For the trail · alpventurer.com/gjipe-to-jala
Gjipe to Jala beach, scenic hiking trail in the Ionian Sea
Gjipe to Jala beach · Albania
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Water
- No water source; bring enough
- Parking
- Free
In short
The 4.9 km coastal hike from Gjipe to Jala Beach in southern Albania starts behind the restaurant at Gjipe and follows a goat path. It is moderate, with 154 m ascent and 300 m descent. There is no water source, so bring enough water, and avoid the midday heat in summer.
The route
- Distance
- 4.9 km
- Ascent
- +154 m
- Descent
- −300 m
- High point
- 192 m
- Lowest point
- -24 m
A St. Theodor Monastery: 40.13162, 19.65511B Jala Beach: 40.12183, 19.69788▲ High point: 40.13162, 19.65511
Walking time, without breaks
- Relaxed2 h 15 min
- Average1 h 45 min
- Fast1 h 25 min
How steep
- Under 8% 2.0 km
- 8 to 15% 1.7 km
- 15 to 25% 0.8 km
- Over 25% 0.2 km
What to pack
Every hike
- Water: about 1 litres (half a litre an hour), all of it: no water on the way
- Food and snacks for the day
- Rain jacket
- A warm layer (fleece or light down)
- Sun cap, sunglasses and sun cream
- Boots or trail shoes with good grip
- Phone with the map offline, and a power bank
- Small first aid kit
- Headlamp, in case it gets late
- Some cash and your ID
Water and sun
- Swimsuit and a quick-dry towel, if you fancy a dip
- More water than usual in summer, and time in the shade
The guide
Gjipe to Jala beach (or reverse) trail, has so many beautiful views and it is a great chance to enjoy the two beautiful beaches of Southern Albania in a day.
How to get there
The starting point where I started the trail is to the St. Theodor Monastery which is located near Gjipe Canyon. Going to Gjipe is relatively easy. From Tirana, you need to go to Vlora. Once you arrive in Vlora, you will need to go up to Llogora pass, where the views of the Ionian Sea are amazing. The distance between the Llogora pass and Gjipe is around 22 km. You will go through the village of Dhërmi where you can find mini-markets to buy food and drinks. 4.5 after Dhërmi you will see a sign to turn right to Gjipe. You need to follow the road which is around 2.6 km to a Monastery.
From there you will need around 1.5 km to get to the Gjipe beach and Gjipe Canyon.
About the trail from Gjipe to Jala beach
After enjoying the time in beach and canyon, the starting point of the trail Gjipe to Jala beach is behind the restaurant in Gjipe (A small path on the right). From there, there is around 3 km left to arrive in Jala beach. You just need to follow the goat’s path and most of the time there are a lot of thorns from the small bushes along the road, therefore make sure you have long trousers, otherwise, you will end up with some scratches. Along with this trail, you will be lucky to see two virgin beaches which are very beautiful. One is named “Plazhi me Shpella” and has a lot of very beautiful sea caves, and the other one doesn’t have any specific name but is very beautiful. Check out this one:
There isn’t any water source in Gjipe to Jala trail, therefore make sure you have enough water for this hike. Another thing I want to mention is the fact that during summer the temperatures are very high, so try to avoid this hike during mid-day. Total distance for St. Theodor Monastery – Gjipe Beach – Jala Beach is 4.9 km.
Points of interest:
Starting point: St. Theodor Monastery, Gjipe
Starting altitude: 192 m/alt
Elevation loss: 300 m/alt
Elevation gain: 154 m/alt