I Went to the Albanian Coast Alone. It Was Nothing Like I Expected

I'm going to be honest – Albania wasn't on my travel bucket list. I'd never even considered it.

But I had a week off work, wanted to go somewhere warm, and needed a beach vacation that wouldn't destroy my budget. A friend mentioned the Albanian Riviera was "surprisingly nice" and "crazy cheap." That was enough for me.

I booked a flight to Tirana, planned a rough itinerary, and went. Alone.

Everyone had opinions about this. My mom was worried. My friends said solo travel would be lonely. My coworker asked why I didn't just go to Greece like a normal person.

But here's what actually happened.

First Impressions: Arriving in Himara

After a short domestic flight and a bus ride that tested my stomach's resilience (those coastal roads are NO JOKE), I arrived in Himara, a small beach town on the Albanian Riviera.

The water was impossibly blue. The mountains came right down to the sea. Small boats bobbed in the harbor. And it was quiet – not deserted, but not overrun with tourists either.

My guesthouse cost €25 a night and was run by a local family. The grandmother didn't speak much English, but she showed me to a simple, spotless room with a balcony overlooking the water. I immediately decided this was the best decision I'd made in months.

The "Lonely" Solo Travel Experience

Spoiler: I was barely alone.

The first morning, I went down to the beach. Within an hour, I was drinking coffee with a Dutch couple who'd been traveling through the Balkans for a month. They invited me to join them for lunch.

At lunch (fresh grilled fish for like €8, by the way), we met two Australian women who were also traveling solo. By dinner, we were a group of five exploring the town together.

This pattern repeated itself. Solo travelers tend to find each other. People are more likely to approach you when you're alone. And locals are incredibly friendly when you're traveling solo – I got invited to a family dinner by the owner of a restaurant just because I asked about a traditional dish.

The truth about solo travel: You're as alone as you want to be. Some days I spent entirely by myself, reading on the beach. Other days I was with people from morning to night. The flexibility was amazing.

What I Did (Besides Lay on the Beach)

Don't get me wrong – I did plenty of beach laying. But the Albanian Riviera is more than just beaches.

Explored Old Bunkers

Albania has thousands of concrete bunkers left over from the communist era. They're everywhere – on beaches, in fields, on hillsides. Some are abandoned, some are converted into cafes or shops. It's surreal and fascinating.

I climbed inside one on the beach and sat there watching the sunset. Weird? Maybe. Cool? Definitely.

Hiked to Grama Bay

This was a highlight. A two-hour coastal hike from a small village to a hidden bay. The path was rocky and sometimes terrifying (I'm not great with heights), but the bay at the end was completely secluded. Crystal clear water, a tiny beach, and literally just five other people there.

I spent four hours there. Swimming, reading, napping on the beach. It felt like I'd discovered a secret.

Ate Everything

Albanian food is underrated. It's like Greek and Italian food had a baby, and that baby is delicious and costs nothing.

Byrek (savory pastry with cheese or meat) for breakfast. Fresh seafood for lunch. Tavë kosi (baked lamb with yogurt) for dinner. And lots of local wine that was shockingly good for €3 a bottle.

The best meal? A family-run restaurant in Dhërmi where the owner's mother was cooking in the back. I had grilled octopus, tomato salad, fresh bread, and a homemade dessert I couldn't identify but was amazing. Total cost: €12.

The Challenges (Because It Wasn't All Perfect)

The roads: Terrifying. Winding mountain roads with no guardrails and aggressive drivers. The bus rides made me genuinely pray.

Language barrier: Outside of tourist areas, very few people speak English. Google Translate became my best friend. Lots of hand gestures.

Wifi: Often slow or non-existent. Which was actually kind of nice? Forced me to be present instead of scrolling Instagram.

Infrastructure: Things are a bit rough around the edges. Not every place takes cards. ATMs are scarce in small towns. But that's part of the experience.

What Nobody Told Me

Albanian people are incredibly hospitable. Like, aggressively hospitable. I got invited into people's homes. Restaurant owners insisted I try things for free. Random strangers helped me find my way when I was lost.

It's dirt cheap. My entire week – accommodation, food, transport, activities – cost less than €300. A similar beach vacation in Greece or Italy would've been triple that.

The beaches are stunning. I was expecting "nice." They were gorgeous. Clear turquoise water, white pebble beaches (not sand, but I actually preferred it), dramatic mountain backdrops.

You'll have places almost to yourself. In late May, the tourist season was just starting. Beaches that would be packed in Greece or Croatia were nearly empty. It felt like having the Mediterranean to myself.

Would I Recommend Solo Travel to Albania?

Yes, with a caveat: you need to be okay with some chaos.

This isn't a place where everything runs smoothly. Buses don't always run on schedule. Your accommodation might be more basic than the photos suggested. You might have to be flexible with your plans.

But if you can roll with that, it's an incredible experience. Beautiful, affordable, authentic, and nowhere near as touristy as the rest of the Mediterranean.

As for the solo travel aspect? It ended up being one of the best parts. I met amazing people. I could change plans on a whim. I spent time exactly how I wanted – sometimes social, sometimes alone, always on my own terms.

My mom was worried I'd be lonely. Instead, I came back with a phone full of new friends' contacts and plans to meet up with some of them in other countries.

Albania won't be off my radar anymore. And I'm already planning my next solo trip.