Every stop a Himara skipper might point at — sea caves, hidden bays, white-pebble beaches, and 2,500-year-old sailor inscriptions.
Each Himara operator offers a handful of standard routes. Here's what's on each one — pick the tour, see every named stop.
The standard short tour
The most-booked Himara boat tour. Hits the headline sea caves and a couple of swim stops along the Dhërmi cliffs without committing to a full day.
The marquee long-haul
Builds on the half-day route by continuing past Dhërmi into the Karaburun Peninsula — the only way to reach Saint Andrew's Bay, Grama Bay's ancient inscriptions, and the Blue Cave on Albania's largest sea cave system.
The all-conditions southbound
Sheltered by the bay's geometry, this southbound tour runs even when northern routes get blown out. Combines Ali Pasha's castle, a Cold War submarine tunnel, and a swim stop in the bay's clearest water.
For Karaburun completionists
Beyond the standard Grama Bay route. Krorez Bay sits past Porto Palermo on the southern run; English Bay sits past Grama on the northern run. Both add ~1 hour and require stable sea conditions.
All 29 destinations grouped by what they are — bays, sea caves, beaches, canyons, landmarks.
Secluded coves accessible only by boat — water-taxi drop-offs along the Ionian coast.
Couples Bay is the small, sheltered cove on the Himara coastline between Crystal Bay and Pigeon's Cave — a 15-minute swim stop on Himara boat tours, popular for its privacy and calm water.
Crystal Bay (also called Crystal Beach) is the swim stop midway between Jale and Gjipe on Himara boat tours — named for the exceptional water clarity that makes it the route's go-to snorkel and swim spot when other stops are busy.
English Bay (Englishman Bay) is the deepest reach of the Karaburun long-haul tour from Himara — past Grama Bay, into territory only reached by 6–6.5 hour boat itineraries. Named for its WWII connection to British Special Operations Executive operations along the Albanian coast.
Goats Bay is the smallest secluded cove on the Himara to Dhërmi coastline — named for the wild goats that graze the cliffs above. A quiet 15-minute swim stop on coastline tours when you want to escape the busier swim spots.
Grama Bay — the marquee Karaburun stop on long-haul Himara boat tours. ~1,500 ancient inscriptions span 18 centuries, the bay sits inside Albania's first marine park, and the Mediterranean monk seal still occasionally surfaces here.
Porto Palermo Bay is the deeply sheltered inlet south of Himara, hosting Ali Pasha's triangular castle, a 650-metre Cold War submarine tunnel, and five inner private coves. The destination of the half-day southbound boat tour and the calm-water fallback when northern routes are off.
Saint Andrew's Bay (Gjiri i Shën Andreut) is the white-pebble crown jewel of the Karaburun coast — sea-only access, a small bay sealed in by jagged cliffs, and a half-hour swim stop on every long-haul Grama Bay tour from Himara.
Sea caves you enter by small boat or swim into — light, echo, and corsair lore.
The Blue Cave on Karaburun's western flank — also known as Haxhi Ali Cave (Albanian Natural Monument) — produces the iconic luminous blue interior light that gives the cave its name. A standard 30-minute swim stop on long-haul Grama Bay tours from Himara.
Grama Cave is the sea cave at the southern end of Grama Bay, accessible from the bay's swim stop. Carved into the same limestone cliffs that hold the bay's 1,500 ancient inscriptions — and just as deep, dark, and hard to reach by land.
Pigeon's Cave (Shpella e Pëllumbave) is the smaller, quieter sister to Pirate's Cave on the Himara coastline — a 20-minute swim stop where wild rock pigeons nest in the cliff hollows above the entrance.
Pirate's Cave is the karst sea cave on the cliffs south of Dhërmi — actually two caves 200 m and 800 m off the southern end of Dhërmi Beach, lit by refracted blue-green light and famous from Petro Marko's 1955 children's novel. The centrepiece of every short boat tour from Himara.
The sea cave on the rocky shoreline of Porto Palermo Bay, near Ali Pasha's castle and the Cold War-era submarine tunnel. A standard photo stop on southbound boat tours from Himara.
Saint Theodore's Cave (Shpella e Shën Todhrit) is the sea cave directly beneath the cliff-top Saint Theodore Monastery north of Dhërmi — viewed from the boat with the monastery towering above. A standard photo stop on Pirate's Cave and Grama Bay tours.
Thunder Cave (also called Thunder Canyon) is the acoustic standout on the Himara to Grama Bay long-haul tour — waves crashing inside the cliff create thundering echoes that give the cave its name. Brief 10-minute photo and listening stop.
Pebble beaches that double as boat-tour swim stops between Himara and Karaburun.
Akuarium Beach is the tiny social-media-famous cove between Livadhi and Jale — crystal-clear blue-turquoise water that resembles a small aquarium. A standard 20-minute snorkel stop on Himara coastline tours.
Drymades Beach is the white-pebble beach north of Dhërmi — long, picturesque, increasingly developed. A standard photo and brief swim stop on Grama Bay long-haul tours from Himara.
Filikuri Beach is the hidden cove between Himara and Llamani — boat-only or via a 20-30 min hike. A standard secluded swim stop on southbound coastline tours, with excellent snorkeling and dramatic cliff descent.
Gjipe Beach is the headline pebble-and-sand swim stop at the mouth of Gjipe Canyon — the longest, most photographed swim on every Himara boat tour, with the dramatic limestone canyon rising directly behind the shoreline.
Jale Beach is the lively pebble-and-mixed beach 12 km north of Himara — a standard mid-morning swim stop on coastline tours, with beach clubs, parties, and turquoise water visible directly from the boat.
Krorez Beach is the boat-only beach south of Porto Palermo — clear water, no road access, and the destination of Himara's quietest southbound boat tour. A dedicated half-day route or a stop on extended coastline charters.
Livadhi Beach is the first major swim stop heading north from Himara — a 1.5 km pebble crescent enclosed by rocky headlands. Standard 20–30 minute swim stop on every short coastline tour.
Llamani Beach is the secluded rocky-bottom bay 3.5 km south of Himara — deep water with large stones, dramatic cliff geometry, and a quiet 20-minute swim stop on southbound coastline tours.
Palasa Beach is the northernmost beach of the Albanian Riviera — pebble shoreline tucked between cliffs at the foot of Llogara Pass. A standard pass-through stop on Grama Bay long-haul boat tours from Himara.
Porto Palermo Beach is the mixed sand-and-pebble beach at the south end of Porto Palermo Bay — bluer water than most of the area, very few crowds, and a standard swim stop on the Porto Palermo half-day boat tour from Himara.
Vasiliqi Beach is the quiet pebble cove between Filikuri and Porto Palermo on the southbound boat tour from Himara — crystal-clear water, no road access for most of its shoreline, and a short swim stop on coastline tours.
Dramatic gorges meeting the sea — best photographed from the water.
Castles, tunnels, and military relics visible from the bay.
Ali Pasha's triangular fortress sits on the central peninsula of Porto Palermo Bay — three round bastions, dark vaulted galleries, and a rooftop view over the Cold War submarine tunnel. The headline landmark of every southbound Himara boat tour.
The 650-metre Cold War submarine tunnel at the northern end of Porto Palermo Bay — built between 1969 and 1988 to house Whiskey-class submarines, sealed since 1998. Viewed from the boat as part of every southbound Himara tour.
Wild headlands forming the northern edge of every long-haul tour.
