What Couple's Bay Is
Couple's Bay is a small, sheltered cove on the Himara coastline, between Crystal Beach and Pigeon's Cave. The "Couples" name appears on tour operator itineraries (Himara Water Taxi, Sea Breeze, Boat Trip Albania) but isn't documented in official place-name sources. It's one of the smallest dedicated swim stops on the standard Himara tour route, operators typically anchor a single boat and run a 15–20 minute swim before continuing.
The appeal is privacy. While Crystal Beach regularly has two or three tour boats sharing the same patch of water, Couple's Bay's smaller geometry tends to keep groups separated.
Position on the Coast
Coordinates 40.1227°N, 19.6874°E, about 5 km north of Himara by sea, in the same cluster of cliff-base swim stops as Crystal Beach, Secret Cave and Pigeon's Cave. The order on a typical short tour:
Himara → Livadhi → Aquarium → Jale → Crystal Beach
→ Couple's Bay → Secret Cave → Pigeon's Cave
→ Gjipe → Monastery Caves → Pirate's Cave → return
The Stop
15–20 minutes from the boat:
- Sheltered cliff-base water, calm even when other stops are choppy
- Tiny pebble shoreline at the back of the cove (mostly cliff face)
- Cooler swimming because parts of the cove are cliff-shaded
- Snorkel-worthy along the rocky walls
It's a swim, not a beach. You're not lying out on sand, you're in the water with the cliff above you.
Why It Earns Its Spot on the Itinerary
The combination with Crystal Beach is what makes both stops worth doing. Crystal Beach gives you a shoreline to stand on; Couple's Bay gives you privacy. Together they bracket the cliff stretch between Jale and Gjipe with two short, contrasting swims 430 m apart.
Some operators skip Couple's Bay on the Grama Bay long-haul day to save time for the larger stops up north. On the dedicated Pirate's Cave half-day, both Crystal Beach and Couple's Bay are usually included.
Practical Notes
- Bring a snorkel mask
- Don't expect a beach, this is a cliff swim
- The cove is small enough that timing matters; ask your skipper to time the stop when traffic is lightest
- Aqua shoes if you want to scramble on the cliff base
Want to book this stop? The Himara Sea Escapes Albanian Riviera boat tour with swimming stops covers Couple's Bay as one of its stops, fixed-price online booking with free cancellation on GetYourGuide.
Compare With Other Coves
| Cove | Size | Privacy | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal Beach | Small | Moderate (often shared) | 20 min |
| Couple's Bay | Tiny | High | 15–20 min |
| Secret Cave | Rock inlet | High | 10–15 min |
| Saint Andrew's Bay | Small | Very high (long-haul only) | 30 min |
