VISITING KRORËZA BEACH ON THE ALBANIAN RIVIERA
Set on southern Albania’s riviera just above Kakome Bay sits Krorëza Beach (Plazhi i Krorëzës), a secluded beach surrounded by beautiful steep rolling hills that overlook the bright, clear turquoise water of the Ionian Sea and the Greek islands of Corfu and Erikoussa in the distance.
Only accessible by boat (or a 50 minute hike down), the beach is almost untouched- with the exception of the few tiny beach bars open for visitors during the days until 17:00.
Plazhi i Krorëzës On Film
Being so close to Greece’s border, Corfu and it’s surrounding islands, southern Albania is very saturated with Greek culture and residents-and Krorëza is no exception, my phone even thought I was on Greek soil and switched my coverage over to their carriers. The surroundings and colors and styles of the beach bars are very Greek feeling as well. The staff were a mix of Albanian locals and Corfu locals, it was so interesting and fun to meet and talk with all of them.
Krorëza is a perfect beach to spend the day relaxing on to get away from Sarandë and Himarë, I figured I would compile everything I’ve gathered from my visit to pass along.
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HOW TO GET TO KRORËZA BEACH
There are a number of hard to access, unspoiled beaches on the Albanian Riviera, but if you do not arrive by boat this is one of the more complicated ones to get down to. I visited by boat, but next time that I am down there I will for sure hike down and hike around there as well.
BY BOAT:
If you are reaching Krorëza by water, you can easily take a boat tour from the center of Sarandë. Most, if not all, of the boat charter companies will make a couple of stops in different coves and beaches before reaching Krorëza. A plus that comes with taking a boat tour is that most companies will save a little patch of the beach with umbrellas and cushions reserved for their customers.
Apparently, there are some boats that go from Kakome Beach over to Krorëza for cheap as they are right beside each other. During my time on Kakome I did not see anyone offering rides up, only the occasional herd of goats and sheep and some locals-but if you find yourself there on Kakome keep this in mind, and hop on if you see one!
Further down on this post I will include some recommendations for boat tours that hit Krorëza.
BY CAR/FOOT:
If you are reaching Krorëza by land, you will have to drive to Kakome and follow the Kakome-Krorëza trail (on the Albanian Coastal Trail) past the The Monastery of St.Mary, and the bunker all the way down to the water. The drive from Sarandë is around 10 minutes, and the hike down to Krorëza is around 45 minutes.
You can read more about the Kakome-Krorëza trail HERE.
The Ruins Overlooking Krorëza Beach
PLACES TO STAY ON/AROUND KRORËZA BEACH
LOST PARADISE CAMPING BEACH & BAR
Though Krorëza is so secluded and out there, there is a small campsite on the beach-that looks unreal! Camping on this beach would be a dream, and again, next time I am down there I will do that as well.
The campsite is nothing extraordinary-as your surroundings are extraordinary enough-but there is everything that you might need available. Along with a garden, a beach bar, bathrooms and a shared kitchen, Lost Paradise provides both a tent and foam mats as well. The campsite is run by an Albanian man named Vendim, and like I always say, staying at a place run by locals and families are the best way to go for both parties!
Camping here at Krorëza would be a dream. I would totally recommend it. Booking a tent starts at $30/night with breakfast (and a beautiful beach all to yourself during the mornings and nights).
YOU CAN BOOK LOST PARADISE CAMPING BEACH & BAR HERE
If you do not want to stay on Krorëza but want to stay in close proximity to spend a day or two on the beach, Guesthouse Panorama Nivicë is right up the road from the hiking path and it looks stunning and brand new with views all around. Rooms start at $26/night.
HOW TO VISIT KRORËZA BEACH ETHICALLY
While it is so great that tourism is really ramping up in Albania and that we are lucky enough to visit their unreal nature, it is important to remember what happens when tourism does explode in some places-especially in countries that are still developing important resources and infrastructure.
TRASH:
The biggest thing that I encourage people to really take into consideration on the beaches is the trash problem. Though Albania really has been improving on their waste management services, less than 80% of the population has access to these services and there are no real efforts to establish and fund recycling facilities. The Albanian government and military make great efforts to keep the country clean before the tourists come in for the peak season, especially down on the southern coast-but still on some beaches you will see beer bottles, cigarettes, plastic wrappers and other random rubbish, even on some of the most secluded beaches only accessible by boat. The problem does not only stem from the foreigners during the summer, it is a work in progress to start to change the mindset of the Albanian’s on the litter issue as a whole.
It is so important that we all remember how lucky we are to have the access to visit these beautiful beaches, we all need to do our part of both remembering not to leave anything behind and to spend time picking up trash that you come across.
WORKING WITH LOCAL GUIDES:
While most people get to Krorëza by boat, I really try to push working with locals on the boat hires. Instead of the larger companies that run the huge pirate style ships that pull up to the beaches blasting music and blowing foam and bubbles into the water, definitely go with the smaller operations, you will have a much better time, and you will get to talk to locals and learn so much more.
Again, I will list some good companies to choose from below.
BEST TOURS TO KRORËZA BEACH
The first choice, and the most seemingly most reputable choice, is doing the trip through Saranda Tours-a newer boat charter business that is run by an Albanian pair of siblings that will take you to multiple more stops along with Krorëza and Kakome. The tour runs daily, along with another daily trip that goes down south towards Ksamil as well.
The trip runs from 8:30-22:00, and you can find the WhatsApp numbers to schedule and book your trip HERE.
Similar to the Saranda Tours company, this looks like a great option as well. With a local guide that speaks English, Italian, and Albanian, €30/person is a great price for all of the stops that this charter will take you to. It does seem like much more of a group kind of situation, if you are traveling solo I would just double check that you can hop on!
The tour is around 6 hours, and you can find the WhatsApp number to schedule and book your trip HERE.
EXPLORE AND HIKING - KAKOME AND KRORËZA BEACH:
This tour is not a boat trip but a hiking trip, with a local guide that will take you on a hiking route through the bunkers and monasteries and show you amazing views while teaching you about the unreal, unknown history of all that you’re seeing. Personally, I would love to do this one and I would in a heartbeat. The way back from the beach is a boat ride so it is not all hiking and sitting in the sun. This tour is much pricier, but with a knowledgable, local guide to really teach you all of those awesome things around you.
The tour is 9 hours, and you can schedule and book your trip HERE.
I have been to many beautiful hidden spots on the Mediterranean Sea, but the Ionian is just unreal and my day spent on Krorëza was such a beautiful, memorable day this summer.
THINKING OF TRAVELING TO SARANDË? DO IT.
HERE ARE ALL OF THE RESOURCES I USE TO PLAN MY TRIPS:
FLIGHTS AND ACCOMMODATION: BOOKING.COM IS WHAT I WILL ALWAYS USE TO BOOK FLIGHTS AND STAYS. NEVER DONE ME WRONG.
TOURS, DRIVERS, AND ALL THAT FUN STUFF: VIATOR IS MY GO-TO.
TRAVEL INSURANCE: SAFETYWING HAS ALWAYS BEEN FABULOUS. THE BEST EVER.
RENTAL CARS: WHEN BOOKING ANY TRIP THAT YOU DECIDE TO RENT A CAR FOR, BOOKING.COM IS FABULOUS LIKE ALWAYS.
