Gjipe Beach.

I have been to many stunning paradise-like beaches around the world. They have mainly been in Brazil, The Philippines and the Caribbean. But you have one in Europe too in southern Albania. Gjipe Beach is the name. it’s still visited by very few people, but that will for sure change within the next decade. So it’s time to go there now.

Where is Gjipe Beach?

Hiking to Gjipe Beach.

Gjipe Beach is located between the two towns of Dhermi and Vuno in southern Albania. It’s a secluded beach that is at the end of a canyon called Gjipe Canyon. There is no asphalt road to Gjipe Beach yet and that is what is saving it from the crowds. In order to get there you need to walk about half an hour from the asphalt road on a small track. It’s a very pretty walk with fantastic views of the sea and the south Albanian coast. So it’s no punishment at all to get there, as long as you are fit enough for a 30 minute trek.

What is the Gjipe Beach like?

Arriving to the beach.

Gjipe Beach has small pebble stones and the water is very clear. It gets deep quickly. This I really like. As I prefer to swim right away when I jump in the sea. I don’t like having to wade through knee deep water for half a mile. There are a few beach parasols and straw huts for rent. As well as a little wagon that sells drinks and snacks. But it’s on a very small scale and we are not talking about the big fancy beach with cocktail bars and rave parties at night. This is the real deal that you get before a bounty beach becomes trendy.

Go hiking in Gjipe Canyon.

Hiking in Gjipe Canyon.

Gjipe Beach is at the end of a canyon with the same name. Gjipe Canyon is possible to hike for a couple of kilometers. When I went there with a couple of friends, we hiked up the canyon for about half an hour until the vegetation started to make it a little hard to hike there. We could have gone further. But was advised not to attempt going all the way up, as it gets very steep. You will need rope and climbing gear to do that. But I have no doubt that there will be a trail developed at one point. Cause this is very similar to the Samaria Gorge on the island Crete that sees hundreds of visitors every day.

Visit the beach by kayak.

Go kayaking to Gjipe Beach

When we were there, a group of kayakers came to the beach too. They had rented kayaks at the nearby Jale Beach. This is something I would like to do the next time as it must be a really nice trip along the coastline. Jale Beach is a couple of kilometers down the coast and quite nice too, but much more popular as you can drive to that beach and you have hotels, campsites and beach bars there.

Where to stay if you want to visit Gjipe Beach.

Shkolla Hostel in Vuno.

Gjipe Beach is close to the resort town Dhermi where most visitors stay. I decided to stay in the small village Vuno though, as I have an old friend who runs a very cosy little hostel/campsite there. It’s located in the former village school and the name is “Shkolla”. It’s a very cosy little place with a couple of dorm rooms and an olive grove where you can put up your tent for a few euros a night. This is by no means a luxury hotel. It is more a little retreat place where people tend to get stuck for a few days more than they planned. Because of the laid back friendly atmosphere. Be ware that it’s a summer hostel that is open between june and september. Best thing to do if you plan to go there is to mail the friendly owner Robo in advance to make sure that the place is open and that he has space as the hostel can get busy at times due to many people returning there year after year. His mail is shkollavuno@hotmail.com

Camping under an olive tree at Shkolla Hostel in Vuno.

And when Lonely Planet, Tripadvisor, Matador Network, Conde Nast and all those other websites starts raving about Gjipe Beach. Then remember who told you first about this stunning little piece of Albania 🙂

Gjipe Beach in Albania.