Himara Castle & Old Town
In town — 15–20 min walk uphill from the promenade
Stätte des Kalten Krieges
Porto Palermo Submarine Tunnel
Northern end of Porto Palermo Bay
- Epoche
- Built 1969–1988 (Cold War)
- Von Himara
- ~10 km south on SH8 (15–20 min drive)
- Eintritt
- Free to view from the road or from a boat
- Öffnungszeiten
- Visible from the road at any time; daylight hours recommended for photos
- Zeitbedarf
- 20–30 minutes from the roadside viewpoint
Über Porto Palermo Submarine Tunnel
The Porto Palermo Submarine Tunnel is a 650-meter tunnel carved straight through the peninsula at the northern end of Porto Palermo Bay. Built during the Cold War to shelter four seized Soviet Whiskey-class submarines, the tunnel is a monument to Enver Hoxha's paranoia and Albania's extraordinary isolation between 1961 and 1991. You cannot go inside — it remains a restricted military zone — but you can see the entrance from the coastal road and from boat tours that pass through the bay.
Geschichte
After WWII, Albania aligned with the Soviet Union. The Soviets ran their only Mediterranean naval base from Pasha Liman on Vlora Bay, with twelve Whiskey-class submarines operating from there. When Hoxha broke with Moscow in 1961, the Soviets withdrew — but Albania seized four of the submarines and built this tunnel to shelter them, fearing retaliation. Construction took nearly two decades, finishing in 1988. The tunnel was abandoned after the regime collapsed in 1991. The gate was briefly opened for a ceremony in August 2024 but the site remains closed to public access.
Was du siehst
The arched tunnel mouth carved into the cliff face on the bay's northern side; the abandoned military barracks and concrete infrastructure scattered across the hillside above; the scale of the opening — visible even from across the bay; the bunker complexes along the access road (Hoxha-era pillboxes are everywhere in this part of Albania).
Fotos
So besuchst du es
Drive south from Himara on SH8 — the tunnel viewpoint is on the right about 10 km out, before you reach the Porto Palermo Castle turnoff. There is a roadside pullout where most visitors stop for photos. To see the tunnel up close, take a boat tour from Himara (€30–60) — the boats pass directly in front of the entrance. You cannot enter the tunnel itself by either route.
Beste Besuchszeit
Late morning to early afternoon, when sun lights the cliff face directly. From a boat tour, mid-morning departures give the best light angle on the tunnel entrance.
Tiefgang: Vollständiger Besucher-Guide
Geschichte, praktische Tipps und Hinweise zur Route ausführlich — der Artikel, der tiefer geht als diese Seite.
Porto Palermo Submarine Tunnel vom Meer aus erleben
Wie Anbieter diesen Ort mit dem Boot erreichen, welche Touren ihn einschließen und wie die Ankunft vom Wasser aus aussieht.
Geführten Besuch buchen
Lieber mit einem Guide unterwegs? Entdecke Porto Palermo Submarine Tunnel-Touren und Ausflüge mit Festpreisen und kostenloser Stornierung.
Touren auf GetYourGuide ansehen →In der Nähe
- Porto Palermo CastleBurg
- Porto Palermo BeachStrand
- QeparoStrand
Fragen
Can you go inside the submarine tunnel?
No — the tunnel is a restricted military zone and closed to the public. The gate was briefly opened for a ceremony in August 2024 but has since been resealed. You can view the entrance from the SH8 road or from boat tours that pass directly in front of it. Trespassing is prosecuted.
Why was the tunnel built?
After Albania broke with the Soviet Union in 1961, the regime seized four Whiskey-class submarines and built this tunnel to hide them from feared Soviet retaliation. Construction ran from 1969 to 1988 under Enver Hoxha's policy of total defensive isolation — the same paranoia that produced 175,000 bunkers across Albania.
How do you get to the submarine tunnel?
Drive south from Himara on SH8 for ~10 km (15–20 min). The viewpoint is a roadside pullout on the right, before the Porto Palermo Castle turnoff. For a closer view, take a boat tour from Himara harbour (€30–60) — the boats pass directly in front of the tunnel entrance on Porto Palermo loop trips.
Is the submarine tunnel worth visiting?
Yes — especially combined with Porto Palermo Castle in the same bay. The scale of the opening and the abandoned military infrastructure on the hillside give a vivid sense of Cold War-era Albania's isolation. Budget 20–30 minutes for the roadside viewpoint, or 1–2 hours total with the castle.
Weitere Sehenswürdigkeiten in der Nähe von Himara
Weiter entdecken
Fehlt etwas oder ist etwas falsch? Schreib uns an info@himara.net