Now we have found a modern campsite in Albania at Radhima. We've written a lot about simple sites and campsites in the country. Now we want to tell you that there are modern sites too! Right now we are at Camper Stop Cekodhima, at Radhima on the west coast in the district of Vlora. We call it a "site" because we're in a gravel car park, but it has all the services you'd expect from a modern western campsite.
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RV park in Albania with good service
The site has all the services you need: fresh toilets and showers, emptying the car's petrol tank, water, electricity and WiFi. The door to the restaurant says that the site is inspected by the well-known camping organisation ACSI. It's actually a bit of a shame that there are only three motorhomes here, in the middle of the high season.
Restaurant with Italian cuisine
We stand by the sea and we hear the waves rolling in. Right next to us is the beach and a restaurant with really good Italian food. Could it get any better? Yes, we're a bit grumpy because we crave Albanian food and are tired of pizza and pasta, but that's us.
If you want a fresh pitch in Albania, a beautiful sea and good Italian food - this is perfect. And of course, there are more restaurants if you walk left or right along the beach. Maybe even one that serves Albanian food?
Warm welcome
This is a really nice and modern campsite in Albania, and we are warmly welcomed when we arrive. Just like at several other campsites in Albania, the owner comes right up, shakes hands, introduces himself by name and asks where we are from.
Motorhome parking in Albania that is good!
Later in the evening (when he comes over to our campervan to offer each of them a raki), he tells us that he started this place 20 years ago and has invested heavily. Still, he doesn't get as many guests as he had hoped. Despite the modern service, the easy price (15 euros/day including electricity and free WiFi) and the beautiful sea view, there are only a few motorhomes here. Hello, where are you???
Radhima on the west coast
Radhima is located in a town called Orikum, on the coast of southern Albania. We are at Radhima Beach, which we believe could be the next tourist destination in Albania. The Gulf of Vlora has plenty of holidaymakers already, mainly Italians coming from Bari.
There is a ferry that runs between Bari and Vlora and thousands of Italians come here every year to enjoy the beautiful coastline and low prices. There are hotels, restaurants with Italian food (of course) and a marina.
What to see and do in Radhima?
Nearby is a large national park called Llogara with Mount Lika, and off the coast is Sazan Island. In Orikum is also the old village of Tragjas, which we have not visited, but where there is an old castle, Gjon Bocari Castle. Apparently the ancient Greeks also built a theatre here, and excavations are ongoing. Welcome to the Albanian Riviera!
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Anja says:
We'll be right there!
By the way, I think Peter gets too few cheers for his driving here on the blog (apropos of the last breathtaking post). Go Peter!
23 August 2015 - 11:22
BP says:
It's a real shame that this lovely campsite doesn't have more guests. Good for you for promoting it on your blog. The owner, who has invested a lot of money, deserves that his investment pays off! However, I think it will take many more years until Albania becomes a so-called tourist country. Hope your blog helps here.
I wonder if there is any typical Albanian food at all... It will be exciting to see if you find any places.
23 August 2015 - 12:36
Lennart says:
It looks very good!
Albania is on the " List "
23 August 2015 - 14:37
Lillianna says:
Hello!
Looks really nice!!!
Wouldn't mind taking another trip now...preferably right away!
/Lillianna
23 August 2015 - 15:52
Bosse and Gerd says:
A really great place in our eyes - right next to the beach, good food in the restaurant, several restaurants in the surroundings, good facilities at the site and an owner who cares about his guests !!!
Please write a post on Husbilsklubben.se and publish the pictures you have posted above !!!!
Hugs from Bosse and Gerd
PS. We leave this Saturday (29/8) for Spain and Portugal until mid-May next year.
23 August 2015 - 16:32
admin says:
Anja, great to hear! And Peter looked happy when he heard the cheers 🙂 .
BP, when we find good places it is nice to be able to help spread the information. I guess there is Albanian home cooking, but it doesn't seem to be very common in restaurants. I have seen Albanian food on at least one menu, but when we tried to order, the answer was "don´t have"... 🙁
Lennart, this is a great place to stay!
Lilliana, feel free to come here when you can! 🙂
Bosse and Gerd, that's a great idea! But where and how do you think I should put it so that others can find it? Oh, great that it's time to leave soon! How are you travelling and where in Spain and Portugal are you planning to stay?
23 August 2015 - 17:46
Jennifer says:
Lovely blog with great travel tips but can't help but wonder why you eat out all the time and don't grill... I think the whole charm of camping is that you can take care of yourself.
23 August 2015 - 18:10
Ditte says:
It looks very nice, but you might have to wait a little longer for the more Albanian food. Because it is easy to get tired of pizza, chips and pasta. The risotto looked really good and with seafood as well.
The view also seems quite ok....It's nice to wake up there and hear the waves.
23 August 2015 - 18:14
admin says:
Jennifer, thank you for your comment! Yes... of course it's nice to be on your own when camping! We have been out for 8 months and eaten in restaurants a total of about 15 times, so it's not that often 😉 Here in Albania we have had difficulty finding grocery stores and it is so damn cheap to eat out so we think it's fun for a change. But otherwise we always cook ourselves. In Portugal, Spain, France and Italy we almost never ate in restaurants. We like to grill, but have not been able to grill as often as we wanted because many campsites have banned charcoal grills.
Ditte, we're going inland soon. We'll see what food we can find there!
23 August 2015 - 18:22
Matts Torebring says:
Tell them we'll come back maybe another year.
23 August 2015 - 18:42
Role o Carina says:
Oh how wonderfully perfectly organised it was there then, fun! 🙂
We would have come if we were free 🙂
Take care and enjoy.....
23 August 2015 - 19:14
Mr Christer Jansson says:
Great tips for the next time we go down. Absolutely wonderful to hear that more people appreciate the country and the people.
I have never met such helpful people, for example when we had a wrong turn once and we asked for directions. They didn't know any English, so a guy went out and stopped some cars, and eventually they found a girl who could translate.
Now drive carefully
As you have discovered, there is no telling what will turn up?
23 August 2015 - 20:33
Katta's Considerations says:
Exciting that you are now in Albania. The place looks nice. Have a good time! /Katta
23 August 2015 - 20:37
Mr Leif Berglund says:
Well, I don't think you need to look for home cooking anymore as everywhere in the Balkans it simply consists of grilled meat, grilled fish and potatoes cheese and vegetables. Even from Albania to Slovenia there is a grill outside most restaurants and the tourists are so few so they do not affect the menu so much possibly except the Italians.
On the east side of Lake Shkoder a little bit north of Shkoder in northern Albania you will find a similar place "Lake Shkodra Resort Omare" clean modern nice good restaurant plenty of space.
Have you made contact with the campsite in Macedonia where I suggested you send the green?
23 August 2015 - 20:52
admin says:
Matts, haha we will do that 😉.
Rolle and Carina, tips for the future! 🙂
Christer Jansson, glad to hear that you also like the country, and what a great experience when you got help on the road!
Katta, we are pleasantly surprised!
Leif Berglund, we've seen (and eaten!) a lot of grilled meat and fish. But French fries cannot be Albanian home cooking...? We have not seen any other potatoes... Where we are now there is only Italian (pizza, pasta, risotto), but tomorrow we go inland so maybe there will be less of that? I did not get in touch with the campsite, but we have still sent the green card there. (However, it took time before the insurance company helped us so we'll see if it arrives in time...)
23 August 2015 - 22:06
Naim says:
I have been following your blog for a few days now, as I am an Albanian from Kosovo. I was in Saranda and Ksamil last month, and usually go every year to Albania, great to hear that you like the country, that many prejudices about the country are not true, and that the hospitality in Albania is unique.
Please continue to report. I wish you a good journey and a wonderful stay in the land of the desert.
23 August 2015 - 22:39
Inga M says:
Exciting to follow you travelling in a country that is completely unknown to me! Have re-read your posts from the trip there. It looks nice with lots of mountains and lots of water contact. But I can not see if it is poor or not? Guessed that you would have a little scarce there but that may not be the case. Or you have mostly travelled in the tourist areas along the coast and there is a higher standard?
23 August 2015 - 23:04
admin says:
Naim, thank you very much for your comment! Yes, we are pleasantly surprised and Albania has offered many great experiences! We will continue to report as long as we are here, then the journey will continue through other Balkan countries.
Inga M, Albania is a poor country. There is construction and growth in the tourist areas. Probably the poverty is greater in the countryside. We have read that half the population are farmers and that about 17 % live on less than 16 kr a day (according to Wikipedia). We did not notice any extreme poverty (except for one miserable tent camp that we saw) but in general the standard is lower. The campsites are often very simple, the supermarkets are small with little choice, etc. We have also not seen all of Albania but only the south-western part, which is the most touristy part.
24 August 2015 - 7:10
Mr Steve says:
As well as you write about Albania, you should have a lot of followers and those who have invested in tourism can get a better return on their investment.
24 August 2015 - 8:10
Margareta Jonilson says:
A foodie friend of mine was in Albania last year and told me about some interesting dishes where meat and vegetables are often mixed with different kinds of fruit. I don't know which part of the country she was in.
But it made me curious and hungry anyway!
24 August 2015 - 22:42