Ports in Albania — Durrës and Tirana: Port Codes and Terminal Data
Summary:Almost everything Albania ships by sea passes through Durrës (UN/LOCODE ALDRS), the country’s largest port; Tirana (ALTRA) is the inland capital point. This page gives berth and depth data, climate notes and the practical routing for cargo from China.
Port information: Durrës (ALDRS)
- Port code: ALDRS
- Ranking: Albania’s largest seaport and the capital of Durrës County
- Industry: tobacco, rubber, flour milling and ship repair; the country’s largest fishing centre
- Airport: about 35 km away
- Traffic share: four-fifths of Albania’s seaborne cargo
- Capacity: about 6 million tonnes of cargo a year
- Working pattern: closed on public holidays and Sundays
The harbour is sheltered by two breakwaters. The main berths stretch along 1,250 m of quay with a maximum depth of 9.2 m, taking the container feeders and ro-ro vessels that serve the Adriatic.
Climate and tides
Durrës has a Mediterranean climate with mild, wet winters. August is the warmest month at about 25 °C. From November to April’s end the port sees most of its roughly 1,300 mm of annual rainfall along with rougher seas, while the tidal range stays small — never more than 0.3 m.
Port information: Tirana (ALTRA)
Tirana, code ALTRA, is Albania’s capital and largest city and its economic, cultural and transport centre. The city sits in a basin on the western side of the Krujë mountains, on the Ishëm River, at the inner edge of the fertile central Albanian plain, about 30 km from the Adriatic coast. Average temperatures range from about 6.8 °C in the coolest months to 23 °C at the height of summer.
Tirana is landlocked: ALTRA is an inland location code, and ocean containers discharge at Durrës, about 35 km away, before trucking into the capital.
Frequently asked questions
What is the port code for Durrës, Albania?
Durrës is ALDRS, and Tirana uses the inland code ALTRA. Bills of lading for the capital normally show Durrës as discharge port and Tirana as final destination.
How deep is the port of Durrës?
The main berths offer a maximum depth of 9.2 m along 1,250 m of quay inside two breakwaters — enough for the feeder and ro-ro services that call in the Adriatic.
Which months are hardest for shipments to Albania?
November through April brings most of the roughly 1,300 mm of annual rain and the roughest seas, so allow extra schedule buffer in winter; the tidal range itself is minimal, never more than 0.3 m.
How does cargo from China reach Tirana?
Containers are discharged at Durrës, cleared and trucked about 35 km to Tirana. There is no ocean service to Tirana itself.
What share of Albania’s trade uses Durrës?
About four-fifths of the country’s seaborne cargo, with an annual handling capacity of roughly 6 million tonnes.
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