Velipojë out of season and Krujë: an empty beach and a castle with a view over half of Albania
Two half day trips from Shkodër that work in October too. What is open in Velipojë out of season, what the sea is like and why Krujë is worth going back to.
In October Velipojë is half closed and Krujë is half empty. Both are an advantage. We visited both at the start of October 2026 during a long weekend in Shkodër.
Velipojë in October
Velipojë is the nearest sandy beach to Shkodër, about forty minutes by car. In summer it is packed. Out of season it is a different place.
What is open
Not much. Most hotels, bars and stalls shut once the season ends. Only a handful of shops and restaurants keep going. Do not expect a lively promenade, and do not rely on any particular place until you have seen for yourself that it is open.
We did not mind. We had the beach almost to ourselves, with kilometres of sand and nobody else on it.
What the sea is like
Cooler than in summer, but swimming was possible, and we swam. In the sun the beach is wonderful even in October. Once the sun goes down it cools off quickly, so bring a hoodie.
Food
You can still get a meal out of season, there is just less choice. They do fish and seafood well here.
Who it is for
- for anyone who wants peace, a walk along the beach and lunch by the sea,
- for families with small children who want to play in the sand without the crowds,
- not for anyone expecting a resort in full swing, sunbeds with service and evening entertainment.
What Velipojë looks like in summer and what to do there with children is in Shkodër with kids.
Krujë
Krujë sits on a mountainside between Shkodër and Tirana. It is a little over an hour from Shkodër and roughly half an hour from Tirana airport. We had not been for a long time and it is as charming as ever.
The castle and the view
Above the town stands the castle associated with the national hero Skanderbeg. Inside the grounds there is a museum and several terraces with cafés.
The main reason to come is the view. On a clear day you can see Tirana, Durrës and the Patok lagoon from a single spot, with the sea beyond them.
The old bazaar
Below the castle runs a cobbled lane lined with wooden shops. They sell rugs, copperware, caps, magnets and all sorts of small things.
Let us be honest: a large share of those goods only pass themselves off as Albanian and actually come from Turkey. We bought some too and do not regret it, it is just good to know. If you want something truly local, ask for the handwoven rugs and felt products that are made in the workshops right there in the bazaar. You can haggle, but do it politely.
When to go
Krujë suits your arrival or departure day, because it is just a short drive from the airport. Two to three hours is enough.
How to combine them
Both trips take half a day and both can be done from Shkodër. How we fitted them together with the mountains into four days is in A long weekend in Albania. The mountain day is in Lepushë and Vermosh.
Our base is in Shkodër: have a look at the apartment and availability.