The country of Albania is located in the southwest of the Balkan Peninsula and bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the North Macedonia to the east, and Greece to the south and southeast.
Most of the country is rugged and mountainous with the Albanian Alps located in the north, the Korab Mountains in the east, the Ceraunian Mountains in the south and the Skanderbeg Mountains in the center.

Being positioned in the Northern Mediterranean Sea, the country's coast touches both, the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, forming the renowned Albanian Riviera.
In contrast to the mountainous terrain of the country, the western lowlands consists mostly of coastal lowlands and plains.
The Albanian Ionian Sea Coast is known for its rugged natural beauty, with rocky highlands and a great marine life, while the Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast consist of sandy beaches and shallow coastal waters.

The coastline covers an extensive part of the Ceraunian Mountains, which extends parallel immediately along the Ionian Sea, starting at Sarandë, running for over 100 kilometers in a southeast-northwest direction along the Albanian Riviera, to Orikum.
The mountainous interior is fragmented into several massifs often reaching 2,000 metres above the Adriatic.
This unique mountainous structure reaches its highest point at Maja e Çikës, and is full of wide and steep terraces that slope down towards the sea.
The extreme southern region has a flat and shallow character with the presence of Lake Butrint that was formed during the quaternary period.

In terms of geology, the major structural characteristic of the coastline is the presence of numerous carbonate anticlines for example in Karaburun and Sarandë.
The core of these structures, which are mostly not visible at the surface, are constructed of Permian–Triassic evaporates, that were formed about 252 million years ago.
The coastline is abundant in dolomites from the triassic period, the carbonate rocks follows with limestone from the jurassic period and bituminous schists, cretaceous porcelain and phosphate limestone.

The coastline is dominated by several long straight and rocky beaches, the most famous of which is the inaccurately named 5 kilometre long stretch of Borsh Beach in the Albanian Riviera's center.
The slightly shorter Dhërmi and Himara Beaches lies further north.
Nonetheless, the coastline is rugged and is dotted with bays and peninsulas such as Porto Palermo in the center.
Sarandë is the largest city in the region and has wide beaches and a sheltered harbour.

The climate of the coastline is considerably influenced by the sea and mountains.
Under the Köppen climate classification, the coastline experiences mostly a moderately hot and sunny mediterranean climate under influences of the continental climate.
The mediterranean climate is typical of the coastal areas with considerable differences in temperature and rainfall between the seasons.
The mountainous areas have a typical mountainous climate with frequent snow during winter.
The country of Albania is located in the southwest of the Balkan Peninsula and bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the North Macedonia to the east, and Greece to the south and southeast. Most of the country is rugged and mountainous with the Albanian Alps located in the north, the Korab Mountains in the east, the Ceraunian Mountains in the south and the Skanderbeg Mountains in the center.
Being positioned in the Northern Mediterranean Sea, the country's coast touches both, the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, forming the renowned Albanian Riviera. In contrast to the mountainous terrain of the country, the western lowlands consists mostly of coastal lowlands and plains. The Albanian Ionian Sea Coast is known for its rugged natural beauty, with rocky highlands and a great marine life, while the Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast consist of sandy beaches and shallow coastal waters.
The coastline covers an extensive part of the Ceraunian Mountains, which extends parallel immediately along the Ionian Sea, starting at Sarandë, running for over 100 kilometers in a southeast-northwest direction along the Albanian Riviera, to Orikum. The mountainous interior is fragmented into several massifs often reaching 2,000 metres above the Adriatic. This unique mountainous structure reaches its highest point at Maja e Çikës, and is full of wide and steep terraces that slope down towards the sea. The extreme southern region has a flat and shallow character with the presence of Lake Butrint that was formed during the quaternary period.
In terms of geology, the major structural characteristic of the coastline is the presence of numerous carbonate anticlines for example in Karaburun and Sarandë. The core of these structures, which are mostly not visible at the surface, are constructed of Permian–Triassic evaporates, that were formed about 252 million years ago. The coastline is abundant in dolomites from the triassic period, the carbonate rocks follows with limestone from the jurassic period and bituminous schists, cretaceous porcelain and phosphate limestone.
The coastline is dominated by several long straight and rocky beaches, the most famous of which is the inaccurately named 5 kilometre long stretch of Borsh Beach in the Albanian Riviera's center. The slightly shorter Dhërmi and Himara Beaches lies further north. Nonetheless, the coastline is rugged and is dotted with bays and peninsulas such as Porto Palermo in the center. Sarandë is the largest city in the region and has wide beaches and a sheltered harbour.
The climate of the coastline is considerably influenced by the sea and mountains. Under the Köppen climate classification, the coastline experiences mostly a moderately hot and sunny mediterranean climate under influences of the continental climate. The mediterranean climate is typical of the coastal areas with considerable differences in temperature and rainfall between the seasons. The mountainous areas have a typical mountainous climate with frequent snow during winter.
Albanian Ionian Sea Coast