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Where to go in December / Albania in December / Albanian Riviera & the south / December

Albania · Beach

Albanian Riviera & the south
in December.

Illustration of Gjipe Beach from the elevated approach trail, where Gjipe Canyon meets the Ionian Sea
Gjipe Beach, Albanian RivieraDestination view, not month-specific.

Is December a good time?

Temperature unit

Cool days.
Fewer overnight stays than November.

December averages 55°F afternoons and 64°F seas, with about 11 rain days. Later December is typically cooler. Check seasonal openings.

Afternoons
55°F
Sea
64°F
Visitor demand
9%of August peak

Historical Jug regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Sarandë, Ksamil, Himarë, Vlorë, Gjirokastër and Berat; conditions vary within the region.

Overall match

5.1/10 · scores & priorities

What matters most?

Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%

#10 of 12 months here · Balanced mix

Weather3.1/10Fair
CrowdsOff seasoncheck seasonal openings; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, quieter than most of Europe this month
CostCheapfor Europe; Albania-wide price level

Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.

Plan your December

What to expect.

What should I pack?

Afternoons around 55°F (13°C): a sweater and a light jacket; nights around 40°F (4°C): a warm coat. Bring rain gear: about 11 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 9 hours of daylight.

Can I swim in December?

The sea averages 64°F. Our swimming guide: fresh: fine once you are in. Your comfort will vary. This is open water near the coast, not a beach-specific reading.

Monthly coastal averages from NOAA, 2011–2025. Sea temperature is separate from the weather and Overall scores.

A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights, sea temperature & daylight Show detailsHide details

About 9 hours of daylight.

Sunrise 06:55Sunset 16:1440°F55°F00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00

The sun rises about 06:55 and sets about 16:14 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 40°F (4°C); afternoons reach about 55°F (13°C). Expect rain on about 11 days in a typical December.

Typical afternoon
55°F (13°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Decembers
Night low
40°F (4°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
64°F (18°C)
fresh; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
9h 19m
on the 15th, computed from latitude

Early, middle or late?

Early or late December?

Early December is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 57°F on the 1st, versus 53°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency falls from 42% to 25% between those dates.

Early December 1 December

57°F

Typical afternoon high

42% historical wet-day frequency

Mid December 15 December

55°F

Typical afternoon high

30% historical wet-day frequency

Late December 31 December

53°F

Typical afternoon high

25% historical wet-day frequency

Historical daily averages from 2011–2025, smoothed over two weeks. A seasonal pattern, not a forecast. This does not establish which week has the lowest prices or fewest visitors.

Public holidays · 2026: 8 Dec Youth Day; 25 Dec Christmas Day.

Daily calendar & holiday datesDecember 2026 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar

December 2026 calendar

Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2026.

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
157°257°356°456°556°656°
756°856°956°1056°1155°1255°1355°
1455°1555°1654°1754°1854°1955°2055°
2154°2254°2354°2454°2553°2653°2753°
2853°2953°3053°3153°

Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event

Afternoons cool from about 56°F (14°C) in the first week to 53°F (12°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 19–44%.

School-holiday dates for December 2026 aren't available in our data yet. A day without a school marker doesn't mean schools are open. Public holidays: 8 Dec Youth Day; 25 Dec Christmas Day. Elsewhere in December 2026, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: France 39%, Germany 29%, Italy 35%, Spain 32%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)

Crowds and cost

Visitor season

Will it be busy?

Off season. December averages 9% of August's overnight stays per day. Fewer overnight stays than November. Check seasonal accommodation and activity openings.

Overnight stays across Jug do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, quieter than most of Europe this month.

Hotel price season

Will it be cheaper?

About usual. Estimated from national hotel prices and local visitor demand; no measured regional room rate is available.

Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.

Albania as a whole
Well below EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 52 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.

Year-to-year variation

How much does December vary?

Across the recorded years

In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 52°F (11°C) and 60°F (15°C); in 12 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 55°F (13°C). Rain days ranged from 0 to 14; half the years had 6–13.

Rain days in each December

Historical rain days; exact figures in the table below. 2011: 12 rain days1220112012: 14 rain days142013: 4 rain days42014: 11 rain days112015: 0 rain days02016: 1 rain days12017: 13 rain days132018: 10 rain days102019: 12 rain days122020: 13 rain days132021: 11 rain days112022: 9 rain days92023: 9 rain days92024: 13 rain days132025: 6 rain days62025
Rain days
11
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 13 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
9 of 31
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no December in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
4 of 31
rated very good or better
See every recorded DecemberHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
Historical monthly averages, not daily extremes.
YearAfternoon highRain days
201153°F12
201252°F14
201354°F4
201455°F11
201556°F0
201652°F1
201753°F13
201853°F10
201956°F12
202057°F13
202153°F11
202260°F9
202357°F9
202455°F13
202557°F6

Checked against official climate averages for Vlore. How we check

Compare dates

November, December
or January?

Historical regional averages. Overnight demand vs August peak, measured as average stays per day.
Typical conditionsNovDecJan
Afternoons63°F55°F52°F
Sea69°F64°F61°F
Rain days111110
Overnight demand11%9%6%

November: Warmer afternoons and warmer sea than December. More overnight demand. November guide →

January: Cooler afternoons and cooler sea than December. Less overnight demand. Check seasonal accommodation and activity openings. January guide →

Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues. Sea temperatures are monthly coastal averages.

Compare any of the 12 monthsChoose another month and compare it with December Show comparisonHide comparison

Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. December stays as your reference.

March to April and November have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than December, without a substantially busier visitor season.

Your comparison

December or November?

Overnight stays are 11% of the busiest month.

National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest about usual. No measured regional room rate is available.

Read the November guide →
December compared with another month
Typical conditionsDecemberNovember
Afternoons55°F63°F
Nights40°F47°F
Sea64°F69°F
Rain days1111
Visitor seasonOff seasonLow season
Overall / 105.16.5
Month rank#10#8
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
All 12 months. Scores and ranks follow your priorities. Explore the whole year.
MonthOverallRankHighLowSeaRain daysWeatherVisitor season
January4.1#1252°F37°F61°F102.1Off season
February4.9#1155°F39°F60°F82.9Off season
March5.7#961°F43°F59°F114.4Off season
April8.2#668°F48°F61°F76.7Low season
May8.8#275°F54°F66°F108.3Low season
June9.0#185°F63°F72°F49.9Moderate season
July8.5#491°F66°F77°F29.9Busy season
August8.0#791°F66°F79°F39.8Peak season
September8.7#382°F61°F77°F69.4Moderate season
October8.5#572°F53°F73°F77.7Low season
November6.5#863°F47°F69°F114.5Low season
December5.1#1055°F40°F64°F113.1Off season

Near here

Nearby places in December

Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.

Elsewhere in Europe

Better December weather than Albanian Riviera & the south

Albanian Riviera & the south's weather ranks 34 of 77 beach regions this month. These beach regions outside Albania have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Albanian Riviera & the south.

All of Albania in December · Everywhere in December

How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details

It's off season, 9% of the busiest month and 73% below its average month. That means about 2,200 overnight visitors on a typical December night across the region, 67% of them from Albania itself.

Climate suitability (HCI:Beach, 0–100)50
How our weather was checkedOfficial climate averages for Vlore from the national weather service, every month: afternoon highs typically within 3°F (1.6°C), night lows within 2°F (0.9°C).
Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day3
Busiest month hereAugust · 35
Visitors as share of people present0.3%
Rank among Europe's regions this month9th percentile
Domestic share of nights67%
Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights—
Visitor share if every platform night were extra—
National hotel-price seasonAlbania historical 2024–2025 index: About usual (+2% vs its average month). Not a local room quote.
Population used743,000
Statistical regionAL03 · Jug

Crowds: Eurostat nights spent at tourist accommodation, by month and NUTS 2 region, 2024–2025 average. Overnight visitors per night is the month's nights divided by its days; the per-1,000 figure is Eurostat's, against each year's population. Platform rentals: no complete matching Eurostat platform-rental year is available here. Weather: Holiday Climate Index computed from ERA5 reanalysis with daily highs, night lows and rain days corrected from open national weather-service station records, 2011–2025, population-weighted to the region; day-by-day figures are the same data averaged by date. Heat and rain odds are counted across those years. Sunrise and sunset: NOAA solar equations, local time. Prices: Eurostat price level index and HICP, national. Full method · this region's data.