Born in Dhermi. Built by family. Inspired by the sea.
Our story began in 2017, with one small 5.4-meter boat and a simple dream: to share the beauty of our coastline with visitors from around the world.
We are Tina and Enea, both born and raised in Dhermi, with family roots that go back through our grandparents and parents. This coastline is not just where we work – it is our home, our heritage and a place we have known since childhood.
In those early days, we had just one small boat, carrying up to eight passengers. Enea spent his days at sea, taking guests along the coast, while Tina managed reservations and welcomed visitors at our little shop by the seaside promenade. We had a simple advertising sign and a few locally made souvenirs, but what we offered most was a warm welcome and a personal connection.
Back then, internet access in Albania was still limited. Most visitors discovered us by walking along the promenade or through recommendations from local guesthouse owners. Trust and word of mouth were the foundations on which we built our business.
Growing Together with Dhermi
As tourism in Dhermi began to grow, we wanted our local community to grow with it. We even helped some local guesthouse owners create their Booking.com accounts so they could welcome more international visitors. In return, many recommended our boat trips to their guests.
We believed that tourism could create opportunities for everyone, not just for individual businesses.
In 2021, we bought our second boat – PETRO, with a capacity of 12 people – allowing us to welcome more passengers and introduce new itineraries. We expanded our tours to some of the most beautiful destinations along the Albanian Riviera, including Grama Bay, the Secret Blue Cave, St. Andrea Bay, Filikuri Bay and Porto Palermo.
Around the same time, we established our dedicated website, dhermiboattours.com, taking another step toward making our business more accessible to international travelers. Our presence on Google Maps and Tripadvisor also helped more visitors discover us online.
2025 – A New Chapter
Over the years, demand for our tours continued to grow. At times, we had more booking requests than our own boats could accommodate, so we referred some guests to partner operators.
However, we wanted to have greater control over the quality of the experience our guests received. We wanted to make sure that the service, comfort and care we promised were consistently delivered.
That is why, in 2025, we made an important investment and welcomed TOMAS-I, our larger boat with a capacity of up to 24 passengers.
This investment allowed us to expand our operations, offer more space and comfort, and welcome more guests while maintaining the standards we believe in.
We have joined GetYourGuide, Viator and TripAdvisor, opening the possibility to share our experience with more travelers around the world.
A Family Behind Every Journey
Dhermi Boat Tours has always been, and remains, a family business. Each of us has a role in making our guests feel welcome.
Enea – Captain & Storyteller
Enea, Tina’s husband, captains our main boat, TOMAS-I. With a background in business management and four foreign languages, he combines his experience at sea with his knowledge of the local coastline, sharing stories, traditions and little details that bring each destination to life.
Tina – Your First Welcome
A mechanical engineer by training, Tina takes care of reservations, sales and guest communication, but her role goes beyond the office. She personally welcomes our guests, helps them board and leave the boat, and enjoys making sure they feel comfortable from the very beginning.
Whenever possible, she loves offering local fruit or refreshments from our village and our own homes. For Tina, hospitality is about the little things that make people feel at home.
Tomas – The Next Generation
Our older son, Tomas, has grown up around the sea and is now part of the business as a skipper on our smaller private tour boat. Speaking three languages, he brings his own experience and enthusiasm to welcoming guests and exploring the coast.
Petro – Our Technology Mind
Our younger son, Petro, helps us with IT, technology and our website, bringing the digital side of our family business forward.
And sometimes, our hospitality continues beyond the boat. During the summer season, we enjoy inviting guests who are curious about our culture and way of life to share a glass of wine and a conversation with our family.
These moments remind us that travel is not only about beautiful places. It is also about the people you meet along the way.
More Than a Boat Tour
For us, a boat trip is much more than taking people from one destination to another.
It is about feeling safe and comfortable, enjoying genuine human connections, discovering hidden places, hearing the stories behind them and experiencing the warmth of local hospitality.
We want every guest to feel welcomed, not simply transported.
After all these years, our original idea remains the same: to share our home, our coastline and a little part of our lives with people from all over the world.
We don’t just know this coastline. We belong to it.
And we hope that when you leave Dhermi, you take home more than photographs – you take home memories.
With love from Dhermi,
Tina, Enea and the whole family
Dhermi Boat Tours – Since 2017
