The strange name

Rana e Hedhun is one of the most fascinating destinations in northern albania. Called in the Gheg dialect of Albanian, in English, its name literally translates as "thrown sand", referring to the sand dunes and pristine formations along its coast. Sand thrown by the north wind (locally called 'Murlani') during the centenarians formed a dune perpendicular to the mountain.

Just a little story

After the second world war, albania becomes a communist and dictatorial country. The whole coast becomes an impassable border and tourism was an exclusive sector of the state. "The thrown sand", like the rest of the coast, was a military zone where it was not possible to enter even for swimming. After the fall of the dictatorship, in 1991, the coast returns to the population and that is why "The sand thrown" is one of the last areas still (for a short time) not urbanized. Located just 3-4 kilometers from Shëngjin, this beach remains relatively unexplored by the larger population of tourists, revealing a rare and perhaps unique Mediterranean landscape.