How far is Tirana from the beach?

I regularly stay in Tirana and I enjoy visiting the beaches close to Tirana. Lately, I was wondering how far Tirana is from the beach and which beach close to Tirana is the nicest. So, I did a little research and turned it into a blog post.

How far is Tirana from the beach? Tirana is 37 km from the beach. The closest beach to Tirana is Durres. It takes 45 minutes to travel from Tirana to Durres by car, by bus or by taxi. The trip by bus will cost you 130 LEK (€1). By taxi it costs €17-€20. Other close beaches are: Lalzit, Rodon, Spille, Golem and Generali beach.

Many tourists are focused on visiting Durres, because it is a famous beach city. However, there are a lot of quieter and smaller beaches close to Tirana. Let’s dig a little deeper and find the right beach for you.

Travelling from Tirana to the closest beach

The closest beach to Tirana is in the city Durres. It will take you only 45 minutes to travel from the capital city to the beach of Durres. The travel time is short because there is a direct motorway connecting Tirana with Durres.

If you plan on travelling by public transport, you can take the direct bus from Tirana to Durres. The direct bus departs from the Dogana roundabout in Tirana. The Dogana roundabout is about 5 kilometres from the city centre of Tirana. Therefore, the first part of your trip will be travelling from your hotel in the city centre to the Dogana roundabout. You can take bus line 7 (Direction: Instituti) or bus line 2 (Tirana Re) and get out at the Dogana roundabout. Once you are at the Dogana roundabout, you can get on the bus to Durres. The bus trip to Durres will cost you 130 LEK (€1) and the trip takes 45 minutes.

Alternatively, you can take a taxi from Tirana to Durres. The trip duration is the same, also 45 minutes. But obviously, it will save you the time of figuring out the public transportation and finding the correct bus. For a taxi, you can expect to pay 2000 – 2500 LEK (€17 – €21). And bear in mind, that it is best to agree on the price for the trip with the taxi driver, once you get in the taxi.

And finally, you could rent a car and drive along the SH2 motorway from Tirana to Durres. The journey by car will take you 45 minutes. It will be very easy for you, if you rented a car at the Tirana International Airport. Because the airport is next to the motorway between Tirana and Durres.

Durres is a vibrant and big coastal city. Along the coastline, you will see many restaurants, bars, hotels and apartments. The reason why Durres is a popular beach town, is due to the convenient location. Albania has more beautiful beaches along the coast, but none of them are as easy the visit as Durres.

You do have a decision to make, whether Durres is the right beach for you. If you are into nightlife, parties, fancy restaurants and a buzzing coastline, then you will enjoy Durres. However, if you are after a quieter and more private beach, then you will probably not enjoy Durres. Especially in the high season, the beach of Durres can be crowded and full of sunbeds. If you are looking for more privacy, scroll down to read about the smaller beaches close to Tirana.

Smaller beaches close to Tirana

If you prefer to visit a smaller beach close to Tirana, then Durres is not for you. However, if you travel between 45 minutes and 1,5 hours, you can visit one of the smaller beaches close to Tirana. The beaches that are close to Tirana are:

1. The bay of Lalzit
2. The cape of Rodon
3. Spille beach
4. The General’s beach.

The only disadvantage to visiting one of the smaller beaches, is that there is no public transportation. Therefore, you will either need to rent a car or pay for a taxi. For a one-way taxi ride from Tirana, you can expect to pay €20 – €30. Or you could travel from Tirana to Durres first and then get in a taxi to travel to one of the smaller beaches to the North or to the South of Durres.

Travelling from Tirana to the Bay of Lalzit

It will take you 45-60 minutes to travel from Tirana to the Bay of Lalzit. You will need to drive along the motorway from Tirana to Durres. However, before reaching Durres, you need to get off the motorway at Maminas. From there, you need to follow the road to the North to reach the Bay of Lalzit. The road is in a good condition, as it has recently been renewed. Unfortunately, there is no public transport to this beach, so you need to travel by car or by taxi.

The Bay of Lalzit is an absolute hidden gem. The beach is uncrowded, and it is quiet. Once you arrive you will immediately hear the sea waves crashing on the shore. The bay is gorgeous. You can see the mountains running into the sea in the distance. Furthermore, the beach itself is surrounded by a pine tree forest. Moreover, apart from two little cabin restaurants, there are no buildings at the beach side. So, there is nothing to spoil your views. All you will see in the distance is beautiful nature.

In terms of facilities, there are free parking spaces underneath the pine trees. Furthermore, there are two little cabin restaurants on side, that serve simple food and drinks. There are no shops at the beach. But there are a few trolleys, that pass along the beach, which sell beach items and floaties.

Travelling from Tirana to the cape of Rodon

The cape of Rodon is a bit further away from Tirana, then Durres or the Bay of Lalzit. It will take you around 1 hour and 15 minutes to reach the cape of Rodon. The cape of Rodon is to the north of Durres. To reach the cape, you need to drive along the motorway from Tirana to Durres. But before you reach Durres, you will leave the motorway at Maminas. You will drive along the same road that also leads to the Bay of Lalzit. However, you need to drive all the way till the end to come to the cape of Rodon.

The cape of Rodon is a rocky cape. There is a peninsula that sticks out into the sea. Along the peninsula, there are steep cliffs that lead into the sea. On the cape, you can see the ruins of a castle build by Skanderbeg. For the Albanian people, Skanderbeg is a national hero. Because he fought against the Turkish troops to defend Albania. These days the castle of Skanderbeg is partially underneath the water, and you can see more of the castle by snorkeling.

The cape is a beautiful place to visit the sea and walk along the water. You can escape the crowds of Tirana and Durres and relax. You can also visit the little Saint Anthony church on site. The cape is not that suitable for swimming, because of the steep cliffs. However, you can visit the cape of Rodon and then afterwards visit the Bay of Lalzit for swimming. Because the two locations are very close together.

Travelling from Tirana to Spille beach

Spille beach is a quieter beach to the south of Durres. To travel to Spille beach, you first need to drive to Durres. Then from Durres, you need to follow the highway to the south. Follow the road and pass by Kavaje. After Kavaje, you need to get of the highway at Spille. Once you get of the highway, you need to drive for half an hour through the countryside, to reach Spille beach. The distance between Tirana and Spille is 75 kilometres. Therefore, it will take you roughly 1 hour and 30 minutes to visit Spille beach.

Spille has a 6-kilometre-long sandy beach. The beach is usually quiet and there is plenty of space for people to spread out. The beach has a small promenade and a fresh fish restaurant. If you plan on visiting with small children, this is a great place for you. Because the waves of the sea are very calm in Spille.

If you are travelling on a budget, you will be disappointed to hear that there is no public transport to this beach. Therefore, you will need to rent a car or pay for a taxi. However, the prices for an umbrella, beach chairs, foods and drinks are very affordable here. If you were to travel to Durres instead, you will be paying higher prices on the beach itself, for foods and drinks.

Travelling from Tirana to the General’s beach

General’s beach or Gjenerali beach is also to the south of Durres. To visit the General’s beach, you first need to drive to Durres. From Durres, you need to drive out of the city to the south. The beach is between Kavaje and Lushnja. Once you get of the motorway, you need to drive 15 kilometres along a narrow road to reach the General’s beach. Simply said, the General’s beach is next to Spille beach, just slightly to the north.

Genaral’s beach is a very small sandy beach. There are some restaurants and a small promenade, but nothing large. The water is very clear, the beach is clean and very nice. It is a perfect location for a family to visit. And it is uncrowded and quiet.

Where is Golem beach and how far is it from Tirana?

Golem beach is one of the popular beaches, just to the south of the main beach in Durres. It will take you 45 minutes to reach the main beach in Durres and roughly 50 minutes to travel to Golem. Golem is a popular beach. And can therefore be crowded. At this beach you can expect all the facilities, like you find at the main beach in Durres.

Should I visit the beaches close to Tirana or travel to the Albanian Riviera?

Whether it is better for you to visit the beaches close to Tirana or go to the Albanian Riviera, depends on how many days you have.

If you have only one day and you want to swim in the sea, it is better to go to a beach close to Tirana. Because you will only travel between 45 minutes and 1,5 hours to get to the beach, and then you have plenty of time available for swimming and relaxing.

If you are willing to drive for a longer period, it is possible to drive to Vlore in 3-4 hours. Then you can spend a few hours swimming and drive back to Tirana. Although, you must consider that you will have a very long day. And it is likely that you will be tired when driving back.

The reality is that the best beaches of the Albanian Riviera are all the way in the south of Albania. It will take you a full day to drive from Tirana to Saranda. And bear in mind, that there are many beautiful beaches along the road. So, you will probably make a few stops for pictures.

For that reason, you need at least 2-3 days to visit the Albanian Riviera. One day to travel to the south, one day to swim in the sea and one day to travel back.

Related Questions

Where is the Albanian Riviera? The Albanian Riviera is in the South of Albania. It is a 120 km long coastline between the city Vlora and the city Saranda. You can drive along the coastal road between the two cities and visit little beaches along the way. Compared to other European countries, the beaches of Albania are quiet.

How long is Albanian coast? The Albanian coastline is 476 kilometres long. Albania has beaches along the Adriatic Sea in the north and beaches along the Ionian Sea in the south. The most popular beaches are in the Albanian Riviera, along the coastal road between Vlora and Saranda.

Is there an Albanian Riviera airport? There is no Albanian Riviera airport. You have two options. Either you fly to Tirana airport and take a bus from Tirana to Saranda to reach the Albanian Riviera. Or you book a flight to the Greek Corfu island, which is close the Albanian coast. From Corfu, you can take a ferry to Saranda.

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