MAY 2026

When researching an Albania trip you have probably seen pictures of the picture perfect blue sea of Ksamil. Ksamil only has a small stretch of beach and during summer the beachclubs expand the coastline by building pontoons and terraces into the water. This is also why it is sometimes called the Maldives of Europe. Maldives it certainly is not, I would rather say that the beach scene is slightly comparable to Tulum. I would have loved to enjoy a day on the pontoons of Ksamil, but unfortunately they were not there when we visited. At the end of April, most beachclubs in Ksamil are still building their infrastructure for the season. In May most of it is ready for the beach season. In this blogpost I will explain what to expect when you visit Ksamil in April.

Where we stayed

During the low/shoulder season the hotels are much better priced than during the summer season. We booked a three-person room in Duka’s Boutique hotel for € 50 per night. This hotel had an open swimming pool and an extensive breakfast buffet. What I really liked about Duka’s was that everything was finished. Ksamil can feel like a construction site, especially just before the season starts. Duka’s was finished from the poolbar to the parking and the rooms were decorated in a cozy way. It was about a five minute walk to the nearest beach and the public beach no 7 is close. I walked by the fancy Poda Hotel and even though it looked very cool, it was also very much under construction. To me the construction work really put me off from paying a premium price to stay there.

The weather

April definitely isn’t summer season yet and you have to be lucky  to get beach weather. We therefore booked our hotel very last minute, to make sure we were in Ksamil with nice weather. The sea will not look as blue if there is no sunshine and that would have ruined my experience. We stayed in Ksamil from April 23 – April 25 and had temperatures of about 20-22 degrees Celsius. As it was pretty sunny, for us this was hot enough to swim. When I checked the weather forecast in April, it often looked much worse than the weather we had. I would not stay in Ksamil if the weather is not nice, as there is not a whole lot to do.

The beach & beach clubs

Only a few beach clubs were open around the time we visited. I personally love visiting beach clubs, to have a nice beach chair and to have lunch on the beach. We ended up at Bora Bora beach, which was pretty casual. Only a few beds and tables were out, but the atmosphere was good and the food was unexpectedly good!

Poda Lounge Bar was also open, but is priced more upscale. Africana Beach club was still being built and Black Pearl was actually quite busy. So, if you visit in April and the weather is nice, you should have some options to choose from. There definitely were people enjoying the beach and swimming, but I wouldn’t say it was busy. The water temperature actually wasn’t bad at all, so if you like to have a quiet beach vacation, it certainly is a good time to visit. The only spot where it was crowded was at the “Hand of Ksamil” photo opportunity, so we skipped that. You can find some other photo spots if you walk the coastline, Poda Lounge Bar has swings and there was a “net” at Bora Bora beach.

If you are into watersports, there were kayaks, jet skis and water cycles for rent near Bora Bora beach. The beach of Ksamil doesn’t really lend itself for long beach walks. You will often find obstacles, such as not finished pontoons or closed off sections. This is also the case during summer, when everything is turned into a beach club. We found it very interesting to see how all the beach clubs were built and how the sand was brought to the sea 😉

Restaurants

Not all beachfront restaurants were open yet in April, but most hotels in town were open. Mainly cool, tropical style cocktail bars & rooftop bars were still closed. I must admit that it cooled down pretty quickly at night, so it made sense that those were closed. So if you are looking for a party: April is not the right time for Ksamil. We enjoyed our sushi meal at Yakuza Umi. If you are looking for a traditional style restaurant the Museum Restaurant is a good option. 

Butrint national park

Butrint National Park is only a 10 minute drive from Ksamil, it is a very good addition to your beach activities. It is a park with archeological ruins, from the Greek, Byzantine and Roman era. The park has a mystic vibe, with gorgeous trees surrounding the ruins. You will find the cutest frogs and turtles in the little pools. In April the weather is perfect to visit Butrint. It certainly isn’t a hidden gem, so expect to encounter tour groups despite it being low season in Ksamil.