At the end of a long, dry summer, presided over by cloudless skies, the rapids of the mighty Vjosa have calmed and quietened. Which suits me just fine, sitting as I am in a kayak navigating the ...

(National Tourism Agency of Albania / Courtesy) As the crow flies — and Google Maps confirmed — the coast was just a matter of miles away. An easy drive and we'd be lolling in the Mediterranean.

One of those countries is Albania. In post-pandemic years, seasoned travelers have been singing the praises of this Balkan nation. At the same time, tourists looking for a more polished travel ...

that most people would have trouble finding on a map. Located on the Ionian Sea, directly east of Italy and just north of Greece, Albania is a once-lost part of the area known collectively as the ...

with transfers provided by local travel agencies like Zbulo and Zalaz. To reduce the Peaks of the Balkans to a slightly shorter, seven-day circuit, start in Plav (Montenegro) or Theth (Albania ...

We drive into the Ceraunian Mountains of Albania on a switchback-happy coastal road, past walls of black pines and by rickety tables laden with local honey and tea. Slopes spilling down to beaches ...