Ali Pasha Tepelena Fortress

Porto Palermo Castle is a castle in southern Albania near Himare. It is located on the port of Porto Palermo, along the Albanian Riviera, a few kilometers south of Himare. Porto Palermo was voted top among 15 Undiscovered European Destinations for 2014 by the Huffington Post. The region, together with Llamani Beach, will be declared a protected area by the Albanian government, with the designation of Protected Landscape.

Porto Palermo is best accessed by automobile due to its secluded position. Porto Palermo is a 45-kilometer journey from Saranda that should take slightly under an hour. Himara and Qeparo, two neighbouring towns, are just a few minutes distant.

The whole castle, including its various chambers, is open to the public. The castle is triangular in design, with tree pentagonal turrets carved out of limestone at each corner. The walls themselves are between 3.2 and 3.5 meters thick and built of regularly laid stone blocks. Several paintings, including one of Ali Pasha himself, are exhibited inside the castle’s walls. The jail, which was centrally positioned and oriented towards the sea, is located on the bottom level. Several tunnels used to be patrolled by guards.

The terrace on top of the castle is reached through a stone staircase. Five survey towers are equipped with rifle loopholes and are topped with domes.

The Ionian Sea, the rocky shoreline, and the mountains can all be seen from the castle terrace.