Himare or Sarande? Which Is The Best Place To Visit?
Before visiting Albania, I was struggling to work out whether I should visit Himare or Sarande – or both! I ended up visiting both and found that certain travellers are best suited to one or the other. If you don’t have much time, this guide will help you make a choice!
This post may contain affiliate links to things like hostels and products. These help me earn a small commission to keep the blog running at no cost to you!
In a rush? Pin this for later!
In a rush? Pin this for later!
Himare or Sarande: Why Not Both?
During my time in Albania, I spent a good chunk of it in the Albanian Riviera. The two places I visited were Himare and Sarande! As they’re both on the coast and located not that far from each other, they must be pretty similar right?
Not as much as you might think. Sure, you can swim in the Ionian Sea in both places – but they have some pretty big differences.
Himare is a smaller beach town, with some pretty stunning beaches close by. It takes a little longer to get to but your patience will be rewarded. Sarande is bigger, has a great night scene and you can even catch a ferry over to the island of Corfu in Greece.
Credit: Filip Bartos (Unsplash)
Before I visited, there was no information online about whether I should visit Himare or Sarande. All I could gather was opinions of other travellers I met on the road. So, I visited both!
This is an unbiased guide. Your choice between Himare and Sarande is down to the type of traveller you are. In this guide, I will list factors that can help you make your decision. I’ve got my personal preference – but not everyone is like me!
So without further ado, let’s get into whether you should go to Sarande or Himare:
The Short Answer To Himare or Sarande
If time is not on your side, fitting in both places into your Albania itinerary can’t really be done – so you should decide whether to spend your time in Himare or Sarande.
Credit: Karol Chomka (Pexels)
In my opinion, the short answer to who wins the contest between Himare or Sarande is without a doubt, Himare. Sarande is a bit easier to get to from Tirana, but I think that opting to go to the easier place results in busier beaches (that aren’t as good).
The beaches in Himare offer more diversity, it’s more walkable, less touristic and has a better choice of hostels. If partying is your thing, you can still have a great night out even if there’s less bars than Sarande.
Himare or Sarande: Who Should Pick Himare
Is Himare worth visiting? Definitely! For those wanting a beach town that’s easier to walk around, is less busy and not as interested in the party side of things, Himare is for you! I spent almost a full week here soaking up the sun on the beautiful beaches, going to a new one nearly every day.
Himare is less busy and touristic
Himare is less busy and not as touristic compared to Sarande. So, for those who value peace and quiet – Himare is for you! As an Aussie, I’m lucky to have a seemingly endless number of beaches that I can almost have to myself. So, if I find somewhere that is jam-packed – I try to find somewhere else.
Credit: Valter Zhara (Pexels)
In Himare, the main beach isn’t incredibly busy even in peak season. The beaches not too far of a walk away are even more so! What I found was that you are far likely to encounter locals and regional tourists at the beach, rather than white boys like me.
When choosing between Sarande or Himare; Himare gets the points for this category!
The beaches in Himare are simply better
If you’re deciding between Himare or Sarande, the quality of the beaches should be at the forefront of your mind. Here, I’m really struggling to resist mentioning i’m Australian, but I reckon it qualifies me to have an opinion on beaches!
Credit: Valter Zhara (Pexels)
In Himare, the facts are that the beaches are just better. Even the main beach of Himare outdoes any beach in the whole of Sarande. My personal favourite beach in Himare is Filikuri Beach – where you’ll likely only share it with a few people. Whilst that’s all fine and dandy, it can be a bit of a ball ache to get there.
You can make the journey by hiring a kayak and paddling around the coast, or you can walk over the hill and then abseil down to the beach. I chose the latter and definitely should’ve worn anything but thongs (flip-flops). Make sure you wear good shoes and expect that you might scratch yourself on the bushes as the paths are quite narrow.
Read: This great article How To Get To Filikuri Beach
If you travel by kayak, choose a day when the current isn’t as strong because the waves can dump on the shore making your landing pretty hard! Once you’re there, you can enjoy an almost untouched beach with caves to escape the sun when you need.
Pro tip: When booking a kayak, avoid heading to a rental shop straight away. Ask your hostel owner if there is anywhere they recommend instead. Often, by mentioning their name you can get a decent discount!
Make sure you bring some friends along for the ride!
If you want to take a day trip, Dhermi Beach is a short 30 minute bus ride away.
Himare had one of my favourite hostels
Now, back to town. During my time in Himare, I stayed at Himara Downtown Hostel. It’s a great hostel with just a few rooms with comfy beds and great air conditioning.
It also has the best free breakfast one could ask for! Spiro’s (the owner) mum cooks up a storm each morning and it is delicious. Not to mention that it takes less than 2 minutes to walk to the beach.
The only downside I would say is that it’s kitchen is tiny. That being said, it’s fine enough to cook up some pasta – but don’t expect anything fancy.
Make sure you check out the reviews of the hostels, to see how far back they date. There is one hostel whose owner takes down the hostel listing, and puts it up when he gets bad reviews. When I was in Himare, he was all over the news for the abuse of two tourists.
A friend who stayed there also mentioned that her roommate had a couple pieces of clothing go missing and when confronted, he went batshit.
I’m unsure of whether it’s had an ownership change since my trip in 2023 so I won’t name its current name. You’ll find it on Google if you’re curious.
Sarande might have more quality options for hostels overall, but I really loved it at Himara Downtown Hostel.
Check out my guide on how to choose a hostel like a pro
Himare is more walkable
If you have to choose between Himare or Sarande and like somewhere that’s walkable, go with Himare. Himare isn’t all that big, and doesn’t really have any hills that you need to walk over to get anywhere.
In Sarande, the whole city is on a hill (like Gjirokaster)- and the last thing I wanted to do after a big day at the beach was to climb up a steep hill to my hostel.
Himare or Sarande: Who Should Pick Sarande
Is Sarande worth visiting? I personally didn’t like as much. However, a lot of people really like the place and it has its appeal.
If you’re seeking a more “beach-club” style city that is easier to get to, with more food options and a vibrant night scene, this is more for you! Another reason people visit Sarande is because you’re able to catch a ferry over to Corfu (Greece).
Sarande is easier to get to
If you want to minimise your time on a bus, choosing between Himare or Sarande is easy. To get to Sarande, there are lots of direct buses. You can easily come here after a couple of days in Tirana or Berat. Compare that to Himare, where you’ll have to catch two buses.
Sarande is essentially the transport hub of the Albanian Riviera region. To get pretty much anywhere in the region, you will have to come here first.
To check bus routes and schedules, check out Gjirafa Travel.
Read my in-depth guide about how to get around Albania on a budget
Sarande is great for party-goers
One thing that Sarande has over Himare is that the nightlife is much better. In Himare, due to its small size, there is only a limited amount of bars on the smaller main strip. Compare that to Sarande, where there are heaps of bars and nightclubs along the beach which make for a great night out.
Many hostels in Sarande do events at the hostel, before making their way to a bar or club. Make sure to take advantage of these to save some cash, as your bill can stack up pretty quickly!
So when choosing between Himare or Sarande, go to Sarande if you like to party!
Read: Travel Safety Tips
You can visit Greece easily from Sarande
As I mentioned before, a lot of people only come to Sarande so they can catch a ferry over to Corfu. If you only have a short amount of time in Albania before continuing your trip to Greece, I wouldn’t go through the extra effort of going to Himare and then back to Sarande.
Credit: Tobias Reich (Unsplash)
To get to Himare, most of the time you will make a stop in Sarande before getting a separate bus to Himare. Now, as you’re here – you may as well stay a couple of days. Sarande’s beach is good enough to swim at and even has a platform to jump off into the sea.
If you’re not picky about whether you visit Himare or Sarande as you’re focusing on Greece, head to Sarande.
More food options
This one is just down to the size difference between Sarande and Himare. Sarande is a much bigger place, so naturally it’ll have more food options. If you don’t want to cook, you’ll have a lot to choose from.
Credit: Abenteuer Albanien (Unsplash)
I cooked in hostels my time in both Himare and Sarande, so I can’t comment on any particular restaurants. However, both places had some nice-smelling restaurants – it’s just that Sarande has more.
If you’re more of a foodie, choosing between Himare or Sarande isn’t too difficult. Sarande will be for you (even if its a bit pricier).
Sarande or Himare: Final Thoughts
If you like the sound of a quieter, less touristic town with more diverse beach options, Himare is a great choice. Himare offers a couple of good hostels and in my opinion – the nicer beaches.
If you prefer to party, whilst still scratching the itch of being at the beach – Sarande will be good for you.
Either way, if you have the time – don’t choose between Himare or Sarande. Go to both! You may as well. Let me know how you go!
Check out all of my posts about Albania
Book Your Trip With My Favourite Resources:
Cheap Flights: I always use Skyscanner to browse for cheap flights. It offers so many options to help you find a good deal! It even allows you to search for “anywhere” if you haven’t decided where to go yet!
Accommodation: I start my hostel search with Hostelworld. Most hostels are now on this platform making it the place to find the best hostel for you.
Travel Insurance: If you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel. It is so important to have when travelling as it will save you from illness, injury, theft and cancellations! I always use Worldnomads when travelling on a budget as they have the best deals for me.