Sail Vlorë.

Vlorë sits where the Adriatic meets the Ionian, and the water changes with it — greener and cooler to the north, deep blue and warm as you drop south. This is one of the last stretches of Mediterranean coast that hasn't been sailed flat. The Karaburun peninsula, a military zone until 2010, is still mostly empty: bare limestone cliffs, sea caves, and coves you reach only by boat. It suits sailors who want the Ionian without the crowds and don't mind that shore facilities are thinner than Greece across the strait.

Most charters here run north and south from a base further down the coast at Sarandë, in Marina Limion. From Sarandë the classic run heads north up the Albanian Riviera: Porto Palermo with its Ali Pasha castle on the isthmus, then the beaches at Himarë, Jale and Dhërmi, then round Cape Gjuhëz to Karaburun. The Bay of Vlorë opens behind the peninsula — sheltered, shallow, good for a lunch stop. Sazan island guards the bay's mouth. Shore-side you'll find village quays and beach anchorages more often than full-service marinas; carry ground tackle you trust and don't count on lazy lines. Corfu lies a short hop across the channel for a crew change or a provisioning run.

Sail May to October. July and August are hot and settled but the beaches around Dhërmi and Jale fill with Albanian and Kosovar holidaymakers, and the popular anchorages get busy by afternoon. June and September are the sweet spot: warm water, thinner crowds, reliable breeze. The dominant summer pattern is a thermal sea breeze — a north-westerly maestral that builds through the afternoon and dies at dusk, useful for a downwind run south. Mornings are often calm; plan longer legs early. Watch for the occasional southerly that pushes swell into the west-facing beach anchorages, which offer little protection when it does. Shoulder-season weather is more mixed and the odd front comes through.

What we run here is crewed sailing rather than bareboat. A skipper who knows where the holding is good and which coves stay calm overnight is worth a lot on a coast this lightly charted, and the crew handle provisioning, port formalities and the local knowledge that guidebooks don't carry. Bareboat charter in Albania is still developing, and yard support is limited compared with Greece or Croatia. If you want to helm, say so — a good skipper will hand you the wheel for the passages. Crew details on request. If your heart is set on self-skippered bareboat, we're honest that this isn't yet the place for it.

Crewed charter is quoted as a weekly rate plus running costs. Expect the base rate to sit in a mid Mediterranean band rather than the premium end — Albania is still cheaper than Croatia or the French Riviera, and that shows in provisioning and eating ashore. A taverna dinner on the quay runs a fraction of Corfu prices. Fuel, harbour dues where they apply, and the Advance Provisioning Allowance sit on top of the base. Because rates move with boat, season and crew, we quote per enquiry rather than publish a figure. Price on request via WhatsApp — tell us your dates, crew number and rough plan and we'll come back with a real number.

Day 1 — Board at Sarandë, Marina Limion. Provision, brief, and short-hop north to anchor off Ksamil for the first swim.

Day 2 — Up the coast to Porto Palermo. Anchor under the castle, walk the isthmus, swim off the stern.

Day 3 — Morning leg to Himarë for a proper harbour night and a taverna dinner; top up water and fresh supplies.

Day 4 — Beach-hop between Jale and Dhërmi. Anchor early before the afternoon crowd, move on if the swell turns.

Day 5 — Round Cape Gjuhëz to the Karaburun peninsula. Sea caves, empty coves, no phone signal. Overnight at anchor.

Day 6 — Into the Bay of Vlorë, past Sazan island. Sheltered lunch stop, then work back down the coast on the afternoon breeze.

Day 7 — Return south toward Sarandë, last swim off Ksamil, back on the berth by evening.

Route flexes with wind and how much of the coast you want to slow down for.

Most crews fly into Corfu (CFU) and cross to Sarandë by the passenger ferry — 30 to 90 minutes depending on the boat, several runs a day in summer. Tirana (TIA) is the alternative, roughly a 3 to 4 hour drive down to the coast on improving but winding roads. Bring your passport for the ferry crossing and factor a little queueing at the port in high summer. We'll confirm the meeting point and boarding time once dates are set. Message us on WhatsApp to check availability and get a quote.