Himara Castle & Old Town
In town — 15–20 min walk uphill from the promenade
Vend i Luftës së Ftohtë
Porto Palermo Submarine Tunnel
Northern end of Porto Palermo Bay
- Periudha
- Built 1969–1988 (Cold War)
- Nga Himara
- ~10 km south on SH8 (15–20 min drive)
- Hyrja
- Free to view from the road or from a boat
- Orari
- Visible from the road at any time; daylight hours recommended for photos
- Koha e nevojshme
- 20–30 minutes from the roadside viewpoint
Rreth Porto Palermo Submarine Tunnel
Tuneli i Nëndetëseve të Porto Palermos është një tunel 650-metërsh i gdhendur drejt përmes gadishullit në skajin verior të Gjirit të Porto Palermos. I ndërtuar gjatë Luftës së Ftohtë për të strehuar katër nëndetëse sovjetike të klasës Whiskey të konfiskuara, tuneli është një monument i paranojës së Enver Hoxhës dhe izolimit të jashtëzakonshëm të Shqipërisë midis viteve 1961 dhe 1991. Nuk mund të hyni brenda — mbetet zonë ushtarake e kufizuar — por mund ta shihni hyrjen nga rruga bregdetare dhe nga turet me varkë që kalojnë nëpër gji.
Historia
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.
Çfarë shihni
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
Si të vizitoni
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.
Koha më e mirë për të vizituar
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.
Thellimi: Udhëzuesi i plotë i vizitorit
Historia, këshilla praktike dhe shënime për itinerarin në formë të zgjeruar — artikulli që shkon më thellë se kjo faqe.
Shihni Porto Palermo Submarine Tunnel nga deti
Si mbërrijnë operatorët në këtë vend me varkë, cilat turne e përfshijnë dhe si duket mbërritja nga deti.
Rezervoni një vizitë me udhërrëfyes
Preferoni të shkoni me udhërrëfyes? Shfletoni turet dhe ekskursionet për Porto Palermo Submarine Tunnel me çmime fikse dhe anulim falas.
Shiko turet në GetYourGuide →Aty pranë
- Porto Palermo CastleKala
- Porto Palermo BeachPlazh
- QeparoPlazh
Pyetje
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.
Pika të tjera interesi pranë Himarës
Vazhdoni të eksploroni
Diçka mungon ose është e pasaktë? Na shkruani në info@himara.net