MALDIVES of the Med

Budget-friendly Albania has paradise beaches, historic towns and a cool capital

- LAURA MILLAR

Sandwiched between Montenegro and Greece, with a coastline that fringes the Mediterranean sea, Albania is a little country getting a big reputation for idyllic beaches, charming historic towns, incredible food - and even more incredible prices: you can enjoy a three-course meal, with wine, for under a tenner. Temperatures are warm from May to October, so here are the best places to go and the best dishes to try...

Roam the Riviera

The Albanian Riviera stretches 110 miles down from the bustling, coastal city of Vlorë (a two-hour drive from the airport in the capital, Tirana) to the tiny resort of ksamil, which has been likened to an island in the Maldives, thanks to its sugar-white sand and gin-clear, turquoise waters. Vlorë's curving seafront is lined with big hotels and holiday apartment blocks, and dozens of bars and restaurants. You'll find lively nightlife and, if you're exploring by day, a charming Old Town in the centre.

A little further south is the small seaside town of Dhërmi, which holds a famous music festival every summer, Kala (kala.al), on its golden sands, while beach-lined Sarandë is bigger and busier, and also a one-hour ferry away from Corfu, which makes it easy to fly in and out from.