bigfootwanders
Where to go in March / Albania in March / Albanian Riviera & the south / March

Albania · Beach

Albanian Riviera & the south
in March.

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 March a good time?

Temperature unit

Mild days.
More overnight stays than February.

March averages 61°F afternoons and 59°F seas, with about 11 rain days. Later March is typically warmer. Check seasonal openings.

Afternoons
61°F
Sea
59°F
Visitor demand
6%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

5.7/10 · scores & priorities

What matters most?

Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%

#9 of 12 months here · Balanced mix

Weather4.4/10Fair
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 March

What to expect.

What should I pack?

Afternoons around 61°F (16°C): light layers; nights around 43°F (6°C): a warm coat. Bring rain gear: about 11 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 12 hours of daylight.

Can I swim in March?

The sea averages 59°F. Our swimming guide: cold: short dips, or a wetsuit. 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 12 hours of daylight.

Sunrise 05:53Sunset 17:4543°F61°F00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00

The sun rises about 05:53 and sets about 17:45 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 43°F (6°C); afternoons reach about 61°F (16°C). Expect rain on about 11 days in a typical March.

Typical afternoon
61°F (16°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Marches
Night low
43°F (6°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
59°F (15°C)
cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
11h 52m
on the 15th, computed from latitude

Early, middle or late?

Early or late March?

Late March is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 58°F on the 1st, versus 64°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency falls from 41% to 33% between those dates.

Early March 1 March

58°F

Typical afternoon high

41% historical wet-day frequency

Mid March 15 March

60°F

Typical afternoon high

27% historical wet-day frequency

Late March 31 March

64°F

Typical afternoon high

33% 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 · 2027: 9 Mar Eid al-Fitr (Holiday of Breaking the Fast); 15 Mar Summer Day; 22 Mar Nowruz (Persian New Year); 28 Mar Easter Sunday; 29 Mar Easter Monday.

Daily calendar & holiday datesMarch 2027 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar

March 2027 calendar

Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2027.

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
158°258°358°458°558°659°759°
859°959°1060°1160°1260°1360°1460°
1560°1661°1761°1861°1961°2062°2162°
2262°2362°2463°2563°2663°2764°2864°
2964°3064°3164°

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

Afternoons warm from about 58°F (15°C) in the first week to 64°F (18°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 27–41%.

School-holiday dates for March 2027 aren't available in our data yet. A day without a school marker doesn't mean schools are open. Public holidays: 9 Mar Eid al-Fitr (Holiday of Breaking the Fast); 15 Mar Summer Day; 22 Mar Nowruz (Persian New Year); 28 Mar Easter Sunday; 29 Mar Easter Monday. Elsewhere in March 2027, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: Germany 27%, Spain 30%, Italy 19%, France 10%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)

Crowds and cost

Visitor season

Will it be busy?

Off season. March averages 6% of August's overnight stays per day. More overnight stays than February. 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?

A little below 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 March vary?

Across the recorded years

In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 56°F (13°C) and 64°F (18°C); in 10 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 61°F (16°C). Rain days ranged from 3 to 21; half the years had 6–13.

Rain days in each March

Historical rain days; exact figures in the table below. 2011: 8 rain days820112012: 5 rain days52013: 17 rain days172014: 9 rain days92015: 13 rain days132016: 13 rain days132017: 6 rain days62018: 21 rain days212019: 3 rain days32020: 11 rain days112021: 5 rain days52022: 8 rain days82023: 11 rain days112024: 12 rain days122025: 13 rain days132025
Rain days
11
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 15 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
9 of 31
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no March in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
10 of 31
rated very good or better
See every recorded MarchHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
Historical monthly averages, not daily extremes.
YearAfternoon highRain days
201159°F8
201262°F5
201360°F17
201462°F9
201558°F13
201660°F13
201764°F6
201860°F21
201964°F3
202061°F11
202158°F5
202256°F8
202362°F11
202463°F12
202564°F13

Checked against official climate averages for Vlore. How we check

Compare dates

February, March
or April?

Historical regional averages. Overnight demand vs August peak, measured as average stays per day.
Typical conditionsFebMarApr
Afternoons55°F61°F68°F
Sea60°F59°F61°F
Rain days8117
Overnight demand5%6%13%

February: Cooler afternoons and fewer rain days than March. Less overnight demand. Check seasonal accommodation and activity openings. February guide →

April: Warmer afternoons and fewer rain days than March. More overnight demand. April 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 March Show comparisonHide comparison

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

April to October have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than March, but more overnight stays.

Your comparison

March or February?

Overnight stays are 5% of the busiest month; check seasonal openings.

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

Read the February guide →
March compared with another month
Typical conditionsMarchFebruary
Afternoons61°F55°F
Nights43°F39°F
Sea59°F60°F
Rain days118
Visitor seasonOff seasonOff season
Overall / 105.74.9
Month rank#9#11
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 March

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 March weather than Albanian Riviera & the south

Albanian Riviera & the south's weather ranks 32 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 March · Everywhere in March

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

It's off season, 6% of the busiest month and 81% below its average month. That means about 1,600 overnight visitors on a typical March night across the region, 57% of them from Albania itself.

Climate suitability (HCI:Beach, 0–100)57
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 day2
Busiest month hereAugust · 35
Visitors as share of people present0.2%
Rank among Europe's regions this month3rd percentile
Domestic share of nights57%
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 (−1% 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.