Sail Albania.

Albania's coast is the stretch of the Mediterranean most charter guests haven't sailed yet. Within living memory this was a militarised border — Sazan Island a naval base, Vlorë Bay closed to almost everyone. The bunkers are still half-buried in the sand at Dhërmi and Himara, but the water's open now, and it carries far less summer traffic than Croatia or Greece a few hundred kilometres either side. Karaburun Peninsula drops limestone cliff straight into water that shifts from turquoise to navy within a few boat-lengths. It suits sailors who want that Adriatic-meets-Ionian scenery without a July raft-up at every anchorage.

Every boat here works out of Vlorë, on the north side of the bay where the Adriatic narrows toward the Strait of Otranto. It's a working harbour, not a marina built for charter — fishing boats, a ferry link to Brindisi, cafés on the front rather than a boardwalk. From the berth it's under an hour to the Karaburun-Sazan Marine Park, Albania's only marine protected area, with sea caves and clear water around the old naval installations on Sazan. South along the coast, Himara, Dhërmi and the Llogara pass sit a day's sail away. Saranda and the Ksamil islands, near the Greek border, are far enough to treat as a one-way leg rather than a there-and-back on a standard week.

Boats here sail all year, which is unusual for this stretch of the Mediterranean — winters are mild rather than closed to charter. The settled season runs roughly April to October. Summer wind follows the familiar Adriatic pattern: a Maestral thermal builds from the northwest most afternoons, rarely above a stiff force 4, with calm mornings good for an early passage. The Sirocco brings warm, damp southerlies and a short chop, more a spring and autumn feature than a summer one. In winter the Bora can funnel down from the northeast with real strength, so late-season and off-season sailing wants a flexible plan rather than a fixed itinerary.

Bareboat suits licensed sailors comfortable with limited local infrastructure — chandlery and parts supply here isn't what it is in Croatia. Skippered charter is worth considering on a first visit: the approach to Sazan (still partly a restricted zone) and the cave anchorages around Karaburun reward someone who knows the coast. Day charters and short three- or four-night hops between Vlorë and the Karaburun-Sazan park suit guests who want a taste of the coast without a full week aboard.

Price on request across the board here. This is a small, young charter scene and rates don't yet sit on the published grids you'd find in Split or Athens — they depend on boat, season, and whether you take a skipper. Expect broadly similar boat-day costs to the southern Adriatic once you account for the newer infrastructure, but ask us on WhatsApp for a real quote against your dates rather than trusting a headline figure.

A rough shape rather than a fixed plan — weather here rewards flexibility.

Day 1 — Provision and check out in Vlorë, short sail to Radhimë for the first night at anchor.

Day 2 — Radhimë to Dhërmi; swim off the boat, walk the beach.

Day 3 — Dhërmi to Himara; old town in the evening, dinner ashore.

Day 4 — Himara to Porto Palermo; anchor under the castle.

Day 5 — Porto Palermo to Ksamil; island-hopping and swimming.

Day 6 — Ksamil to Saranda; town, or a taxi out to Butrint.

Day 7 — Long return leg toward Vlorë, or hand the boat back in Saranda if your charter is one-way.

The nearest airport is Tirana, around two and a half hours by road from Vlorë. Some summer charter flights also reach Corfu, an hour's ferry from Saranda if your charter starts or ends at the southern end of the coast. Vlorë itself has no airport, so arrange transfers in advance — taxis exist but aren't metered, and English isn't a given outside the tourist strip. Bring some cash in lek for anything away from the marina front.