Riviera panorama
The Ionian coast far below.
Christoph Strässler — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Pasztilla aka Attila Terbócs — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Albinfo — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Albinfo — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Neo Oens — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Llogara Pass, Qafa e Llogarasë in Albanian, carries the old SH8 road from Vlorë to the Albanian Riviera over the Ceraunian Mountains at about 1,027 metres. Its northern side lies in Llogara National Park, protected since 1966; southwards the mountain plunges to the Ionian Sea, a few kilometres off but some 1,000 metres below. The two sides of the pass differ sharply: black pine, Bosnian pine, fir and oak clothe the northern side, while the steep seaward face is almost bare. In 48 BC Julius Caesar landed seven legions at Palaeste, probably Palasë on the coast below, and tradition has him crossing here on what is now the Julius Caesar trail. The view runs down the Riviera and, on the clearest days, to Corfu. Past the tourist village on the Vlorë side stands the Flag Pine, a black pine some 20 metres tall, bent by the wind into a banner, now a natural monument. Restaurants serve spit-roast meat, stalls sell honey and mountain tea, paragliders launch from the cliff to land on Palasë beach, and marked trails climb to Maja e Çikës, Albania's highest coastal peak at about 2,044 metres. The pass is about 40 km by road south of Vlorë. The 6 km Llogara Tunnel beneath it, opened in July 2024, cuts the drive from Dukat to Palasë from half an hour to seven minutes, but only the old road over the top reaches the pass; it stays open, though winter snow and ice can close it. Dhërmi is 17 km downhill by road from the summit.
The Ionian coast far below.
A black pine bent by the wind.
A launch that draws pilots from abroad.
Old SH8 road between Dukat and Palasë, Llogara National Park, south of Vlorë
Paved and two-lane but steep, narrowing in places, with tight hairpins on both sides, the tightest on the descent to the coast, and no guardrail on some bends. Drive it in daylight, slow right down in fog, engine-brake in a low gear on the way down, and expect slow tour buses on the bends in summer.
Yes, on a marked trail, but the summit stands about 1,000 m above the pass and the long, steep climb takes most of a day there and back. Start early with plenty of water, consider a local guide, and turn back if cloud comes down.