Ksamil's sea caves by boat: our best morning in Albania

If I had to pick just one plan out of the seven days in Albania, it would be this one without a second's hesitation. The boat route through Ksamil's sea caves was, by far, our best morning of the entire trip — and the competition wasn't weak.

We left Ksamil's harbor mid-morning, on a small boat that fit ten or twelve people, local captain included, who pointed out every spot with more pride than a museum guide. The first stop was a sea cave with water so clear it looked lit from within, the same effect that makes the Blue Caves famous elsewhere on the Adriatic, but here with far fewer people pushing to get a spot.

Then came two coves you can only reach by water, with plenty of free time to swim and snorkel a bit, and a final stop at the islands of Ksamil themselves, where the captain let us eat some food we'd brought while the rest of the group napped in the sun.

There's nothing to distract you from the color of the water, which is, without exaggeration, the absolute star of the whole experience. Everything else is just decoration.

We paid on the spot, right at the harbor — between €20 and €40 per person for 3-4 hours, depending on who you negotiate with. In peak season, booking ahead through GetYourGuide is the safer bet if you don't want to rely on finding a spot the same day.

We left the last cove still talking about what we'd just seen, not too eager for it to end. Of every plan on the trip, none stuck with us the way that morning did.