Cycling in Albania guide

Cycling instantly places you in an environment rather than watching through a window. Imagine being able to explore by bike in unknown landscapes dominated by undulating peaks and troughs; pungent black pine forests and sun dappled chestnut groves. Albania is 70 percent mountains; it’s the first thing you see when you fly into Tirana. So it should come as no surprise that cycling here is going to include more than one or two ups and downs. Albania also boasts borders with Greece, Macedonia and Montenegro, as well as a Mediterranean coastline featuring communist-era fishing villages and resorts like Sarandë.

Being on a bike gives you the freedom to experience authentic Albania from a unique perspective. You can hop off and hop back on again whenever you feel like it – try doing that on a coach or cruise ship. Cycling here also leaves minimal impact on the unspoilt valleys and woodland you’ll visit, as well as helping to preserve towns and villages away from the capital and coastal resorts. Qualified guides, back up vehicle drivers and accommodation owners are all encouraged by the boost that cyclists bring to regional economies. Road maintenance and rebuilding projects by local governments are also in place to meet the influx of travelers interested in exploring inland. All of which is pretty awesome, as far as we're concerned.

Read on for more in our cycling in Albania travel guide.

There’s a fairly forgiving route that we recommend to self guided cyclists. It takes you from Cetinje, in Montenegro, and leads through the Albanian Alps towards Shkodër. You then pedal back across the border via Lovcen National Park and an epic 25km descent to the beautiful Bay of Kotor. Daily distances are roughly 40km over the course of a week, so there are plenty of opportunities to soak up the scenery both on and off the saddle.

Top foodie tip: check out the slow food restaurant along the River Drin or opt for an afternoon of wine tasting at the Kallmet estate just a short ride outside of Shkodër – transfers back to your guesthouse by van are always an option. Phew!

You can cover a lot of ground in Albania over the course of a week. Average daily distances of 50-70km take you from Barmash Pass (1,159m), in the southeast to Llogara National Park on the Ionian Coast. On the way you’ll visit valley villages, such as Gërmenj, as well as encountering the archaeological ruins of Butrint, way down south across the border from Greece. Just be aware that this circular small group itinerary from Tirana is a pretty tough ride. Challenging stretches include untold cols and high altitude passes through the Grammoz Mountains as well as a lengthy ascent of 1,630m leading up and over the Llogara Pass.

Any cyclists seeking more of a small group challenge should certainly check out the fjord-fringed shores of Lake Komani. From the village of Fierze, on the other side, you’ll ascend some 1175m to Dardhë before undertaking a 12km climb along the Black Drin River Valley from Kukes to Peshkopi. Macedonian countryside, around the lakes of Ohrid and Prespa, awaits with an initial 93km ride over the border always worthy of a dip before crossing back into Albania on a 75km undulating ride to Pogradec.