Radhimë Beach, Albania: Three Named Pebble Coves at the Southern End of Vlorë Bay, With Karaburun Boat Tours Departing from the Pier

Albania | Radhimë | Vlorë County

Radhimë is at the southern end of Vlorë Bay where the Adriatic transitions to the Ionian — the geographical turning point of the Albanian coast from flat sandy north to steep pebble south. The village and its beaches are 10 kilometres south of Vlorë on the SH8 coastal road, separated from the city by the bay’s southern curve. The water here is clearer than at Vlorë’s city beaches: the transition from the shallow sandy Adriatic to the deeper, more open Ionian produces the shift in colour that marks the geological boundary.

The beach is a longer stretch of coast with several small and narrow pebble beaches dominated by beach clubs. It is divided into three named sections: Radhimë I (approximately 500 metres), Radhimë II (700 metres), and Radhimë III (1.1 kilometres). Each section has its own beach club operations with sunbeds, umbrellas, restaurants, showers, changing cabins, and lifeguards. Sand has been brought in to make the beaches wider at the organised sections, which means the beach surface in those areas is softer than the natural pebble would suggest — but water shoes remain recommended throughout.

Radhimë and Orikum are the biggest resorts after Vlorë. There has been significant development in the last decade as news of the Albanian Riviera’s beaches spread. The whole bay is lined with hotels and resorts now, and the beachfront road serving Radhimë is new, built in recent years to serve the rapidly developing hotel strip.

Getting There: 10km from Vlorë on the SH8, Vlorë–Orikum Furgon, Parking Scarce in High Season

From Vlorë, the drive south on the SH8 takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes. The SH8 runs directly along the beachfront through the Radhimë resort strip, with the beach clubs visible from the road.

By furgon, the Vlorë–Orikum minibus departs every 30 minutes from the Vlorë city centre and stops in Radhimë. The journey takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes and costs a small fare. Ask to be dropped at the Radhimë beach section you want.

Parking is available along the beachfront road but is scarce in high season. The hotels along the strip control their adjacent parking, and the public spaces along the road fill by mid-morning on peak summer days. Arriving before 10am or accepting a walk from wherever parking is available further along the road are the practical approaches.

The Three Sections: I (500m), II (700m), III (1.1km), Each Dominated by Beach Clubs

Radhimë I is the smallest section at approximately 500 metres, the southernmost of the three, and the quietest. Radhimë II at 700 metres has 12 dining options within walking distance, with Mandarini restaurant adjacent. Radhimë III at 1.1 kilometres is the longest section and the most organised, with the Koala – Hakuna Matata beach establishment directly on the sand.

The three sections together cover the full Radhimë beach strip — each with its own character, each with full infrastructure, and each with the pebble base and slightly-deepening-from-the-shore entry that characterises the southern Vlorë Bay coast.

Pebble throughout — water shoes recommended across all three sections. The depth begins from the shoreline with a slight gradient: immediate wading depth at the entry but not the dramatic quick-deepening of the further south Ionian cove beaches. The water quality is described as generally clean, benefiting from the bay’s position away from the main urban port drainage.

The Karaburun Peninsula Boat Tours: Daily Departures from Radhimë Pier

The most important reason to use Radhimë as a base rather than a day stop is the boat tour access. Daily boat tours depart from the Radhimë waterfront to the Karaburun Peninsula — the uninhabited, road-free mountain peninsula forming the western arm of Vlorë Bay, accessible only by sea. The tour programme includes the Haxhi Ali Cave (named for the legendary pirate who sheltered there, where sunlight creates vivid blue-water effects), Grama Bay (the ancient sailors’ inscriptions bay at the peninsula’s southern tip), and Sazan Island (the former Soviet and Albanian military island now open to guided tours).

Karaburun–Sazan National Marine Park is one of Albania’s most spectacular natural reserves — Mediterranean monk seals, dolphins, rare seabird colonies, underwater caves. The boat tour from Radhimë or adjacent Orikum is the access route. Tours run approximately 8 hours and cost around €25 per adult.

The Orikum Archaeological Site: Ancient Greek Oricum, 5 Minutes South

The ancient city of Oricum — the Greek settlement established by settlers from Euboea in approximately the 6th century BC — is located adjacent to Orikum village, 5 kilometres south of Radhimë. Julius Caesar landed at Oricum in 48 BC at the start of his campaign against Pompey. The ruins are visible near the Orikum yacht marina — Albania’s only yacht marina, another specific reason the Radhimë–Orikum area differs from the city beach zones.

The combination programme: morning swimming at Radhimë, afternoon boat tour to Karaburun, brief stop at the Oricum ruins at Orikum on the return drive north. This covers the full character of the southern Vlorë Bay area in a single day.

Sunset Views of Karaburun

You get terrific views of the Karaburun Peninsula and the sunset from Radhimë. The peninsula’s mountain silhouette to the west is the evening backdrop — the same peninsula that the boat tours explore from the water, visible from the beach in its full 35-kilometre length.

The sunset from the Radhimë beach — the sun descending behind the Karaburun mountains, the water colour shifting from turquoise to deep orange and then purple — is the specific visual programme that makes the evening beach stay at Radhimë qualitatively different from a city beach sunset.

Radhimë Beach in Albania is three named pebble sections totalling 2.3 kilometres 10 kilometres south of Vlorë — beach clubs throughout, sand partly imported to widen the organised sections, water shoes recommended, parking scarce in peak season, boat tours to Karaburun and Sazan departing daily, Oricum archaeological ruins 5 kilometres south at Orikum, and Karaburun’s mountain silhouette on the sunset horizon.Drive south from Vlorë for 15 minutes. Park early. Book the boat tour.