At 1,027 metres, the Llogara Pass is the high point of the Albanian Riviera road, the SH8, and it is a place where the mountain suddenly lets go of the coast. From Vlorë the road climbs through the Ceraunian range, which the ancients called the thunder mountains, through forest of black pine and fir, and then at the saddle the whole Ionian Sea opens out below, with Corfu a smudge on the horizon on a clear day. The first time is hard to forget.
The pass sits inside Llogara National Park, one of the oldest protected areas in Albania, and the forest is a surprise for anyone who thinks of the Mediterranean as dry scrub. Pines grow tall and twisted, and one in particular, bent by wind into the shape of a flag, is a local landmark. The air at the top is cool and smells of resin, and in the evening mist can drift up from the sea. Goats and sheep wander the verges, and a few restaurants near the summit serve grilled lamb and local cheese to riders and truck drivers alike.
The road itself is the main event. The northern approach is a steady climb, and then comes the descent toward Dhërmi, a series of hairpins and long sweepers hanging over the sea, with sheer drops on the outer edge and little in the way of crash barrier in places. The surface has improved greatly in recent years, though patches of broken asphalt and loose gravel remain, and rockfall after heavy rain is possible. Take it slowly, stay in your lane on blind bends, and watch for oncoming drivers who cut the corners.
History touches the pass. Julius Caesar landed his army near here in 48 BC during the civil war against Pompey, at a place the sources call Palaeste, and marched inland. A road has been used across these hills for twenty centuries.
Fuel is the practical issue. There are no pumps at the pass, and the nearest big town is Vlorë, about thirty kilometres away, with stations on the approach. The smaller coastal towns of Himarë and Orikum have a few, but fill the tank at Vlorë and carry cash in leke or euros. Come early in the morning to avoid the tourist buses, and bring a jacket, since the top can be ten degrees cooler than the beach.