A beautiful day-trip from Tirana; the Cave and the village of Pellumbas

The following article is written by Lieke who joined our day-trip to the cave of Pellumbas. She describes how she experienced Pellumbas. On her own blog you can read more about her trips and experiences in Albania.

I have always been interested in caves and I have seen many, below you can read about my day trip to the cave and village of Pellumbas

Driving into Pellumbas brought a smile to my face. Just a half our drive from the busy and modern city Tirana and suddenly I find myself in a small village surrounded by beautiful nature and silence.

Pellumbas is a friendly village, near the Erzen River, with a view on some of the most stunning mountains. Up in those mountains you can find the Shpella e Zeze; the cave of Pellumbas. In this cave they found the skeletons of Cave Bears who, according to specialists, used to live there more than 10.000 years ago. Together with our guide Ilir Mati from Outdoor Albania we started the one-hour hike to the cave. Only the walk up was already worth the tour; the singing birds, the bright colors and warm smell of summer. The refreshing breeze that blew around the mountains made it perfect. The trail was very good as the Outdoor Albania Association, together with volunteers and the villagers, structured and signed the path one year ago (2009). Next to the path grew some deliciously smelling herbs that Ilir pointed out to us. While hiking he taught us more about nature, about how the mountains around were shaped, and why Albania has so many different kind of mountains.

When we arrived at the cave of Pelumbas we put on our headlamps and entered the dark hole, what an amazing experience! Usually when I visit cave there are many other visitors, and often places are enlightened. Here we were alone in complete darkness. The cave smelled like earth and I felt some healthy strain when we entered the dark cave. A cave always has something stirring and mysterious, especially when you just follow the small ray of light of your headlamp in the darkness. When we explored the cave I saw a bat sleeping upside down on the archway of the cave, and some amazing stalactite and stalagmite constructions. Ilir took me to a place where you can see the face of an old Albanian warrior created by stalactites and stalagmites. He told me his imaginary story that, whenever Albania is in real danger, this warrior will come to live, rise up from its place, and help Albania. I love these kinds of legends!

After hiking back to the village we sat down in a small village restaurant where they prepared a delicious lunch for us. The salad was fresh, the tomatoes tasted full and warm from the sun, and the spring union seemed to come fresh from the garden. There was a traditionally prepared chicken with lemon and we drank home-made dhalle, a drink made from yoghurt and a little water.
After a wonderful day we turned back to the busy but lovely city-life of Tirana; happy, full, and satisfied.

Reaching for Vuno’s Clean Beach at Jal, Albania

The following article is written by Ethan Gelber and was first published at whl.travel blog.

About 190 kilometres south of Tirana, Albania, between Dhërmi and Himara (Himarë) in the hills above the coast, the small town of Vuno isn’t really on most people’s tourist radar. Not, that is, unless they’re headed two kilometres away to two of the Albanian Riviera’s most beautiful waterside retreats: the Jal and Gjipe beaches. Although not entirely devoid of tourist services – there are a few family-run restaurants and guesthouses at Jal – they are still blissfully unspoiled by mass tourism. However, with a new main road to the southern Albanian coast nearing completion, some people are concerned that these local gems won’t be spared for much longer.

The southern Albanian Jal beaches: still a gem but for how much longer?

One group of such people are the Outdoor Albania Association (OA Association), a Tirana-based not-for-profit working with many ideas and partners toward the development of responsible tourism in Albania. “Together with local community leaders we are clearing and securing trails, improving access to remote attractions, bringing visitors to picturesque villages and training locals to create businesses that are sensitive to the environmental impact and sustainability of their enterprises,” reads a strategy statement on the OA Association website.

It should therefore come as no surprise that one of the OA Association’s current target areas is Vuno and the land around it, particularly the Jal beaches and the walking paths to them.

A Vuno to Know

Vuno is a verdant mountainside village of narrow, cobblestone streets and approximately 200 old stone houses, only a handful of which are inhabited all year round and mainly by the elders of some 40 families. Sadly, long-term neglect has left the delightful streets damaged and dirty and many of the buildings abandoned or in ruin, forgotten by those who have moved to other cities or countries.

Vuno is a verdant mountainside village of narrow, cobblestone streets and old stone houses

With the goal of making things right in a responsible way, the OA Association has stepped in. “Members of the association in cooperation with volunteers and the young of the village, will carry out the cleanup of cobble stone streets and houses’ yards,” says a report about the OA Association’s regional ambitions.

But that’s not all. “The OA Association has started renovating the school so the local kids can use it again. In summer, the school is used as a hostel and the base for the OA Association,” said Laura Payne, an OA Association project initiator. “The plan is to fix some village houses so the locals can use them as B&Bs and gain some extra income. By doing this we are trying to sensitise the locals and show them the tourism possibilities. As the hostel is attracting many backpackers, the local shops and bars are generating more income. Now the owner of the local bar has started selling food as well as drinks. She is one of the people who understand the possibilities of local tourism. The idea is to teach by doing and explaining, to give the locals more ideas for tourism initiatives. This way the tourist get a more varied offer and the locals get more economical means.”

Reach the Beach

Part of the OA Association’s interest in Vuno is its placement as gateway to the beaches of Jal and Gjipe. A collection of small beaches, most accessible by foot, some only by boat, Jal in particular has drawn their attention.

OA Association crews have been clearing and marking the hiking paths in the area, including those to the beaches. Although there is “a narrow strip of tarmac that reaches the beach, clearing the trails enables beach access for tourists staying in Vuno without cars,” commented Gent Mati, head of the OA Association. “The 30-minute walk is very pleasant, and a lot of backpackers that stay in the ’school’ hostel use the trail to go to the main beach or minor ones.”

“In addition, work needs to be done to protect the beach,” added Payne. “After cleaning the trials to the beach and gaining the trust of the villagers, the next step is to organise a proper waste-management solution and to make sure the locals support the project by no longer throwing their garbage in the sea or near the beach. We are even looking in to the possibilities for a ‘blue flag‘ in this beach, the first in Albania.”

Coastal trail clearing between Vuno and Jal, while certainly hard work, could hardly happen in a more stunning setting

How You Can Help

The OA Association always accepts volunteer help with cleaning and marking the paths. Financial donations are also very welcome to help defray the cost of food for the volunteers and future expenses associated with the waste-management system.

More Information

Read more about the OA Association’s work in and around Vuno, as well as elsewhere in Albania.

The OA Association is a sister organisation of Outdoor Albania, a local Albanian adventure-travel company that works hard at integrating sustainable tourism practices. Outdoor Albania is also your local connection and the whl.travel partner in Albania. For more information about Albania, including hotels, tours, activities and a lot of insider tips, Laura Payne, Gent Mati and their team are standing by at www.travel-tirana.com and www.shkoder-albanian-alps.com.