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Ksamil has long been the favorite destination of local and foreign tourists thanks to its beauty and fascinating beaches.

In the most famous advertising city for the first time, Ksamili appeared in Times Square, in the heart of New York.

From the images published in the video, the beauties of Ksamil are promoted. The video was also shared on social networks by Prime Minister Edi Rama.The last foreign media to evaluate Albanian beaches was the well-known American magazine Travel of Path, which dedicated an article to it.

The foreign media recommended our country, writing that Albania should definitely be on the travel list of every visitor, not only for its natural beauty, but also because of the low cost.

Mediterranean Europe is a favorite destination for millions of Americans. Famous for its crystal clear waters, picturesque coastal villages and incredibly ancient sites, the region is gearing up for a record-breaking increase in tourism this season, The Travel of Path writes in an article.

As strange as it sounds, one of the most beautiful swimming tourist spots in the Mediterranean, which has recently been called the “Maldives of Europe”, is attracting a large number of visitors.

We’re not talking about Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast, Montenegro, or any of the Greek islands, but Albania’s wildly underrated Ksamil, which should definitely be on your travel bucket list.

“Maldives of Europe” an underrated Balkan country

The “Maldives of Europe”, Ksamili is a small town with a beach in South Albania, on a coastal strip commonly called the Albanian Riviera, which lies in the turquoise Ionian Sea and far from the Greek island of Corfu, writes Atsh. After the pandemic, Albania has become known as one of the warm, sunny, trendiest countries in Europe due to its stunning nature and rich culture.

But tourists arriving at Tirana’s airport, the country’s largest, are often disappointed when they don’t immediately get the “Maldives” vibe they were expecting: They have to make a short trip to Durrës, the closest port to Tirana. , and a visit to the undeveloped beach, where the sea is gray and the beaches are pebbly. To experience the coastal charm of Albania, you must go to the South.

The Long Journey South to Heaven

The Albanian capital and its accompanying port are filled with monuments from the communist era and although they make for an exciting city break, Tirana or Durrës exist in a completely different realm from that of the southern Albanian coast.

The easiest way to travel in Albania is to rent a car, as inter-city buses regularly do not run on time and train service between cities is non-existent, making the mission of reaching the “European Maldives” a bit more difficult. complicated.

Driving along the rugged Albanian coast on a road path that winds through subtropical reserves, deep valleys and beachside villages, you’ll be treated to stunning views of the azure Adriatic and Ionian seas, perhaps the most beautiful small seas that make up part of The wider Mediterranean.

The shortest distance between Tirana, where the main international airport is, Saranda, the largest city in Southern Albania, is only 4 hours and 55 minutes. Here the seas are already clean and thriving, and offer daily ferries to Corfu, Greece.

14 km from Saranda, along the SH81 road, there is a much more attractive unusual city, which will become the next big thing of the Mediterranean.

Ksamil

Ksamili is a coastal workers’ village built in the communist years, when Albania was under dictatorship, outside the municipal limits of Saranda and on the way to Butrint, with the sole purpose of promoting the production of olive oil and mandarin oranges.

With a population of less than 10,000, it has come a long way since then, turning its focus to tourism, which has continued to grow at a rapid pace since the restoration of democracy in Albania and is now an escape very affordable, sunny idyllic that most Americans are completely unaware of.

With the white beaches, calm atmosphere and crystal clear seas, it is easy to understand why a comparison with the Maldives would have arisen, writes Atsh. Ksamil is essentially a place of relaxation, with only a handful of tourist accommodations, AirBnBs, and hotels to meet the requirements.

You won’t find ultra-luxury resorts, all-inclusive hotels, or those dreaded expat communities known for skyrocketing prices. In fact, there are no five-star properties listed on Booking.com, making this one of Europe’s last surviving beach destinations that has yet to be tapped by luxury brands.

Very affordable

Some of the more expensive hotels in the area, such as Hotel Livia or Hotel Piramida, welcome guests with rates as low as US$84 and US$135 per night respectively, an affordable price for the high tourist season, while there are many secluded villas and beachfront apartments in the city center for US$66 per night.

For comparison, nightly rates for similar properties in Oia, one of the largest settlements on the Greek island of Santorini, start at US$221 for August dates on the same booking platform, although they can go up to US$7,903 (for a private pool villa).

The Balearic island of Mallorca in Spain offers a double room in a “good” hotel with breakfast for up to US$215 per night. By staying in Ksamil, you can enjoy similar amenities at a much cheaper price. If you’re a culture enthusiast, you’re also in luck, as most of the historical attractions nearby are either free to visit or have a nominal “entrance fee”.

Visiting the ancient Greco-Roman ruins of Butrint, you’ll see a well-preserved Roman theater and numerous buildings from the Hellenic period that are still standing, and you’ll only pay US$10.55.

At the same time, the Leather Castle, a medieval hilltop castle with a restaurant overlooking Saranda, Ksamil and the wider Riviera, is free to visitors. You won’t find a better holiday deal than the Albanian Riviera anywhere in the Mediterranean.

But why is Ksamil so cheap and unvisited if it’s so amazing, you might ask?

A hidden subtropical gem

Unlike Greece or Spain, or any major Mediterranean power, Albania is neither in the European Union nor in the Eurozone, which makes it significantly less developed than its counterparts.

Tourism in Albania also did not get off to a good start in the early 2000s, following a deep economic recession in the late 90s and the legacy of the communist years, which had resulted in the country’s severe lack of significant infrastructure, or tourist, until recently.

A group of divers have come across a rare fish that lives in the depths of the ocean. Called “oarfish” or as science knows Regalecidae, the chances of this fish encountering humans are very rare and mostly mentioned in sea monster stories.

The creature is about 2 meters tall and has a flat body, making it look like a giant knife. Recently released footage shows a group of divers swimming near the rare fish off the coast of Taiwan.

Usually this sea creature lives at a depth of 200 to 1000 meters and people have the opportunity to see them only when they are washed ashore dead. The longest fish of this type reaches up to 11 meters.

In Japanese mythology they are believed to be a sign of tsunamis and earthquakes.

As it has the colors of the habitat where it lives, the giant fish looks almost invisible.

Dive instructor Wang Cheng-Ru said this was the first time he had seen an oarfish, so he had to film it.