Albania

Five Things I Loved About Vlorë That You Won't Find in a Travel Guide

After a month in Vlorë, the things that stayed with me weren't the ones I expected. Not the famous history or the Riviera access. The moments that defined this place were quiet, and personal, not checked off a travel list.

These are the five things I'd tell a friend about over a coffee.

1. A Morning on Kuzum Baba Hill

I climbed Kuzum Baba on a calm early morning and had the place almost to myself.

The hill sits above the city: 70 metres up, 240 stone steps, and a path that requires some navigation. At the top, there's a Bektashi temple surrounded by gardens, a few cats and dogs asleep in the shade, and a cafe with one of the best views I've seen anywhere.

The panorama from up there covers the full bay, the city below, and the sea stretching towards Sazan Island. On a clear morning with nobody else around, it's the kind of place where you explore and sit for longer than you planned.

What made it special wasn't just the view. It was the quiet. The pleasant gardens around the temple are well kept, with flowers and trees creating pockets of shade and calm. A dog was sleeping by the entrance. The cafe served coffee with the city spread out below. There was no rush, no queue, no entrance fee.

Many visitors to Vlorë don't make the climb. The path isn't well signposted and it's easy to miss the starting point near the Ahmet Myftar Dede statue. You can drive there but walking is part of what makes it feel like a discovery.

More on the walk: The Walk to Kuzum Baba: Finding Vlorë's Best Viewpoint

2. The Fresh Market

Fresh fish ready for herbs before cooking

I've written about the market elsewhere, but it deserves a place here because of how it can create a healthier routine.

The produce quality is what you'd pay a premium for in the UK, and it's sold for a fraction. The fresh bunches of mint, basil, parsley, and dill and large scoops of olives, for low prices. In the UK, herbs can get expensive. Here, I'd grab a handful to cook with that evening.

If I had lived closer I would have visited almost daily because I found the best fresh produce for the price. The UK markets are less prevalent than they used to be. I'd missed the experience. The simple act of choosing food from a stall felt like something I'd lost in years of supermarket shopping.

It sounds small. It isn't. The market changed how I cooked healthier and how I thought about food.

More on food in Vlorë: Eating Well in Vlorë: Markets, Home Cooking and What It Actually Costs

3. Walking and Cycling the Lungomare

The Lungomare is Vlorë's most visible feature, it's in all the guide books. But the way I ended up using it was something I hadn't anticipated.

The promenade runs for kilometres along the seafront, with a dedicated cycle lane that stretches from the north of the city all the way past the tunnel to the south. It's flat, well-maintained, and separated from the road. I've visited several coastal cities and this is the best cycling infrastructure I've experienced.

Most mornings I'd walk a stretch of it before settling into a cafe. Some days I'd cycle the full length on a hired bike. The early mornings were the best: empty promenade, calm water, soft light. By evening, it fills with families, couples, and cyclists, and has a completely different energy.

What made it special was the regularity. This wasn't a one-off tourist walk. It became the backbone of my daily routine. A place to think, move, and watch the light change over the bay. The kind of thing that turns a city from a visit into a life.

4. INI Cafe

INI is a stylish unique cafe in the city centre with a distinctive interior and good coffee. In the UK, a cafe with this kind of design and atmosphere would charge accordingly. Here, I'd sit for an hour with an americano or Çaj Mente and spend very little.

That contrast is what made it stick. Inexpensive cafes allow you to spend more time in them and even get work done. In the UK, a cafe visit is an expensive transaction. Here, it's time. You sit, you work, you think, you watch the street. Nobody hurries you. The small americano without milk is under £1 and the seat is yours for as long as you want it.

I went back repeatedly, not because INI was the only good cafe (there are plenty), but because it had a nice vibe.

5. Sunset Over Sazan Island from the Old Beach

The Old Beach faces west, directly towards Sazan Island, 4.8km across the strait. On a good evening, the sun drops behind the island and the light spreads across the water in a way that stops you walking.

I found this on my first evening walk. That made it special. The Old Beach is west of the port, less polished than the Lungomare, fewer people, more space. It still has hotels and some restaurants but the further west you walk, the wilder it gets. At sunset, it's a great watch.

I went back many evenings when the weather was right. More mosquitoes on this walk but worth it. Each time you're hoping for a good sunset. Some evenings the sky went orange and pink. Others it just wasn't the day for it.

It's not a tourist attraction. There's no ticket, no infrastructure, no Instagram frame (well, I did find a love heart sign before they moved it). It's just a beach, a sunset, and an island. But it's the image I carry from Vlorë more than any other.

More on the beaches: Vlorë's Beaches Explained

The Thread Between Them

None of these cost much. A market visit, a hilltop walk, a cafe espresso, a sunset stroll, a bike ride along the seafront. Together they added up to something that felt like a life rather than a holiday.

That's the part about Vlorë that took me by surprise. Not the affordability, though that helps. The way small, repeatable pleasures became a daily rhythm. The kind of rhythm that's hard to build when everything costs too much and moves too fast.