30 July 2024.
There are plenty of gorgeous beaches peppered up and down the Albanian Riviera and Filikuri Beach, or Plazhi i Filikurit, is a prime example.
Protected by tall, craggy cliffs, Filikuri Beach lies just to the south of Himara and is one of few along the coastline that remains undeveloped and untouched giving it a wild and remote quality that is increasingly hard to find.
The only way to get there is via kayak or a short hike that involves scrambling down a cliff to the pebble beach below, an obstacle that means it sees fewer visitors than its easy to access neighbours.
That’s not to say this place doesn’t get busy, you’re guaranteed to be surrounded by other keen beachgoers come summer, but thankfully, you’ll be able to enjoy the delicious waters of the Adriatic without the beach umbrellas or loud music that are commonplace along much of the Riviera.
For those after an adventurous beach day out from Himara, here’s everything you need to know about visiting Filikuri Beach.
Filikuri Beach is located in a protected cove just south of Himara, Albania, separated from Potami Beach by a rugged set of cliffs that jut out into the sea.
Himara lies in the centre of the Albanian Riviera, about 1.5 hours from Saranda in the south, or Vlore in the north. Tirana is located around 4 hours or 230 km away.
From the centre of Himara, it’s 2.8 km or a 1-hour walk to Filikuri Beach, or you can drive to the southern end of Potami Beach from where it’s just an 800 m or 25 minute walk.
It’s also possible to arrive at Filikuri Beach via kayak or boat from Himara or the other nearby beaches.
BUDGET-FRIENDLY HOSTELS
Hostel on the Hill | For budget travellers looking for somewhere peaceful and laidback, set away from the town centre but still within a stone’s throw of the beach, look no further than Hostel on the Hill which, as the name suggests, is perched on the hilltop above Potami Beach and offers excellent views from the terrace. It’s also the closets hostel to Filikuri Beach which is just a 15-minute walk away. It’s recommended to arrive by taxi from the bus station rather than walk. Check rates and availability here.
Himara Hostel | Kick back in a hammock in the enormous leafy garden or enjoy a sunset swim at Spile Beach just a 5-minute walk away. This budget-friendly option also boasts spacious dorms, a decent free breakfast, guest kitchen and several resident kitties to cuddle up with. Check rates and availability here.
Himara Downtown Hostel | This intimate hostel is another decent option for those on a tighter budget and is perfect for socialising, with laidback vibes and a great chill-out area. Set just a block back from Himara Beach, you can’t really beat the location either. Check rates and availability here.
GUESTHOUSES AND APARTMENTS
Sunset Guesthouse | Just a 5-minute walk from the bus stop and the beachfront, Sunset Guesthouse is a lovely, excellent value option in Himara. The spacious studios are worth the upgrade and include a lounge area, and private kitchenette, while the smaller private rooms have access to a shared kitchen. The flower-filled terrace is an excellent spot to enjoy your morning coffee. Check rates and availability here.
Vila Kosteli | Another great value find in Himara, Vila Kosteli offers up squeaky clean but simple rooms overlooking the sparkling bay and is run by a pair of lovely hosts. Check rates and availability here.
Soñar en el Mar | Set right on Spile Beachfront, this family-run guesthouse offers clean, bright and well appointed rooms with private balconies and a rooftop terrace with breakfast included. With the beach clubs nearby, things can occasionally get noisy here on weekends. Check rates and availability here.
Artis Blue Relax | For a luxury beach escape or splurge for a special occasion, this 4-star hotel perched on the rocks at the north end of Himara is a fantastic choice. Rooms are bright, modern and spacious, with some including direct sea access from the private patio. Check rates and availability here.
To visit Filikuri Beach, you’ll first need to make your way to Himara which I’d highly recommend using as a base from which to explore.
This laidback little beach town is one of my favourites along the Albanian Riviera, providing a more relaxed beach experience compared with the likes of Saranda and Ksamil and with some of the region’s best beaches within easy reach.
Himara lies along Albania’s single coastal road – the SH8 which extends between Fier and Saranda.
Those arriving from the north will cross the spectacular and, at times hair-raising Llogara Pass which zigzags steeply down the side of the mountain and offers up magnificent views along the entire coastline.
From the south, the road meanders through the mountainous countryside and tiny hilltop villages that rise up alongside coast.
The winding, narrow road can be somewhat chaotic, particularly when passing through the villages that can quickly become congested and where some sections narrow into a single lane. But, for beach hopping down the coast, travelling by car is really the best way to do it and gives far more flexibility than relying on the sporadic buses.
Himara is a 1.5-hour drive from Saranda, or 3.5 hours from Tirana.
Of Himara’s four main beaches, Potami Beach is the furthest south and where the walk to Filikuri Beach begins. You’ll find street parking along much of the beach front here.
FIND YOUR RENTAL CAR | Check rates the best deals on rental cars here
If travelling by public transport, there are generally between 2 and 4 buses daily departing from Saranda, Tirana or Vlore bound for Himara, depending on the day and time of year.
Timetables change often so I’d recommend confirming the schedule with your guesthouse to get an accurate departure time for your visit. You can also check the timetable here, though I would take these with a grain of salt and use this only as a general guide, particularly if travelling outside peak season.
From Saranda, buses depart from the central bus station next to Friendship Park. There is no station building here, just a ticket office and the buses pull up on the roadside to collect passengers. The trip takes 1.5 to 2 hours and costs 800 lek (€8).
From Tirana, buses for Himara depart from the Region Bus Station (North South Bus Station). The trip takes 4 hours and costs 1,200 lek (€12).
From other coastal destinations, it is the norm to wait on the roadside and flag down the passing bus. Most buses travelling the SH8 road will pass through Himara.
Distance | 2.8 km from Himara or 800 from the south end of Potami Beach
Duration | 1 hour from Himara or 25 minutes from Potami Beach
Starting Point | Here
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From Himara, you’ll need to make your way south towards the far end of Potami Beach.
From the centre, follow the main road past Sfageio Beach and slightly up hill where the road rises above the shore and loops back to rejoin the waterfront at Prinos Beach.
Continue along the road, all the way past the end of Prinos Beach, and turn right to make your way down to Potami Beach.
Follow this all the way to the end, turning right at the roundabout and finally arriving beside aesthetic hotel and beach club, Oniro, which is nestled beneath the cliffs and marks the end of Potami Beach.
For those arriving by car, I’d recommend leaving your vehicle around this point and continuing on foot (see below more more details).
Head behind the back of the hotel and continue up the concrete road that climbs steeply for about 400m and around a sharp bend in the road to the right. At the corner is a signposted turn off to the left that leads to the Filikuri Beach – Hostel on the Hill for those basing themselves there.
Continue right around the bend where the concrete turns into a dirt road and head on, sticking right at the next intersection and then veering immediately left. After about 30 m, you’ll arrive at a large clearing, almost like a rocky roundabout, with a patch of tall purple thistles in the middle and an abandoned concrete building covered in graffiti on the right.
On the opposite side are two olive trees. Head straight between the trees to join the obvious trail that leads down to Filikuri.
Don’t make the same mistake I did and turn left at the clearing where there is another obvious trail. This cuts along the top of a very overgrown terrace wall and descends into a rough plot before petering out after about 100 m amongst the knee high bushes.
Other visitors have clearly ended in the same predicament with several tiny, barely-there trails leading off in all directions, making for some very spiky bush bashing to get back to the proper path.
Once you’re on the correct path, it is clear, well-trodden, and easy to follow, lined with tall bushes speckled with yellow wildflowers and purple thistles.
After 200m, there’s a fork in the path where the left trail is blocked by a line of rocks. Veer right through a tight section crowded with bushes and a short way further along you’ll emerge at the edge of the cliff and catch your first glimpse of Filikuri Beach down below.
Now, for the infamously steep descent.
Is it a little sketchy? Yes. Is it also kinda fun? Also yes.
The final section that leads you down to Filikuri is only about 50 m long and there are ropes for most of the way to hold onto.
Along the top, the trail scuttles close to the edge of the cliff with natural rocky stairs that do require some scrambling.
As things get steeper, you’ll reach the first of the climbing ropes which is fixed to the rock on the left. While the rope is quite loose, it does provide necessary support when shuffling down the steep, slippery trail.
The final section is where things get slightly more tricky.
The route pitches down sharply and is near vertical in parts, with a large sheer slab of rock that has only a few small, dusty foot and hand holds. The ropes here are also only fixed at the top but hang loose at the bottom.
From here, you essentially need to decide which way you’re going to go down – either shimmying face forward or, easier, is to face the cliff, similar to abseiling, where you can pull on the rope from below.
Your height and having longer legs are definitely an advantage here when trying to reach some of the footholds and navigate the rocks, but ultimately, there’s no right way to do it, whatever gets you down safely is the most important thing.
If you’re reasonably comfortable with rock climbing and scrambling and have some degree of upper body strength, it’s not too difficult to make your way down and everyone I saw arriving during my visit made it down with too much hassle.
For those that get nervous around heights, the final section may be a bit of a nerve-wracking experience and I definitely saw some tears from other beachgoers trying to make their way back up. The drop over the edge is not particularly high, but with an uneven trail and no railing, it’s high enough to make you feel unsteady on your feet.
Finally, you’ll arrive on Filikuri Beach.
On a calm day, the water is the same beautiful shade of turquoise you’ll become accustomed to when exploring the Albanian coast. The white pebbles here are reasonably large which can make walking to the water something of a challenge, but there are some small patches of sand which are more comfortable for laying out in the sun. There are also a couple of small caves burrowed into the rock face at the northern end of the beach.
Though less busy than some of Himara’s more accessible beaches, Filikuri does receive a fair few visitors so it is well worth arriving early in the day to get a good spot, particularly during peak season.
During my most recent visit, there was a near constant stream of visitors arriving by mid-morning.
To return to Himara from Filikuri Beach, it’s right back up the way you came.
Personally, I found this more challenging than the way down as there is one tall smooth rock you need to navigate over before you reach the trail. There are very few well-placed footholds so you really need to be able to get a solid grip, either grabbing onto the rope or the ledge and hoist yourself up the rock face until you can leverage your foot onto the next level.
Thankfully, after some huffing and giving your arms a good workout, before you know it you’re back on the well worn path at the top of the cliff ready to continue along the return journey.
Initially, I had planned to kayak to Filikuri Beach, however an overnight storm meant the winds had picked up and it turned out to be such a choppy morning that the kayak operator strongly recommended against it.
That said, the seas around Himara are ordinarily calm, clear and beautiful, making it perfect for a kayaking adventure and there are several places to rent kayaks or stand-up paddle boards from along Himara beachfront.
Many of the small stands that offer boat tours and congregate around the pier that splits Spile Beach and Himara Beach also rent out kayaks. Otherwise, there are generally kayaks or stand-up paddle boards lined up along the shore with an attendant waiting in the shade nearby to arrange payment and get your sorted.
Seas the Day, who offers one of the most popular boat tours in town, also has an office on the beachfront and rents kayaks from just €5 per hour (as of May 2024). I didn’t use these myself but their boat tours came highly recommended.
For kayaking to Filikuri Beach, I’d definitely suggest choosing a day with minimal wind and calm seas to make paddling easier and allow you to comfortably and safely exit the boat at the other end – the waves can really slosh along the shore at Filikuri when it gets choppy.
From Himara, the trip should take just under an hour.
There are no facilities here – Bring snacks, water and sun protection
Unlike many of the other beaches near Himara, Filikuri Beach is completely empty – there are no permanent facilities or refreshment stands here.
Therefore, it’s a good idea to bring plenty of water and snacks with you for the day.
There are also no established beach umbrellas or lounge chairs here – definitely a good thing in my opinion – which does mean the beach can get exceptionally hot.
There’a minimal shade once the sun begins to arch overhead during the middle of the day, though in the early morning or late afternoon, you can shelter beneath the cliffs depending on the time of year and angle of the sun.
Definitely bring plenty of sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses. An umbrella or sun shelter is somewhat cumbersome to bring down the cliff, but I did see a few beachgoers arriving with them and it’s not a bad idea if you have one and intend to spend several hours at Filikuri.
Wear Reasonable Shoes
While the walk is reasonably straight forward while you’re on the well-trodden trail, flip flops, sandals or slides are really not ideal for scrambling and abseiling down the cliff.
I saw far too many visitors ending up barefoot because their shoes kept falling off or would send them sliding while they hung on to the flailing ropes.
Hiking boots would be overkill, but I’d suggest at least a pair of enclosed shoes with decent grip would be the best option.
Essentially, something that isn’t going to slip off your feet or fall right over the edge while you’re climbing over sharp stones and sheer cliffs.
Filikuri is a rough pebble beach
No surprises here.
Similar to much of the Albanian Riviera, Filikuri is a pebbly spot though it’s worth noting that these pebbles are far larger than you might be accustomed to on Himara’s main beaches.
They’re particularly unpleasant to walk on so water shoes are a good idea, or you can wear your walking shoes to the water’s edge and leave them there while you’re swimming to at least spare yourself the awkward and painful pebble dance between your towel and the water.
Thankfully, there are some very small sandy patches which make laying down much more comfortable, though these tend to be snapped up quickly by the first arrivals who nab their spot.
The bay can be rough in poor weather
Visiting Himara on a calm sunny day, it’s almost impossible to comprehend that this wide arching bay of perfectly still, turquoise water could look anything but inviting, however when the wind picks up, the seas do become choppy, particularly as you move beyond the protection of the bay.
Now, you’re certainly not going to be getting large swell here, but the waves can pick up and dump along the rocky shoreline which can make kayaking far more difficult and unpleasant if you’re trying to navigate around the small peninsular or land on the beach.
Mornings are usually best when there’s less chance of wind, but be sure to check the conditions before heading out into the water and consider walking instead if the water things are looking dicey.
What to bring To Filikuri Beach
// Towel and swimmers
// Sunscreen, hat and sunglasses (sun shelter if you’re game to carry it down the cliff)
// Book or Kindle
// Snacks or a packed lunch
// Powerbank
// Water bottle
// Water shoes
// Enclosed walking shoes
// Dry bag or waterproof phone case if you’re kayaking
Park On The Road If Arriving By Car
Where the asphalt road ends at the far corner of Potami Beach, the narrow single-lane concrete road climbs the hill for a few hundred metres before transforming into a very rocky and uneven dirt road until you reach the clearing.
While some people do attempt to continue up the concrete road in their cars, I’d strongly advise against it.
The road is narrow with limited space for cars returning in the opposite direction to pass, there’s barely any parking space (just enough for 2 or 3 vehicles squeezed against the bushes) and the dirt road is rough and not really suited to the tiny rental cars that most visitors tend to be driving.
Even outside of peak season, beachgoers trying to drive onto the headland caused plenty chaos with cars having to reverse down the hill in search of somewhere wide enough to let the oncoming traffic pass, scratching their cars on the bushes in the process. It all just gets very messy and unnecessarily stressful, so I’d suggest leaving your car down below where there is ample parking along Potami Beach.
Or better yet, walk or kayak directly from Himara.
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