaurant Limani, ordering a macchiato with two sugars (because that’s the way we drink coffee here). You might take a swim before breakfast if you’re lucky enough to live close — many of the newer beachfront properties are just a 3-5 minute walk to the sea.

Lunch is usually around 1:30 PM. If you’re near Ksamil, you might stop by a small fish restaurant where the owner still serves you personally. No menu. Just what they caught that morning. One of my favorite spots is a no-name grill just behind Lori Beach — barely marked on Google Maps. The tzatziki is homemade. The chairs are plastic. It’s perfect.

Then, sometime around 5 PM, the light shifts. The wind changes. And the sunset begins. If you’re lucky, you’re sitting on your own terrace, with a glass of wine, watching the Ionian Sea turn orange and silver.