Llogara pass

Slowly we headed north, this time along the coast. The route went through the seaside towns of Ksamil, Saranda, Borsh, Porto Palermo, Himarë and Dhërmi.

The most spectacular point of the route, however, was the Llogara Pass, which we had to climb when driving from the south. The difference in altitude is almost 1100 meters. This is one of the most beautiful routes in Europe. The views were amazing.

Fun fact: the Llogara Pass (1,027 m) is the watershed between the Adriatic Sea in the north and the Ionian Sea in the south. Around it lies Llogara National Park, created in 1966. It is home to the famous wind-bent Flag Pine (Pisha e Flamurit).

At the top of the pass we stopped for the night.

Good to know: the Llogara Tunnel between Dukat and Palasë opened on 5 July 2024. It is about 6 km long, the longest tunnel in Albania, and the drive takes about 7 minutes instead of about 30 minutes over the pass.