MAY 2026

This April we stayed in Ksamil and in Himare to enjoy some beach days on the Albanian coast. Both have very different vibes and attract different crowds. In April it is low season in both beach towns, tourism is just starting up again after the winter season. We had a great time in both towns and I wrote this blogpost to help you make your decision on where to stay.

Hotels Ksamil vs Himare

I found that in April Ksamil had more interesting hotel deals than Himare. It was pretty easy to find a good hotel with a pool and breakfast for under € 50 per night in Ksamil. Himare has less hotels and offered more vacation home accommodations. These accommodations often didn’t offer breakfast, which was a dealbreaker for our short stay.  As the city center of Ksamil is quite stretched out, it has lots of hotels that are within walking distance from the beach and near restaurants. We stayed at Duka’s Boutique Hotel, which was a good choice. You can read about our Ksamil experience here.

Lots of hotels that were advertised as in Himare, actually were at a nearby beach called Livadhi beach. In April most beach clubs and restaurants in Livadhi beach were closed, so while it was possible to get a good deal we still preferred to stay in Himare itself. One thing we really liked about Albania, were the small family run hotels. We therefore picked Simadhes Garden Rooms in Himare. During the morning the host prepares an excellent breakfast in the garden. It was only a few minutes of walking into Himare town and to the beach. But at € 55 per night it was one of the more expensive stays we had in Albania.

Beach

When it comes to the color of the water, the sea at Ksamil is slightly more blue than in Himare. However, as the beach is full with pontoons you cannot go on relaxed beach walks.

So if you like doing evening beach walks, Himare is the better option. There is a nice promenade at Himare’s beach, where you will find a good variety of restaurants. The coastline of Himare is one of the prettiest of Albania. Near Himare you will find many small coves, that are accessible by hike or by boat. You can book a boat tour to visit those, or do it yourself if you have a car. We visited Aquarium Bay in April and loved the adventure to reach this beach! When we visited the road was closed, so we parked our car near the road closure and hiked for 30 minutes to reach the beach. There were only a few tourists and a few locals blasting music. Hielke did some cliff jumping and we had the best time!

Atmosphere

I would say that Himare has a better atmosphere than Ksamil. Ksamil’s town mainly consists of new build hotels and high rises. Our hotel was so modern, that it could have been everywhere in Europe. You wouldn’t know that you were in Albania. You could even pay in euros. Himare at least had a somewhat local feel, where residents would come out at night and enjoy walking over the promenade.

Restaurants

Himara 28 was one of the best and most beautiful restaurants we visited in Albania. Besides this, I did prefer the food scene in Ksamil. In April you had many opportunities to enjoy a fresh fish meal on the beach, while in Himare most beach club style restaurant were still closed (also in Livadhi beach). In Ksamil the restaurants are more varied, while in Himare you could mainly find fish restaurants and pizzerias. 

Activities

Near both towns you will find a few attractions, that are not water related. Near Himare you can visit the clifftop village Dhermi. This town is beautifully renovated and offers breathtaking views over the sea. Just outside of Ksamil you can visit the ruins of Butrint National Park. So if you are looking for activities that are not swimming, both towns have something to offer.