Best Places to Stay on the Albanian Riviera with Kids: Ksamil, Sarandë, Himarë & Gjirokastër

The Albanian Riviera gives you everything Greece and Croatia offer at a fraction of the price, with far fewer crowds and a warmth toward travelling families that genuinely surprised us. Beautiful beaches, ancient ruins, mountain scenery, fresh seafood, and accommodation that would cost three times as much on a Greek island all within easy driving distance of each other along one of Europe's most underrated coastlines.

We drove the full route in late September with our then 2 year old daughter, starting in Tirana and making our way south through the mountains to Ksamil before working back up the coast to Himarë, with a night inland at Gjirokastër. In this post I'm covering the best family-friendly places to stay at each stop. If you're planning the full road trip, our 7-day Albania itinerary with a toddler has the day-by-day breakdown including Tirana, Berat, Bogovë waterfall and Apollonia.

Practical Logistics: What You Need to Know Before You Go

When to go: Shoulder season is the clear answer for families so travel from late April to May or September to early October. We went in late September and it was almost perfect: around 30 degrees, quieter beaches, and none of the late-night party scene the coast apparently becomes in July and August. The beaches in peak summer are reportedly loud well past midnight, which is a very specific kind of miserable when you have a toddler in the next room.

Getting there: Albania is a small country. If you're hiring a car (which I would strongly recommend), the drive from Tirana airport to Ksamil in the south takes about four to five hours, with Berat and Apollonia worth stopping at en route. If you're only visiting the southern coast, Corfu airport is the closest option, with regular ferries crossing to Sarandë.

Where to Stay: Quick Reference

Neighbourhood	Hotel/Apartment	Best For...	Price
Ksamil	Vasiliu Boutique Hotel	Budget families wanting a warm welcome	(from around £50/night)
Ksamil	Limni Resort	A calm, boutique retreat with a pool	(from around £90/night)
Ksamil	Arameras Resort	Luxury views and a private beach	(from around £180/night)
Sarandë	Kosta Apartments	Self-catering with spectacular views	(from around £50/night)
Sarandë	Hotel Magllara	Promenade access without the hills	(from around £90/night)
Sarandë	Santa Quaranta Resort	Resort facilities with an indoor pool	(from around £100/night)
Himarë	NaDim Rooms	Beach access on a budget	(from around £55/night)
Himarë	Boungainvillea	Space, character, and self-catering	(from around £100/night)
Himarë	Prado Luxury Hotel	High-end spa and relaxation	(from around £200/night)
Gjirokastër	Kerculla Resort	Mountain views and a stunning pool	(from around £95/night)

Ksamil

Ksamil is the jewel of the Albanian Riviera, and the reputation is deserved. The water is turquoise and genuinely calm with some of the clearest we've seen anywhere in Europe and the small islands just offshore make it feel like a private bay rather than a public beach. In peak summer it gets crowded, but we arrived in early October and had stretches of beach largely to ourselves. Even at the height of the season, the prices here compare very favourably with anywhere equivalent in Greece or Croatia.

Where to Stay in Ksamil

1. Vasiliu Boutique Hotel Ksamil (from around £50/night)

Best for: budget families who want breakfast included, beach steps away, and a family-run team who actually look after you

This is a clean, well-run 4-star property that punches way above its price point, located just ninety metres from Paradise Beach and a very short, flat walk to the main Ksamil Beach. It has been family-run for years, and you can really feel that personal touch because nothing is ever too much trouble for the staff. Some rooms come with a kitchenette, which is a massive help when you are navigating nap times and need to prepare a quick snack. They also have a kids playground onsite. Just remember that there are no cots, so if your little one is still in a travel cot, do make sure to bring your own along with you.

2. Limni Resort (from around £90/night)

Best for: families wanting a pool, a calm atmosphere and home-cooked breakfasts away from the main Ksamil bustle

Set slightly outside the town centre, about an 8–10 minute walk from the beach, Limni is a boutique resort that feels much more serene than the properties in the middle of town. It features eleven suites, an impressive pool, and a poolside bar that makes it easy for parents to grab a cold drink while the kids splash around. The food is a highlight; breakfasts are made from scratch daily, and dinners are tasty. The family suites are spacious, each with a balcony looking over the garden, pool, or lake. It is the perfect distance from the beach to avoid the late-night music.

3. Arameras Resort (from around £180/night)

Best for: those who want a private beach, an infinity pool with a view that stops conversation, and a resort that feels removed from the town entirely

Perched on a hillside above its own private beach, Arameras uses villa-style rooms designed to blend into the landscape rather than dominate it. The infinity pool is the real showstopper, offering a view over the Ionian Sea that forces you to just take it all in; on clear days, you can even spot the Greek island of Corfu. The beach itself is quiet, clean, and they operate a buggy service to get you up and down the hill without fuss. The restaurant serves delicious Mediterranean, Greek, and Italian food, and the staff are fantastic at making families feel truly special. Cots are available for children up to two years old.

Sarandë

Sarandë is the biggest town in the area, and for that reason alone it makes a very practical base. It has that classic European beach promenade feel with palm trees, seafood restaurants right on the water and a lively harbour, and from here you can easily day-trip to Ksamil (20 minutes), Butrint, the Blue Eye natural spring (check out the full guide here), and further up the coast toward Himarë.

If you're travelling with small children Sarandë is extremely hilly, so pushing a pram around involves quite a bit of uphill work. In summer, the beach clubs pump music until late into the night (we were there off-season and didn't experience this, but it's worth factoring in when choosing where to stay). I would recommend somewhere off the main strip, but still close to the beach to avoid stairs/hills.

Where to Stay in Sarandë

1. Kosta Apartments (from around £50/night)

Best for: self-caterers who want sea views, free parking and a quiet base to come home to

This is where we stayed, and the Corfu view from the balcony on a clear morning was worth the price of the whole night. It's a clean, modern apartment with a fully equipped kitchen and sea views all the way across to Greece — practical, unpretentious, and run by a host who sorted us out with a nearby car park within minutes of arrival (free private parking isn't a given in Sarandë, so this matters). The walk down to the promenade and beach involves a hill, so if you're navigating a pram every day, one of the options below might suit you better. There are no cots available and no lift, but for a comfortable, reliable base, it is hard to fault.

2. Hotel Magllara (from around £90/night)

Best for: families who want to be directly on the promenade without dealing with hills, with a sea-view balcony from every room

Located right on Sarandë’s main walking boulevard, this hotel is just three minutes from the city beach, making those quick dashes back for forgotten toys or naps easy. It is the best-positioned hotel in town if your priority is having the promenade on your doorstep. Breakfast is served on a beautiful terrace overlooking the water, which is a lovely way to start your day. They have family rooms, free private parking and they provide cots free for children under four, saving you the trouble of bringing your own.

3. Santa Quaranta Premium Resort (from around £100/night)

This popular 4-star resort sits right on the water, providing a great balance of comfort and convenience. The private beach area is excellent, and having access to both an outdoor and indoor pool means you are not entirely at the mercy of the weather. Family rooms are spacious, and they have good spa facilities and a playground to keep the children occupied. The onsite restaurant is reliable, serving a good variety of food catering to both children and adults. It is a reliable choice if you want the benefits of a resort without being too far from town.

Himarë

Himarë was my personal favourite stop on the whole Albanian Riviera. It's smaller and quieter than Sarandë, with a beautiful beach esplanade, several gorgeous bays nearby, and that relaxed quality that makes you slow down without even trying. We ate at Merkur Merkuri on the main seafront and had fresh grilled fish that was some of the best of the trip. The pace felt very different here - less resort, more real town (at least when we went!).

Porto Palermo Beach (about 20 minutes south of Himarë) is also worth mentioning - it's a small bay sheltered from the open sea, which means the water is calmer and it tends to be quieter than the main beaches. When we were there (admittedly in windy, overcast October), we had it entirely to ourselves, apart from a very friendly Golden Retriever who kept making sure we were safe going into the water!

Where to Stay in Himarë

1. NaDim Rooms (from around £55/night)

Best for: those who want the simplest possible access to the beach and a sea-view balcony at a budget price

Step out of the building and you're on Maracit Beach. The apartment is clean, modern, with a small kitchenette and a balcony facing the sea. Parking isn't included but the host sorted out a public car park nearby and it's a short, flat walk into Himarë town. Compact rather than spacious, and no cots available, but as a no-fuss base that puts you directly on the water it's very hard to beat at this price.

2. Boungainvillea (from around £100/night)

Best for: families wanting space, a bay view and a self-catering kitchen for a step up from a basic apartment

A few minutes' walk from the main Himarë promenade and Livadhi beach, these traditional Albanian villas are a noticeable step up from a standard budget stay without the price of the Prado. Bright, spacious rooms with bay views, spotlessly clean and a kitchenette. The architecture has character with old stone walls, wooden shutters and the views of the Ionian at dusk from the upper terrace are the kind of thing you take photos of and fail to properly capture.

3. Prado Luxury Hotel (from around £200/night)

Best for: adults who want a spa, a sushi bar and a proper poolside evening once the children are down

On Livadh Beach about 10 minutes drive south of Himarë town, the Prado is the most stylish hotel on the whole Albanian Riviera. Polished wood floors, a muted palette of cream and stone, fifty-seven rooms with private balconies facing the sea, a full Balinese spa with Asian therapists, a sushi bar alongside the main restaurant, and an infinity pool with a view that makes it difficult to leave. It's a real resort which means you'll want a car if you plan to eat or explore beyond the property. Cots are available at an additional charge. The spa treatments are worth booking in advance, and the sunset from the pool terrace is one of the better ones on the coast.

Gjirokastër

This is a UNESCO-listed Ottoman town built into the side of a mountain, with steep cobblestone streets, a castle and an old bazaar with artisan shops, cafes and restaurants. We only spent one night here but I wished we had stayed for longer as it's a really charming town with plenty to explore! If you're driving down from Tirana/Berat you will likely drive through here on your way to the coast.

Where to Stay in Gjirokastër

Kerculla Resort (from around £95/night)

You only need one recommendation here because this was one of the best finds of the whole trip! At the top of the hill above Gjirokastër, Kerculla sits above the city at a height that gives it views across the mountain valley, down over the Ottoman rooftops and the castle, and out to the hills beyond. The outdoor pool faces directly into that so you are spoilt with this view when you go for a swim.

The breakfast buffet is included and features home-grown produce and the staff are lovely. If you don't want to drive or walk all the way down into town, the hotel offers taxis into town (around €5 each way, which they coordinate).

A Few Final Thoughts

Albania holds a very special place in our hearts. It's the kind of destination that feels like it's right on the edge of being discovered by mass tourism, which means right now is the time to go! The food is fresh and affordable, the people are warm and welcoming, and the combination of beaches, mountains, ancient history and Ottoman architecture means you're never short of something to see or do.

If you're planning the full road trip, head over to our complete 7-day Albania itinerary with a toddler for the day-by-day breakdown including places like Tirana, Berat, Bogovë waterfall and Apollonia.