Albania Nature | 4 Best Places To Visit

Albania is a modest and undiscovered country; the perfect place for you to come and see the beautiful nature landscapes. 

It’s one of the most outdoorsy places, where hiking, cycling, wildlife watching, landscape photography and rock climbing are very trendy activities for you to try. The pure nature’s beauty and diversity will undoubtedly surprise you and make your trip memorable.

If you want to see some breathtaking landscapes, you are in the right place to get all the information you need to be ready and well-informed about your trip to Albania!

Let’s get started!

Are you planning on visiting other countries in the area? Check the rest of our guides:

Albania Nature

 

Lura National Park

For many, Lura National Park encapsulates the variety, beauty and wonder of Albanian nature better than anything. But, as some say, if you haven’t been here, you don’t know anything about Albania (that is if you haven’t visited any of the other Albania national parks)

One of the reasons people love traveling and exploring so much is the new emotions and feelings that allow us to experience the unique ability to inspire the child’s perspective in us. Everything is new, exciting and mysterious, just remaining to be discovered. 

At the Lura National Park, you will find the child within you again, as you are confronted with an overwhelming beauty that can only be experienced through renewed senses and emotions.

Albania Nature: Lura National Park
Photo By: Burim Muqa

Facts And Geography

At 1600 meters above sea level, the Big Lake has glacial, crystal-clear waters. On the other hand, the Black Lake has darker waters as a result of its greater depth. 

The lakes, along with the beech forests, black and white pines and many more trees, combine to create magnificent sights which feel like they’re reviving the soul while the body is replenished with the freshest air imaginable.

In certain spots, the visitor can simultaneously admire the sight of several lakes and the mountains surrounding Lura. In addition, the mountain streams of Seta, Uraka, or Malla e Lurës create a relaxing sound, providing both freshness and rhythm to a place that could not be more blessed with beauty!

When To Visit

As some of the lakes are covered by a layer of ice throughout the winter and others may dry out during the summer, spring is arguably the best season to tour the park.

In spring, both forest paths and lakes are covered by splashes of colorful flowers, giving the entire park a fairy-tale-like character.

Some of the items you might want to take on your tour include :

  • A Flashlight can be of great help
  • Hiking shoes, it’s a challenging hike waiting for you
  • Waterproof clothes

If you decide to visit the lakes, we suggest finding a guide or a person familiar with the routes of the area.

How To Get There

It is located in Albania’s distant northeast and is one of Albania’s most challenging national parks to get to. It’s not close to any major city, requiring several hours of driving, often on not-so-good roads.

The nearest large city is Shkoder. Still, a long 4.5-hour drive away. Getting there from Tirana city involves a similarly long drive. The closest village to this national park is Fushë Lurë, located just north of the park.

Shebenik-Jabblanicë National Park

With a variety in height, from 300 to 2,200 meters above sea level, as well as with varieties in vegetation types, and as a very remote location, Shebenik-Jabblanicë National Park is one of the most beautiful places in Albania for wildlife watching.

Facts And Geography

The Shebenik-Jabllanicë National Park can be found in eastern Albania next to the Republic of North Macedonia. It encompasses around 400.000 square kilometers. It is characterized by a mountainous landscape filled with glacial lakes, valleys, dense and deciduous woods, forests. alpine meadows and pastures.

In eastern Albania’s distant mountains, you can still find many giant mammals near the border with North Macedonia. These include brown bears, Balkan lynx, gray wolves and European otters. 

This park is a hiker’s heaven, featuring numerous hiking trails of various difficulties. It’s stunning in the fall when colorful foliage dominates the slopes and fringes of glacial lakes.

Albania Nature: Shebenik Jabllanice National Park
Photo By: Ulrike Wizisk

When To Visit

For national park tours in Albania, summer is usually the best time for the visit. Although it can be pretty hot during the day, this is the time of the year with the most sunshine and least rain. 

Therefore, visiting this national park in summer, particularly if you’d plan to hit some of the glorious Albania hiking trails or explore one of the many activities available, is best done in the morning or late afternoon.

Some of the things you should bring with you:

  • Waterproof footwear, just because it may rain once in a while
  • Sunscreen lotion, as the sun up there can be pretty rough
  • Bug repellent – be sure to bring this

How To Get There

Even though it’s remote and rugged, the park lies only about 90 kilometers away from the city of Tirana. Because of slow mountain roads approaching the park, the drive usually takes about 2.5 hours.

To better explore the park, you can find places to base yourself in the small villages surrounding the park.

 

Blue Eye Of Theth

The Blue Eye in Theth is a breathtaking waterfall located in the Albanian Alps, and a natural beauty of Albania. The Blue Eye gets its name after its deep waters, which are deceivingly cold! Therefore, if you visit the mountains in the north of Albania, you must plan a hike to the Blue Eye.

Albania Nature: Blue Eye Of Theth
Photo By: travelanddance

Facts And Geography

The Blue Eye is one of the many beauties of Albania. It is created from the Black River that flows out from the Black Top. The Blue Eye is formed from the erosion of rock by the water that falls from the mountains. The Black Well has an area of 100 meters squared and has a depth of about 3 to 5 meters. 

The Black River is formed from the melting snow in the Albanian Alps.

When To Visit

The road to Theth is closed during the colder months from November to May due to the poor weather conditions. So, if you plan a trip to Theth, make sure you go during the summer when the weather is warm.

If you are getting ready to hike to the Blue Eye in Theth, make sure you bring:

  • Trainers or hiking shoes – because it’s a long hike waiting ahead of you
  • Swimming clothes – if you decide to take a dip in the freezing water
  • Money – if you choose to eat in one of the restaurants along the way or grab a drink there
  • Water – make sure you bring lots of water with you

How To Get There

To reach this destination, you have a choice to make. You can either rich it by a 3,5-hour walk or combine it with a transfer plus walking, 20 min transfers, and 40 min easy to moderate walking.

The road for the first 5 km from Thethi to Nderlysa is rural off-road, accompanying the river of Theth, Shala River. From Nderlysa to the Blue Eye, you have a 40-minutes walk, among which only the first half is more challenging to climb, while the second part is easy walking in the middle of a beech forest.

In Nderlysa, cross the bridge and take the road to Kaprre that you’ll see in front of you. It’s one of the most stunning views created by the erosion of the rocks by the river, where pink baths have been made along with waterfalls called the Stone Groves in Nderlysa.

Theth Tours

 

Karaburun Peninsula

The Karaburun Peninsula is a rocky place that points into the Adriatic sea. Alongside, you can see beautiful beaches reachable only by boat or a long hike. Furthermore, the Peninsula is located between Vlore and Dhermi, making it possible for you to take a trip from either side.

Albania Nature: Karaburun Peninsula
Photo By: UNDP Eurasia

Facts And Geography

The Karaburun Peninsula has many hidden, pristine beaches, and some of them have a mysterious history.

You can take a trip with a boat from Vlore and explore the beauty of Haxhi Ali Cave and the beaches on the eastern side of the Peninsula. It’s believed that pirates used this massive cave to seek shelter and hide.

The other option is to take a boat from Dhermi to visit the other side of the Peninsula. From there, you can see the Blue Cave and Gramata Bay.

Gramata Bay provides the only space of shelter from rough seas in an otherwise continuous stretch of a cliff, with thousands of inscriptions and symbols carved into its rocks by sailors giving thanks to their gods.

Scientists have identified several different languages on the rocks, including ancient and medieval Greek and Latin. In addition, scholars in the early 20th Century claimed to have attributed some carvings to the Etruscan civilization of ancient Italy.

When To Visit

This beautiful place is toured by visitors from Albania and international ones searching for water adventures and stunning beaches in Peninsula during the summer months. The fresh, clear waters invite you to dive in, while the white sand is ideal for sunbathing and relaxing. 

It’s best to visit this place in the hot summer months from June to September so that you can enjoy the warm, clear waters and the sandy beaches.

In case you choose to get there by hiking on the land, don’t forget to bring:

  • Plenty of drinking water and food
  • Good hiking shoes, you’ll be walking for a long time
  • SPF cream
  • A tent and sleeping bag if you’re planning to stay on the beach overnight
  • Bug repellent

How To Get There

There are two ways for you to get to the Peninsula. The tourists prefer the route by the sea, as it is the shortest, but you can also get to the destination by hiking on the land. The path begins in Orikum and passes through the Pashaliman Base. Then, a short boat ride from Vlora Bay takes you there in only a few minutes and is more picturesque!

 

Conclusion

Albania is a small, unexplored treasure that indeed brings tourists from all around the world. A few days of relaxation you can’t quickly forget, enjoying the sunny weather and clear Albanian skies, crystal clear water and high mountains with fresh air – where you can breathe freely.

And inevitably, when your trip ends and you leave this country, all that’s left to say is: ‘Albania is a heaven on this planet!

Which of the mentioned places was your favorite? Let us know in the comments below.

We would recommend these similar articles too:

albanian nature guide by direktorium

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here