Where to work in Vlorë

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The coastal town of Vlorë was a destination I heard about through industry conversations and initiatives, and when I heard some fellow remote entrepreneurs were heading there for a couple of months, I knew I had to also investigate.

Just two hours’ drive from the capital city of Albania, Tirana, Vlora is a part of the beautiful and winding Albanian Riviera, which stretches all the way to the Greek border. After what felt like an intense start to the year, it was the perfect place to set up for a month of quiet remote work and recovery. Even in March, there were some really warm days with weekends spent by or on the water and enjoying some of the European City of Sport festivities and events.

Where to work in Vlorë

In 2022, there was an effort to create coworking spaces, however I don’t believe these actually exist anymore (despite still showing as live on Google Maps). However there were a handful of good cafes and restaurants to choose from on the days I didn’t feel like working from the apartment. One thing to remember is to make sure you have cash for a lot of these places, just in case.

Mon Cheri Coffee Shop

This was one of the easiest spots to work from - they even have a communal table for people to remote work from. For a couple of hours with a coffee and snack, this was a great place to get some deep work done.

Bar Pasticeri Elezaj

Trust me to unintentionally find the one insta vibes cafe on the riva, but the coffee and breakfast was honestly great here (and reasonably priced). I’m not sure I can really count this as a remote work destination, but the wifi was decent and I did come back a couple of times.

Brooklyn Restaurant

The wifi was a bit slower here, but as it was right under my apartment, I did come here a bit more often. Even just for an espresso break. Fellow nomads also took family here for dinner, so I can say this restaurant ought to be on the list whether you’re looking to work or not.

Rooftop Lounge @ Regina City Hotel

A little bit further away from my accommodation in Lungomare, but worth the walk was this rooftop. It’s one of the few places in town you can get some amazing views with your coffee and work, plus, there’s the pool to calm even the most anxious mind.

Big Scoop

We were just starting to get hints of Spring, and Big Scoop was a fantastic spot to get brunch and work outside for a little bit with company. They had everything from waffles to smoothies, so if you have a sweet tooth, this cafe maybe for you.

Broadway Lounge

I would often find friends in here first thing as it was a little bit quieter, and the coffee was very good. While some of it is under cover, the doors open out to the amazing view of the bay. So no complaints!

Mulliri Vjetar

This cafe is more at the end of the list because it’s a chain, but it’s still worth being aware of in case you’re staying more in town or want to balance a day of siteseeing with a half day of work. The coffee is good and it’s not too busy a place to be disturbed.

Where to stay in Vlorë

During low season, I was able to rent an apartment with slightly hidden views of the sea for half the price and it was worth it just to wake up and sit with a cup of coffee looking at the water. This was also in Lungomare, so half way between the riva and town, which I found was a great thing to do for my first visit.

If you were to choose an apartment slightly further down the promenade however, the apartment rents did go down a little bit and on my next visit, I would probably choose to stay a little further away from the town. (Just keeping in mind that the power did go out for hours at a time, so you may need some patience…).

There are of course hotels to pick from, but for longer stays I would opt for an apartment so that you can cook and have some space for yourself.

If you have time, take a boat out to Karabun Peninsula.

Things to do in Vlorë

I spent a significant part of my time doing as little as possible in my down time, and occasionally taking a walk either down the promenade or into town. While friends hired bikes and a car to go and explore further out of town - which I found myself itching to do more of towards the end of my visit as the weather got warmer.

It’s quite normal for businesses to be closed for low season, but there is a lot of untouched coast to see regardless and one activity that absolutely needs to be on your list is taking a boat to the other side of the bay to see Haxhi Ali Cave and the Karabun Peninsula (which you can only access by boat and with a permit). In March we literally had stretches of beach to ourselves, which feels unheard of in Europe anymore.

There are other tours to the mountains, but you ideally needed a car for these, which you can do pretty easily by sending a WhatsApp message (yep!) to the business. Otherwise it’s definitely worth taking a walk to the Old Town for the day, or half day really as it’s so small.

If you have some time to chill, I recommend trying a raki cocktail at Komiteti Bar along with their traditional snacks, and then grabbing a coffee at Galeria Art Cafe and enjoying the art on display. When my sister came to visit, I brought her back to these two places and we had a great time sketching and relaxing.

What else is there to know about remote life in Vlorë?

While there were some European City of Sport celebrations happening, I would say this is the kind of destination for those looking for a much slower pace of life. In the best way possible, this is literally somewhere you travel for rest and to not think too much outside of work hours. Spend time in nature and take time to go explore away from your base.

While I’m happy I travelled here while friends were also there, this is definitely not a place you travel to just yet for an established community and more for alone time. If I was looking for more digital nomad events and a faster pace of life, I would opt for Tirana.

Overall, it was exactly what I needed at the time and I’ll definitely keep it in the back of my mind next time I need to slow things down.

What are you in the mood for in your next chapter?

Han x