Livadhi Beach · Himarë · Albania
Nine room types.Four views.One beachacross the road.
A family-run bed and breakfast on Livadhi Beach, north-west along the coast from Himarë town. Every room has a balcony, and which one you book decides what you wake up to — the Ionian, the mountain, the olive garden, or the castle.
The index
Every room type, and what it looks at
There are nine types. They differ mostly in one thing — the aspect — so this is the list, in full, with nothing hidden behind a carousel.
- 01Deluxe Double Room with Sea ViewA queen bed and the whole bay.
- 02Deluxe Double Room with Castle ViewLooks inland, towards the old town on its hill.
- 03Double Room with Sea ViewThe straightforward sea room.
- 04Double Room with Mountain ViewOlive terraces and the ridge behind town.
- 05Double Room with Garden ViewOver the lawn and the breakfast vine.
- 06Triple Room with Sea ViewThree people, one bay.
- 07Triple Room with Mountain ViewThe same room, facing the hill.
- 08Triple Room with Garden ViewSliding doors onto the lawn.
- 09Deluxe Triple RoomThe deluxe finish, three beds.
Choosing
Which way do you want to wake up facing?
Sea
West over the beach road to Livadhi bay. You get the whole sweep of it from the balcony, and the sun goes down into the water in front of you.
Mountain
Inland, over the olive terraces to the ridge behind Himarë. The photographs from these rooms are all green and grey rather than blue, and they are the ones people are surprised by.
Garden
Down into the back garden: lawn, an old olive tree in a round stone bed, and the vine over the breakfast tables. The shortest walk to coffee in the house.
Castle
Inland and north-east, up to the old town inside the castle walls on its hill above Himarë. One deluxe double faces this way.
Breakfast
Cooked to order, under the vine
Breakfast is not a buffet. You sit down in the garden — some tables under the grape vine, the rest under the canopy beside it, with the pebble-faced wall on one side and the olive trees on the other — and somebody asks you what you want.
Guests describe eggs with sausage, omelettes, yoghurt with fruit and muesli, warm petulla — the fried dough that turns up at every Albanian breakfast table — bread, jam, and coffee made at the table rather than pumped from a flask.
The brick oven and the blue doors behind the tables are the oldest-looking things on the property, and they are the reason the garden is where everyone ends up.
The beach, and the room
Your loungers are already on the beach
Livadhi Beach is directly across the beach road, about 30 m from the building. A road and a car park run between the building and the shingle, so it is a walk of well under a minute rather than a step off the terrace. The sun loungers and the umbrella down there come with the room, at no extra charge and for as long as you are staying.
The view from an upper balcony. The road and the car park are in the photograph on purpose.
Comes with the room
- — Sun loungers and an umbrella on Livadhi Beach
- — Breakfast, cooked to order in the garden
- — Free private parking behind the building
- — Free WiFi throughout
- — Air conditioning and a balcony in every room
- — A private bathroom with a walk-in shower
- — Flat-screen TV, kettle, fridge and a table in the room
- — Room service and a concierge service
Worth knowing before you book
- — No card payments — the property takes cash
- — No cots and no extra beds
- — No pets
- — No kitchenettes; the rooms have a kettle and a fridge, not a kitchen
- — WiFi is the one thing guests rate below the rest
The practical facts
| Where | Himare – Livadh Rd, Himarë 9425, Vlorë County |
|---|---|
| The beach | Livadhi Beach, across the roadAbout 30 m, and a walk of well under a minute |
| Loungers | On the beach, included with the room |
| Breakfast | Continental, cooked to order, in the garden |
| Parking | Free, private, behind the building |
| Check-in | 14:30 – 23:00 |
| Check-out | 08:00 – 10:30 |
| Payment | Cash only |
| Pets | Not allowed |
| Cots & extra beds | Not available |
| Minimum check-in age | 18 |
On foot, or on the road
| Livadhi Beach | 30 mon foot |
|---|---|
| Restorant Odissea | 10 mon foot |
| Akuariumit Beach | 1.9 kmby road |
| Himarë Castle | 2.9 kmby road |
| Himarë town centre | 4.3 kmby road |
| Spile Beach, Himarë | 5.1 kmby road |
| Potami Beach | 5.7 kmby road |
| Jale Beach | 12.7 kmby road |
The coast road loops inland round every headland, so the drive is longer than the map looks.
The coast
What is within reach
Himarë sits in the middle of the Riviera, which means most of the good things are a drive rather than an expedition.
Livadhi Beach
Pale shingle and clear water, with a row of beach bars and tavernas behind it — Odissea Li is ten metres from the gate. Your loungers are already down there.
Himarë Castle
The old town sits inside the castle walls on the hill above modern Himarë — stone lanes, an arched gate, and the whole coast laid out below.
Potami Beach
The town beach, busier and better served than Livadhi, with the promenade and the fish restaurants a few steps back from the water.
Porto Palermo
Ali Pasha's triangular fortress on its own peninsula in a near-enclosed bay. Empty out of season, and worth the detour in it.
Gjipe
Where a canyon meets the sea. You park at the top and walk down, or you take a boat from Himarë — most people do the second one.
Qeparo
The old village stacked up the hillside, half of it abandoned, with a quiet beach at the bottom of the hill.
Photographs
The house, the garden, the bay
01 / 12
What guests say
Guests on Booking.com rate the house 9.2 out of 10 — wonderful
The two things scored highest are the staff and the location, both at 9.6. The lowest is the WiFi, at 7.7, and that is left on this page for the same reason the beach road is left in the photograph.
| Staff | 9.6 |
|---|---|
| Location | 9.6 |
| Cleanliness | 9.5 |
| Comfort | 9.5 |
| Facilities | 9.2 |
| Value for money | 9.2 |
| Free WiFi | 7.7 |
Where it is
On the Livadh road, facing the water
Ionian View B&BHimare – Livadh Rd (Rruge Livadhi)
Himarë 9425, Vlorë County
Albania
Before you book
Questions people actually ask
How far is the beach from Ionian View B&B?
Livadhi Beach is directly across the beach road, about 30 m from the building. A road and a car park run between the building and the shingle, so it is a walk of well under a minute rather than a step off the terrace.
Are sun loungers included?
Yes. Sun loungers and an umbrella on Livadhi Beach come with the room, at no extra charge and for as long as you are staying.
Do all the rooms have a sea view?
No, and that is the point of choosing carefully. There are sea-view, mountain-view, garden-view and castle-view rooms. Every room has a balcony; what the balcony faces depends on which of the nine types you book.
What is breakfast like?
Continental, cooked to order rather than laid out as a buffet, and served in the garden — some tables under the grape vine, the rest under the canopy beside it. Guests describe eggs and sausage, omelettes, yoghurt with fruit and muesli, warm petulla — Albanian fried dough — pastries, jam and coffee made at the table.
Is there parking?
Yes — free private parking on site, behind the building, reached through the gate at the front. Parking is scarce along the Riviera in August, so it matters more than it sounds.
Can I pay by card?
No. Ionian View is cash only. There are ATMs in Himarë town, a short drive along the coast road, so draw what you need before you check out.
What are the check-in and check-out times?
Check-in runs from 14:30 – 23:00 and check-out from 08:00 – 10:30. The property offers private check-in and check-out, so tell them when you expect to arrive.
Are pets allowed, and can I add a cot or an extra bed?
No to all three. The house rules state that pets are not allowed and that cots and extra beds are not available. The minimum age for check-in is 18.
How do I get to Livadhi from the airport?
Fly into Tirana and drive south down the coast road through the Llogara pass — it is a long drive and a spectacular one. In summer a ferry also runs between Himarë and Corfu.
Is there a swimming pool?
No. Livadhi Beach is across the road, and the loungers on it are included with the room.
Is the WiFi any good?
It is free and it covers the property, and it is the lowest-scoring thing guests rate — 7.7 out of 10, against 9.5 and 9.6 for cleanliness and staff. Plan on it being fine for messages and maps rather than for a work call.
How do I book?
Through Booking.com, where the live rates and availability are. You can also call the house directly on the number painted on the sign at the gate.
Pick a view, then pick a date
Rates and availability are live on Booking.com. The house takes cash on arrival.