Himara Castle & Old Town
In town — 15–20 min walk uphill from the promenade
Koude Oorlog-locatie
Porto Palermo Submarine Tunnel
Northern end of Porto Palermo Bay
- Periode
- Built 1969–1988 (Cold War)
- Vanaf Himara
- ~10 km south on SH8 (15–20 min drive)
- Toegang
- Free to view from the road or from a boat
- Openingstijden
- Visible from the road at any time; daylight hours recommended for photos
- Benodigde tijd
- 20–30 minutes from the roadside viewpoint
Over Porto Palermo Submarine Tunnel
De onderzeeërtunnel van Porto Palermo is een 650 meter lange tunnel die dwars door het schiereiland aan het noordelijke uiteinde van de baai van Porto Palermo is uitgehouwen. Gebouwd tijdens de Koude Oorlog om vier in beslag genomen Sovjet-onderzeeërs van de Whiskey-klasse te huisvesten, is de tunnel een monument voor de paranoia van Enver Hoxha en het buitengewone isolement van Albanië tussen 1961 en 1991. Naar binnen gaan kan niet — het blijft een militair verboden zone — maar je kunt de ingang zien vanaf de kustweg en vanaf boottochten die door de baai varen.
Geschiedenis
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.
Wat je ziet
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).
Foto’s
Hoe te bezoeken
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 tijd om te bezoeken
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.
Verdieping: volledige bezoekersgids
Geschiedenis, praktische tips en routenotities in lange vorm — het artikel dat dieper gaat dan deze pagina.
Bekijk Porto Palermo Submarine Tunnel vanaf zee
Hoe touroperators deze locatie per boot bereiken, welke tours het bevatten en hoe de aankomst er vanaf zee uitziet.
Boek een rondleiding
Liever met een gids op pad? Bekijk tours en excursies naar Porto Palermo Submarine Tunnel met vaste prijzen en gratis annulering.
Bekijk tours op GetYourGuide →In de buurt
- Porto Palermo CastleKasteel
- Porto Palermo BeachStrand
- QeparoStrand
Vragen
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.
Andere bezienswaardigheden nabij Himara
Verder ontdekken
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