Himara Castle & Old Town
In town — 15–20 min walk uphill from the promenade
Site de la guerre froide
Porto Palermo Submarine Tunnel
Northern end of Porto Palermo Bay
- Période
- Built 1969–1988 (Cold War)
- Depuis Himara
- ~10 km south on SH8 (15–20 min drive)
- Entrée
- Free to view from the road or from a boat
- Horaires
- Visible from the road at any time; daylight hours recommended for photos
- Temps nécessaire
- 20–30 minutes from the roadside viewpoint
À propos de Porto Palermo Submarine Tunnel
Le tunnel à sous-marins de Porto Palermo est un tunnel de 650 mètres creusé droit à travers la péninsule à l'extrémité nord de la baie de Porto Palermo. Construit pendant la Guerre froide pour abriter quatre sous-marins soviétiques de classe Whiskey saisis, le tunnel est un monument à la paranoïa d'Enver Hoxha et à l'isolement extraordinaire de l'Albanie entre 1961 et 1991. On ne peut pas entrer — il reste une zone militaire interdite — mais on peut voir l'entrée depuis la route côtière et depuis les excursions en bateau qui traversent la baie.
Histoire
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.
Ce que vous verrez
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).
Photos
Comment visiter
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.
Meilleur moment pour visiter
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.
Pour aller plus loin : guide de visite complet
Histoire, conseils pratiques et notes d'itinéraire en version longue — l'article qui va plus loin que cette page.
Voir Porto Palermo Submarine Tunnel depuis la mer
Comment les opérateurs rejoignent ce site en bateau, quelles excursions s'y arrêtent et à quoi ressemble l'arrivée vue du large.
Réserver une visite guidée
Vous préférez partir avec un guide ? Parcourez les visites et excursions Porto Palermo Submarine Tunnel à prix fixes et avec annulation gratuite.
Voir les excursions sur GetYourGuide →À proximité
- Porto Palermo CastleChâteau
- Porto Palermo BeachPlage
- QeparoPlage
Questions
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.
Autres sites remarquables près de Himara
Continuer l'exploration
Une information manquante ou incorrecte ? Écrivez-nous à info@himara.net