Porto Palermo

Tucked inside one of the most dramatic bays in Albania, Porto Palermo marina sits beneath a strikingly beautiful coastline that locals consider one of the region's finest sights. The dock here is famously bomb-proof — literally built to military-grade specs during the Communist era — making it one of the most solid berths you'll find anywhere in the country. The nearby Porto Palermo Castle, an Ottoman-era fortress on a small peninsula, is worth exploring once you're tied up. Raw and no-frills, but the setting more than makes up for it.