Gjipe Beach: A Complete Guide to Visiting One of the Best Beaches of Albania
Welcome to one of the best beaches of Albania: Gjipe Beach. Although not the most easily accessible, this slice of paradise is definitely worth a day while you’re visiting the Albanian Riviera.
Gjipe Beach in Albania was one of our favorite hidden gems of the Balkans, and should definitely be part of your Albania itinerary.
In this guide we’re going to cover how to get to Gjipe beach, the amenities there, and how much everything costs once you’re there.
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Basic Info About Gjipe Beach in Albania
First, here are some of the basics.
⭐️ What Makes Gjipe Beach Special
Gjipe Beach is one of the most special places along the Albanian Riviera. It can only be reached by boat or a short hike. It boasts bright turquoise waters, and is surrounded by limestone cliffs, caves, and acanyon you can hike through. It’s a beach where you can camp, hike, and enjoy water sports all in one, making is an excellent place for adventurous travelers to enjoy.
📍Where is Gjipe Beach in Albania?
Gjipe Beach is located on the western coast of Albania, also known as the Albanian Riviera. The Albanian Riviera includes the best beaches in Albania, which stretch from Vlore down to Ksamil.
The closest cities to Gjipe Beach are Dhermiu and Himare, both which are just 20-25 minutes driving from the starting point to get to Gjipe Beach.
How to Get to the Best Beaches of Albania: Gjipe Beach
In order to get to The Albanian Riviera, we suggest renting a car from Tirana, or whichever other big city you plan to visit from in Albania.
Gjipe beach doesn’t have a paved road all the way down to it. However, despite the poor road conditions, we did find a few people driving straight down. (Of course they had very large, high clearance vehicles).
How most people go, is they drive to the parking lot, where they leave their car and walk. It is about a kilometer and a half of a very rocky downhill road, which takes a solid 20 minutes to do.
The walk isn’t too strenuous, but it is definitely easier with sneakers. Make sure to top up with sunscreen or bring a hat, as there isn’t really shade along the way.
🅿️ Parking at Gjipe Beach
The parking lot is a wide open space, and also has little area that is covered. The price to park is 300 Lek for the day, or 600 Lek for overnight parking (some people camp there- which we will get into a bit later).
Parking can only be paid in cash. At the lot there is a small stand to buy fresh fruit, or cold drinks. There are no bathrooms, but you can find them down at the beach itself.
Amenities & Activities at One of the Best Beaches of Albania
Once you get to Gjipe beach, you will be welcomed with some stunning views, and a large area with plenty to do. As one of the best beaches of Albania, we can say that you can easily enjoy a full day here. Here are the different things that you can do at Gjipe Beach.
🚣🏻♀️ Activities at Gjipe Beach
Other than simply soaking up the sun, and swimming in the turquoise waters, you can enjoy some other activities.
🤽🏻♀️ Water Activities at Gjipe Beach
There are kayaks and paddle boards that you can rent for 10 euros/hour or you can enjoy a large float to relax on for just 6 euros/hour. There is a volleyball net, but you will have to bring your own ball or see if someone else has one to lend you.
🥾 Gjipe Canyon
Another great way to enjoy Gjipe Beach is to hike the canyon. It is right behind the beach, and goes all the way until the main road, which is 3 hours hiking. Halfway there is a waterfall you can visit as well. We didn’t have the time to go, but hear it is very beautiful.
🦇 Caves at Gjipe Beach
One of the things that makes Gjipe beach in Albania so special are the different sea caves scattered along it. Carved into the giant limestone cliffs, these caves can be accessed at low tide, or by boat.
🍴 Eating and Drinking at Gjipe Beach
There are a few restaurants on site that you can choose from. Owned by locals, prices are pretty decent considering the location, and there is shade provided in the seating areas.
The restaurants are open from 8 am to 10 pm, and have both cold drinks and different options for local and quick food. Beers are around 300-500 Lek, and the dishes are from 500-1000 Lek. You can find both meat and seafood options, and sides like salads and fries.
🚿 Bathrooms & Showers
There are bathrooms that you can visit while at the restaurants, as well as one that is towards the entrance of the canyon. The bathroom is 100 lek for showers and toilets. They aren’t super luxurious, but they do get the job done.
🏖 Chairs & Umbrellas
There are some chairs and umbrellas along the beach, and they go for 3 euros/ person. When we went, all of them were taken. So we suggest that if this is something important to you, you should definitely get to the beach on the earlier side.
⛱ Other Areas of Shade
If you aren’t lucky enough to get an umbrella and want some shade, there are a few cave-like inlets on the side. Simply walk to the end, and you will find people relaxing in tiny areas of shade.
⛺️ Camping at the Best Beaches of Albania: Gjipe Beach
We found that as one of the best beaches in Albania, this place was very popular for people to spend the night.
Tents are available for rent for 1,500 Lek, or you are welcome to bring your own to stay here for free. (Just keep in mind you’ll have to carry it for 20 minutes).
Other Things to Know About Visiting Gjipe Beach in Albania
Now that you know how to get to Gjipe beach and how to enjoy a day there, here are a few other things you’ll want to know before you go.
⏳ How Long to Stay at Gjipe Beach, One of the Best Beaches of Albania
While some people stayed the night, we felt that a day trip to Gjipe was sufficient for us.
As it is only a 20 minute walk, it’s not truly necessary to stay, unless you are a slower type of traveler, and want to really take advantage of everything that Gjipe has to offer.
🎒 How to Pack for a Visit to Gjipe Beach & the Best Beaches of Albania
Here are some of the things we suggest bringing while visiting Gjipe Beach:
- Sunscreen
- Towel
- Bathing Suit
- Flip flops (our personal favorites are Havaianas)
- Water Shoes (because it’s a pebble beach)
- Sneakers for the hike
- Power bank (we use Anker power banks, as they are super long lasting and sturdy)
- Zippered bag or backpack to secure your belongings (check our list of top travel backpacks)
- Action Camera (for all water activities) we use the Insta 360 X3 because it’s small & waterproof
- Drone (You can get epic shots at the beach! We use the Mavic Mini 4 Pro because it’s super light and high quality)
- Waterproof Phone Pouch (we use the Casemate Waterproof Phone Pouch)
- Water Bottle (we use Cafago Water Bottles because they hold the temperature well)
- Travel toiletries (our favorites are from Sheer Alternatives because they’re all natural and 100ml)
Final Tips for Visiting Gjipe Beach in Albania
Now you know pretty much everything there is to know about visiting one of the best beaches of Albania!
Another thing to note is that like many beaches in Europe, Gjipe is a pebble beach. That is another reason we suggest water shoes (also the rocks get pretty hot).
We saw many people bringing their own picnics, floats, and even SUP boards!
Finally, if you’d like to swim to the caves, keep in mind that they are best reached when the tide is low. You should really be a very strong swimmer, or consider going in kayak to get to them, as they are further than you think.
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👀 What’s Next?
Now that you know how to visit our favorite beach in Albania, let’s explore more of this stunning country! Here are our other Albania travel guides:
⭐️ The best places to visit in Albania
🏙️ How to spend one day in Tirana
💎 How to visit Lumi i Shales
🏔️ Theth travel guide
🏞️ How to visit Osum Canyon
🏖️ Albania Riviera travel guide
📖 Complete guide to planning a trip to Albania
So are you ready to visit one of the best beaches of Albania? How about some other hidden gems throughout the country? Stay tuned for many upcoming articles and Albania travel guide, as well as articles about the other Balkan countries that we’ve been exploring all summer.
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