Sightseeing stop in Llogara pass: discover beautiful places in Albania

Llogara pass highlight

We at Monterrasol Transfers specialize in private car transfers. Together with the transfer itself, we propose that you visit some beautiful places along the transfer route. We call such places optional sightseeing stops (short excursions).

One of the places we selected to propose as a sightseeing stop is a beautiful Llogara pass in Albania. Sightseeing stops are a perfect easy opportunity to see new places during your transfer across Albania, especially during long distance transfers. Take it as a great option to get in touch with local culture and history. It's good to combine transportation and sightseeing together!

The Llogara pass is a high mountain road within the Ceraunian Mountains along the Albanian Riviera. The road itself is a steep zigzagging road on the southern end of the mountains and is 1027 meters above sea level. The pass is the highest point on the main coastal road between Vlore and Sarande and is 31.5 km long.

Last reviewed: 14 April 2025

Llogara pass description

The Llogara pass is part of part of the Albanian coastal road SH8 and connects the Dukat Valley in the north with another coastal area, Himare, in the south. It connects the Dukat Valley in the north with Himarë in the south. Orikum is the nearest city on the northern side of the pass and the village of Dhermi in the south.

The Llogara pass is a steep zigzagging road on the southern end of the mountains where the coastal road SH8 goes off the coast and into the Ceraunian Mountains. The SH8 road is the only paved road passing Ceraunian Mountains, which split Adriatic coast of Albania (North Albania) and Ionian coasts of Albania (South Albania) all along the Albanian Riviera.

The Llogara pass is also part of the Llogara National Park, which spans an area of 1,769 ha (17.69 km2). The land around the Llogara pass is mountainous in the north, but in the south it is hilly. In the southwest, the sea is closest to The Llogara Pass. The whole mountain range northwest of phe Llogara pass including the Karaburun peninsula is uninhabited and hardly accessible.

Llogara National Park is a national park centered on the Ceraunian Mountains along the Albanian Riviera in Southwestern Albania. The terrain in the park includes large alpine meadows, vertical rock faces, precipices and dense forests. The most area of land is covered by forests and was established in 1966 to protect several ecosystems and biodiversity of national importance. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed the park as Category II. The region has been recognized as an important Bird and Plant Area, because it support significant numbers of various bird and plant species.

To the north of the pass, the valley of Dukat leads to the southern end of the bay of Vlora at Orikum. In the south it falls steeply from the pass to the Ionian sea, whose coast is only three kilometers away as the crow flies, but over 1000 meters lower. In contrast to the north with a narrow V-shape valley, the pass opens to the south, where only a few cuts in the cliffs carry water after precipitation. The pass offers impressive views of the sea and, when visibility is good, across the entire Albanian Riviera to the Greek island of Corfu which is 50 kilometers away only.

The north and south sides of the Llogara pass different significantly. Although on the south side almost twice as much rain falls per year as north of the pass, the southern slope is very bare and rocky, but the northern slope is wooded and green. The temperatures are also a lot lower on the south side.

The road is a good quality asphalt road that was upgraded and widened in 2008.

We know good things to see in Albania. We know the roads, well-known tourist attractions like UNESCO sites, and off-the-beaten-path places.

If you would like to learn more about Albania and explore it by visiting different attractions, come with us for a private tour. We can travel all across Albania and we will show you all the important tourist attractions together with the hidden gems of this beautiful country. Feel free to contact us!

We have developed numerous itineraries for private car tours in Albania as well as in neighboring countries, including tours passing through several countries as one journey. Solo private tours and tours for Seniors are available also.