Are the beaches in Ksamil free?
Yes, by law. Albania's regulation on beach stations, Council of Ministers decision no. 649 of 16 October 2024, defines a beach as exclusive state property, run by the local municipality and open to free public use.
Sunbeds and umbrellas appear only where a business has leased a stretch as a 'beach station'. Whatever is not leased stays public and is looked after by the municipality, and on every 1,000 m of permitted beach, 300 m are set aside as public parcels.
The split is drawn on a municipal map that the Tourist Season Management Committee approves each October. Contracts are signed by 1 May; a stretch with no contract by then works as a public beach for the season.
Can a beach club stop you walking along the sand?
No. The regulation says public access to the beach cannot be banned or restricted in any form, at any time, and operators must keep free passage open for everyone, including people with disabilities.
Fences and dividers are banned across the whole beach. If an operator blocks an existing path, the municipality has to have it reopened, and the Municipal Police watch over the public beaches.
How far from the water must the umbrellas be?
It depends on the beach type on the municipal map: mostly sand and at least 60 m deep (type A), or rock and gravel (type B). Mixed beaches (type AB) apply each rule to its own part, and untouched beaches (type C) have no beach stations at all.
On sand, the strip in front of the first row of umbrellas is yours: anyone may use it, whether or not they paid for a sunbed.
| Rule | Sandy beach (type A) | Rock and gravel (type B) |
|---|---|---|
| Umbrellas from the waterline | At least 10 m | 2.5 m–3 m |
| Free strip for the public before the first row | 2.5 m | Not set |
| Space between umbrellas | 3 m along the shore, 2.5 m towards the sea | At least 2.5 m |
Who may rent out sunbeds, and what must they show you?
Only classified accommodation businesses (hotels, resorts, hostels, B&Bs, guesthouses, and apartments or villas with at least 5 rooms) and the municipality itself. The number of umbrellas follows the rooms: 2 per room.
Each umbrella comes with 2 sunbeds. The business has to display its name, its complaints procedure and its price list in Albanian and English, and its staff wear a recognisable uniform.
We haven't found an official municipal tariff for sunbeds in Ksamil, so we don't publish prices: the posted list is the reference. Street vendors are not allowed between the water and the umbrellas.
What do the flags and buoys mean?
The flag tells you whether you can swim today, and the buoys show where. Every beach station keeps a lifeguard for each 80 m of shoreline, and a public beach without one must say so on a sign: 'ATTENTION! - THIS BEACH HAS NO LIFEGUARD'.
Red buoys close off the swimming area up to 200 m from shore on sandy beaches and 100 m on rocky ones; white buoys mark where the water reaches 1.6 m, the safe area for swimming. Boat and jet-ski lanes carry a 'No swimming area' sign.
| Flag | What it means |
|---|---|
| Green | Swimming allowed |
| Yellow | Swim with caution |
| Red | No swimming |
Which safety rules are posted on the beach?
Each beach station and lifeguard post has to display the same advice in Albanian and English. Swim only in authorised, marked areas, respect the flag and follow the lifeguard.
Swimming under the influence of alcohol or drugs is prohibited, which matters on a coast where beach clubs turn into club nights. Children under 16 must always be watched by an adult, and nobody should jump from rocks or platforms except where it is authorised and signposted.
For an emergency at sea, the number on the signs is 112. Pedalos and other non-motorised craft are rented out for use outside the swimming area.
When does the beach season run, and what happens at night?
Beach stations operate from 1 May to 15 November, and their structures come down at the end of the season. Every station must keep to the noise limits set by law and by local plans, and the tourism inspectorate checks the rest.
Some Ksamil beaches change job after dark: Principotes describes itself as a beach by day and La Guerre by night. Our pages on Greg Beach Club and Principotes, and the calendar of nights, show what happened there in 2026; to choose a town for the evening, read Saranda or Ksamil for a night out.
