An Overview
Albania is located on Greece’s norther border and is spread
north along the coastline of the Adriatic.
The south of the country is mountainous and dry. The landscape is reminiscent of the Southern
Okanagan in summer. As you move north
along the coast the land turns from rugged mountains to river deltas and low
coastal wetlands – right around Vlore which is about mid-way along the coast.
During World War II Albania was occupied by Axis powers who
were violently opposed by communist partisans and others. Following the war, the Communist Party formed
an independent government and as a member of the Warsaw Pact countries supported
communist groups in neighbouring countries on its borders. The Communists in Albania held power for
nearly 50 years and were extremely paranoid to the point that they cut
themselves off from nearly all foreign interactions and militarized much of
their coastline, fearing invasion by NATO forces from the seas.
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| See the Pillbox - one of 700,000 |
In the early 90’s Albania held its first democratic
elections, and struggled to establish a representative democracy. Governments have come and gone, through
successive scandals including a pyramid scheme that collapsed in the late 90’s
costing many thousands of Albanians their life’s savings. Since the mid 2000’s Albania has begun to
re-establish industry and increase tourism with neighbours such as Greece and
Italy which can be reached easily by daily ferries from Durres, Vlore and
Sarande. However, many of the remnants
of their isolationist past remain and can be seen in the formalities for
visiting by yacht and the rough edges of daily life.
Formalities
Yachts are welcome in Albania and can check in at one of
four ports, in the North is Shengjin followed as you head south by Durres,
Vlore and Sarande. Courtesy flags can
usually be found in Greece if heading north, or may be purchased locally once
you arrive.
Unfortunately, sailing vessels are treated as any large ship
and are required to use an agent to handle formalities on arrival. The Adriatic Pilot 6th Edition
and the 777 Harbours and Anchorages guide have recommended agents for each port. In addition, vessels are required to check in
with the authorities at each port visited even once immigration and customs
formalities are accomplished. This may
mean you employ 4 different agents to complete paperwork for you at a cost that
is not insignificant. We visited Sarande
(where we checked into the country), and Durres. Agency fees were 70 Euros in Sarande and 50
Euros in Durres.
and the 777 Harbours and Anchorages guide have recommended agents for each port. In addition, vessels are required to check in
with the authorities at each port visited even once immigration and customs
formalities are accomplished. This may
mean you employ 4 different agents to complete paperwork for you at a cost that
is not insignificant. We visited Sarande
(where we checked into the country), and Durres. Agency fees were 70 Euros in Sarande and 50
Euros in Durres.
While not a low budget item, the use of agents had the
benefit of making the clearing in process simple. We provided the yacht registration and our
passports in Sarande and had our entry stamps and approval to visit within ½
hour of arriving. Clearing out in Durres
was equally simple we let our agent know we were leaving and he provided us
with our exit papers and handled all of the immigration formalities. It was surprisingly painless given that we
were cruising at the time with a yacht that was not registered in our name.
Agents
Our agents were exceedingly helpful in both Sarande and
Durres, offering assistance with directions to key shops and sights in both
locations. Their services went beyond that of checking into the country and
they were excellent ambassadors for visiting cruisers.
Anchorages
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| Moored at a questionable pier - Palermos Bay, Albania |
There are a few anchorages that can be visited between the
port cities, though the Albanian coast is generally not well sheltered from the
prevailing summer winds. When visiting
these anchorages it is not necessary to check in, though if the port police
happen to be present they may ask for your details to create a record of your
visit.
If you wish to stop in at anchorages along the coast the 777
guide is a must have though hard to find in North America. Get it
before you get to Albania as we did not see it for sale locally.
In Part II of this retrospective, I'll provide some details on the costs of our stay in Albania, agents we used, and the places we visited and impressions we formed.
In Part II of this retrospective, I'll provide some details on the costs of our stay in Albania, agents we used, and the places we visited and impressions we formed.
