Albanian Riviera Boat Tour with Swimming Stops from Himara

Himara and its seafront dock

Himara is a small town halfway along the Albanian Riviera, set on a bay beneath the Ceraunian mountains, with an old village and castle ruins on the hill above and a modern seafront of beaches, cafés and a promenade below. The town has a long Greek-speaking tradition, which is why the captain is as comfortable in Greek as in Albanian and English. The boat leaves from the small dock on the seafront promenade, an easy walk from anywhere in the town centre.

A boat tour from Himara is the best way to see the coast here, because the most beautiful coves and caves lie below cliffs that no road reaches. The boats come in three sizes, and we confirm which one is used for your departure before you set off. Morning, early afternoon and late afternoon departures are available in season.

Livadhi Beach and Aquarium Bay

Leaving the bay, the boat passes Livadhi Beach, the long crescent of white pebbles just north of Himara backed by olive terraces and the mountain wall, and then slows at Aquarium Bay, a small cove whose name comes from the extraordinary clarity of its water: from the boat you can see the rocks and fish on the seabed as if through glass. The captain stops for photos at both.

These first stops set the pattern for the trip: the boat slows or stops at each beach and cave, the captain explains what you are looking at, and you take photos before moving on. Mirror Beach and Marble Beach, smaller coves along the same stretch, are pointed out as you pass.

Jale Beach and Turtle Cave

Jale Beach lies in a sheltered bay with fine pebbles and shallow turquoise water, a favourite with younger travellers in summer and quieter in the mornings. The boat makes a photo stop here before continuing to Turtle Cave, also called the Secret Cave, a narrow opening in the cliff where the water is deep, calm and glowing blue from the light entering below the surface.

The first swimming stop is at Turtle Cave and lasts about 10 to 15 minutes, long enough to swim from the boat into the mouth of the cave and back. Life jackets are available for anyone who wants one, and the captain stays close to the swimmers at all times.

Pigeons Cave: the main swimming stop

Pigeons Cave is a wide sea cave named for the birds that nest in its roof, with a pebble shore at the back and water that shades from clear green near the rocks to deep blue outside. It is the longest stop of the tour, about 40 minutes, and the best place for snorkelling: the masks provided on board let you follow the rocky walls underwater, where fish gather in the shade of the cave.

Bat Cave, a smaller cavity nearby, is pointed out from the boat. For most travellers the Pigeons Cave swim is the highlight of the Albanian Riviera boat tour, and it is worth bringing a waterproof phone case or camera for photos inside the cave.

Gjipe Canyon, the Monastery and Pirates caves

Further north the cliffs open at the mouth of Gjipe Canyon, a deep gorge that cuts inland from a beach wedged between two headlands. From the water you see the canyon walls rising behind the beach and the hikers who have walked down from the road above; on this tour it is a photo stop from the sea rather than a landing. Nearby are Monastery Cave, named for the small monastery on the headland above it, and Pirates Cave, a hidden inlet where, according to the captain's stories, smugglers once sheltered.

The captain slows at each so you can photograph the cliffs and look into the caves. Gjipe Canyon is often named among the most beautiful places on the Albanian coast, and seeing it from the water shows the scale of the cliffs better than the beach itself.

Crystal Beach: the final swim

The last stop is Crystal Beach, a small cove of white pebbles with water so clear it looks like glass over the pale stones, which is how it got its name. The boat anchors just off the beach for about 30 minutes so you can swim ashore, snorkel along the rocks at either end or simply float and look back at the mountains.

From here the boat returns directly to the Himara dock. The best time of day for the trip is the morning, when the sea is calmest and the light shows the colours of the water best; late afternoon departures have softer light on the cliffs. The season runs from late spring to early autumn, when the sea is warm.