Borsh
Best for. Travellers who want space and quiet over scene, happy to paddle, walk and find their own empty patch on the longest beach in the country.
Best spot. Anywhere away from the few bar clusters. Walk five minutes from the access point and the seven kilometres of sand open up almost to yourself.
Know this. Facilities are thin and the pebble is darker than the southern bays. Come for room and simple grilled fish, not for clubs or postcard turquoise.
Borsh is the long one, plain and simple. At roughly seven kilometres it is the longest beach in Albania, a vast sweep of dark pebble and coarse sand running under olive groves between Himara and Saranda. It has none of the polish of the styled coves up the coast and that is exactly the point. Borsh trades clubs and turquoise for something rarer on a summer coast, which is room to breathe.
The adventure read is space, and space changes everything. Walk a few minutes from any access point and you can have a stretch of sand almost to yourself even in high season, which makes it a paddleboard and long swim dream. You can put a board on the water and paddle along the shore for an hour without passing a single lounger, or walk until the bars are out of sight and pitch up for the day. The beach is open, so check the wind before you commit to anything on the water, but the reward is a kind of quiet that the famous beaches lost years ago.
Be honest about the trade though. If you want the glowing turquoise of Ksamil or a styled club with a cocktail list, this is not it. The pebble runs dark, the facilities are thin, and shade is scarce once you leave the restaurants. Come for space, quiet and a plate of simple grilled fish at a beach taverna, and Borsh does that better than anywhere on the coast.
On the sand and where to eat
Borsh has no styled beach clubs, and that honesty is the whole appeal. What you get instead is a scatter of simple beach restaurants and tavernas serving grilled fish a few steps from the water. For the full Riviera club scene, look up the coast.
Photo: Claudio Claudio72 mammone via GoogleBorsh beach tavernas
Simple beach restaurants and tavernas spread thinly along the front, serving fresh grilled fish and cold drinks with your feet near the sand. No styled clubs here, and that is the point. Prices and loungers to be confirmed.
Borsh, southern Riviera
Borsh lies on the SH8 coast road between Himara and Saranda, with the lower village leading down to the shore and parking strung along the front. Summer minibuses run from Saranda and Himara and drop on the main road, from where it is a short way down to the sand.
The smart play is to drive past the first busy access point and find a quieter one further along the seven kilometres. Bring water, shade and your own kit, swim and paddle in the calm of the morning, and let lunch be grilled fish at one of the simple tavernas on the front.
Photo: Dhoma Pushimi Bougainville Borsh Albania via GoogleBook a beach club
Borsh runs simple, so tell us your dates and party size and we will help arrange a table or a day on the sand, or point you to a styled club up the coast. We reply by email.
We are an independent editorial resource. Booking requests are passed to clubs and operators, and some may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Prices, availability and opening status are set by the venue and are to be confirmed at the time of booking.
Common questions about Borsh
Is Borsh beach worth visiting?
Yes, if you value space and quiet over scene. Borsh is the longest beach in Albania and you can find an almost empty stretch even in summer. It is not the beach for clubs or postcard turquoise, but for room to breathe it is the best on the coast.
Is Borsh really the longest beach in Albania?
Yes. At roughly seven kilometres it is the longest beach in the country, a vast run of dark pebble and coarse sand under olive groves between Himara and Saranda. That length is exactly why it never feels crowded the way the smaller coves do.
Are there beach clubs at Borsh?
No styled beach clubs, and that honesty is the appeal. You get simple beach restaurants and tavernas serving grilled fish a few steps from the water. For the full Riviera club scene you will need to look up the coast toward Dhermi and Palase.
What should I bring to Borsh?
Bring water shoes for the dark coarse pebble, plus water and shade, because facilities are thin and there is little cover away from the restaurants. A paddleboard or a mask pays off on a beach this long and this quiet.
When is the best time to visit Borsh?
June and September give warm water and total space, and even July feels uncrowded thanks to the length of the beach. Swim and paddle in the calm of the morning, since the open shore catches the afternoon wind.
