If you’re planning on taking the first flight out to Southern Europe as soon as temperatures start rising again, you might want to hold off on booking an overpriced week-long stay at Amalfi or Côte d’Azur until you read this first.
Seriously overlooked by tourists and has flown under the radar of Americans in particular for decades, the seaside city of Vlore in Albania is set to make a big splash in 2025 once its international airport finally opens, and we can’t say we’re surprised:
It’s one of the cheapest destinations for both beach and culture across the pond.
A Brand New Mediterranean Destination Launching Next Year
Vlore (alternatively known as Vlora) is one of the largest coastal cities in Albania, a lesser-known Mediterranean country coming off the back of decades of imposed communist rule that’s only recently flung its doors open to outsiders.
Albania hasn’t been under a dictatorship since at least the nineties, but compared to its European counterparts, it continues to fall behind on the development front:
It’s yet to be sworn in as a member of the European Union, wages are amongst the lowest in the continent, and it is largely served by a single international airport, placed in Tirana, the inland capital, hundreds of miles away from the turquoise coast.
In other words, if you’re flying to Albania for a beach holiday, you’re in for a bumpy ride, typically involving complicated land-side transfers and several long hours in buses… but soon enough, this will change.
Vlore International Airport Opens This March
After years of construction, a new international airport is opening this March in Vlore, the gateway to the Albanian Riviera.
As the 105-million euro project nears completion, we know already it has a 1.9-mile runway, and a 12.43-square-mile terminal: large enough for it to become a secondary Mediterranean hub hosting flights from low-cost airlines.
We’re talking the likes of Ryanair, WizzAir, and other European carriers, though no airlines have yet to announce nonstop routes traveling to Vlore.
Considering the airport’s pending launch, a rising demand for Vlore vacations, and its newfound social media fame, with 16.4 million posts on TikTok alone so far, it won’t be long until Albania’s prime coastal resort gets its international breakthrough.
Old World Charm & Beautiful Sandy Beaches
Vlore is one of the oldest cities in Albania, with a History dating back to the 11th century B.C., when the Illyrians, the ancestors to Albanians, traded and roamed around the territory.
It would only thrive as a settlement upon the Greek conquest of the region when a fortified port was built on the area––not much of it remains, except a partially-excavated archeological site in neighboring Triport.
Despite its ancientness, Vlore is in fact more famous for its long, golden-sand beach and buzzing shopping scene, though there is a recently-renovated ‘Old Town’ with picture-perfect, colorful edifices to be explored.
Other noteworthy attractions include Muradie Mosque, a 16h century Ottoman mosque, open to non-Muslims for visitation, Dhimiter Konomi Street, where some of the oldest houses in Vlore are located, and the ruined Kaninë Castle, in the outskirts of town.
A new Jewish museum chronicling the lives of Albanians during the last World War has also recently opened in downtown Vlore, and the palm-lined promenade keeps being developed with the addition of new restaurants and hotels.
Even the Trump Family is eyeing hotel deals in the up-and-coming city, with Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump working with Albanian officials to establish a development site in Zvernec, a small village part of the Vlore agglomeration, with 1,000 beach villas and rooms planned.
All Eyes On Vlore
Vlore is one of the warmest destinations in the Mediterranean: right now, for instance, it’s sunny and a max 62° out (Fahrenheit), while in late spring and throughout summer, it’s an average of 89.6°F on most days, with minimal rain observed.
It’s located on the coast, within short driving distance of beautiful beaches yet to be spoiled by mass tourism, including Dalan Beach in Zvernec, where the Trump clan is looking to build a new mega-resort, and the pristine Radhime Beach.
The good part is, unlike mainland Italy, Croatia, and Montenegro, Vlore beaches lean more toward sandy than pebbly, which is great news if you like walking barefoot on the warm sand.
Affordability plays an equally big part in Vlora’s appeal to foreigners: we’re talking $2.50 pints of beer, $483 for a weeklong stay in a beachfront hotel, and roughly $8.45 on an inexpensive restaurant meal, based on estimates provided by Budget Your Trip and Numbeo.
After all, living costs here are much cheaper than in other European countries.
Heading to budget-friendly, incredible Albania in 2025? Make sure you read further here.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
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