Best DIY Day Trip From Vlore
On my last trip to Vlore I rented a car and put together a day trip to visit Zvernec Island, Apollonia Archeological Park and a local winery for a tasting and meal.
This was a relaxing and easy day trip from Vlore. I left around 10 am and was back in Vlore by 5 pm. I’m going to tell you exactly how I did it so you can replicate it.
Best DIY Day Trip From Vlore
I visited Zvernec Island and the monastery first, then Apollonia, and ended with a full wine tasting and lunch at an amazing local winery. It was a great route – not a lot of driving and the roads were good.
It’s not possible to do this route without a car. The buses don’t go all the way to Apollonia Archeological Park or near the winery I visited.
Where to Rent a Car in Vlore
Usually I use Discover Cars for rentals in Albania, but this time I used Lukas Rental. It was very convenient because it was 2 minutes from my Airbnb on the Lungomare in Vlore.
The only thing I didn’t like about my experience with Lukas Rental is the car was only one quarter full when I picked it up. The first place I drove to was a gas station. But, this happens a lot in Albania! I’ve rented 7 or 8 cars so far, and only once has the car had a full tank on pick up.
Zvernec Island & Narta Lagoon
This was my first stop. Zvernec is a small island connected to the mainland by a scenic footbridge. On the island is a 13th century Byzantine monastery, St Mary’s. When I visited a few people were lighting candles outside the monastery.
There main attraction here is the walk through Narta Lagoon on the wooden bridge and enjoying the peacefulness of Zvernec Island and St. Mary’s. Apollonia was the major site I wanted to visit, but Zvernec is on the way there (more or less) and worth seeing.
Narta Lagoon is a protected wetland on the migratory path of birds flying between Europe and Africa and home to flamingoes, pelicans and other water birds.
Zvernec and Narta Lagoon are currently in the middle of one of Albania’s biggest political and environmental controversies right now. The dispute involves the development of a luxury resort linked to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. I won’t get into it here, but it has been dubbed the ‘Flamingo Revolution.’
It’s an easy 20 minute drive to the parking lot for Zvernec Island. There was a herd of goats grazing in the lot when I parked there. I didn’t have to pay for parking or an entrance fee when I visited in April.
Apollonia Archeological Park
Apollonia was the main focus of my day trip from Vlore. It is the site of an ancient Greek city built in 588 BC, named for the Greek sun god, Apollo. It’s on the UNESCO tentative list.
When it was built, Apollonia was a major port city on the Adriatic Sea. Even Julius Caesar visited Apollonia. After centuries of prosperity, Apollonia lost its link to the Adriatic when a massive earthquake altered the course of the Vjosa River. The city fell into decline and was eventually abandoned.
Today the ruins of Apollonia sit peacefully surrounded by trees, flowers, and spectacular views over the valley. When I visited in April everything was blooming – there were literally fields of wildflowers.
It’s very walkable, most of the ruins are in a compact area. There’s plenty of trees and shade. I had a coffee at the restaurant on the hill – it has a really nice terrace. There’s another restaurant closer to the museum entrance.
Make sure you see St. Mary Monastery and the church where the museum is located. It’s included with the entrance fee.
The drive is less than 45 minutes from Zvernec. The roads were all good, but I did end up on a dirt road near the site looking for the parking lot.
The Apollonia entrance fee was 600 lek ($7.50 USD) with free parking. They’re closed Mondays off season (but they didn’t specify which months off season is).
Kantina Balaj
On my way back to Vlore I stopped at Kantina Balaj, a restaurant and winery. It turned out to be one of my favourite meals and wine tastings in Albania, and the most fun part of my day trip from Vlore.
Kantina Balaj is a small family operated winery and restaurant. The dad was serving the food and chatting with guests (it seemed like he knew everyone), and the daughters were helping out and did my wine tasting.
If you’re interested in visiting more wineries, here’s 4 Albania wine route road trips you can take.
There is a menu, but they don’t really use it. Instead, the owner asked me ‘mer’ (sea) or ‘terre’ (land) for my meal preference. I asked for ‘mer’ and the food started coming! Salad, anchovy crudo, grilled shrimp and squid, bread and dessert – it was all delicious.
Before lunch was served I had a tour of the wine cellar which is in an old communist era bunker tunnel built into the mountain side. I’ve seen converted bunkers used as cellars before in Albania – they’re great for maintaining a steady temperature.
Back in the dining room my tasting started with 3 wines: a white, a red and an orange wine (all organic). Blueberry raki followed after lunch. The pours were very generous.
The food and wines were excellent, but what made the experience so special was the friendliness and welcoming attitude of the owner and his daughters. And the restaurant is full or art and feels inviting – it’s just a really great place.
My multi course seafood meal was 1500 lek ($18 USD), the tasting was 1500 lek, and I bought a bottle of their orange wine for 1500 lek. Very reasonable.
To find Kantina Balaj, follow Google directions and take the dirt road where the map indicates. There’s no signage. I don’t even think there’s a sign on the restaurant, but Vlore locals know exactly where it is.
Last Words on Best DIY Day Trip from Vlore
I thought this was the perfect day trip from Vlore. It had nature, history and amazing food and wine – which are all very much what Albania is about. The whole day trip took about 7 hours at a relaxing pace, and I was back in Vlore by late afternoon.
