“BEST kept secret” is a hackneyed term, but as we scan rows of empty sun loungers, perhaps the moniker is spot on for Durres. It’s half-term in the UK and my family and I are on the stunning Albanian coast , just half an hour from the South-East European country’s main airport, at Tirana. 4 The stunning skyline of Durres in Albania Credit: Getty 4 Tomas and Louis make a splash at the Henry Resort Credit: Supplied The Adriatic is glistening under clear-blue skies, it’s a balmy 25C and beer is just £1.
So where are all the Brits? That’s a question we’re still pondering today. We like travelling to southern Europe in the May half-term, before the extreme high-season heat of July and August — and on previous trips to Spain and Portugal during this period, we found resorts jam-packed with UK families. But Brits clearly haven’t caught on when it comes to Albania.
The beachside hotels’ pristine swimming pools all sparkle like the ocean. In fact, they are like millponds, because no one is here — until my two sons Tomas, ten, and Louis, six, leap in. We’re staying at the Vila Sula Guesthouse in the centre of port city Durres, near the historic old town with its rugged Roman amphitheatre.
Hosts Aferdita and Ali are very friendly and our room is spacious, clean and comfortable, with air-con, an en-suite and a balcony. Most read in Beach holidays SKYE BLUE Gers boss Clement spotted dining out with TV chef on scenic Scottish island TIME WASTED Rangers land SPFL vi.
