welcome

Beautiful city of Saranda is the largest settlement on the Albanian Riviera and one of the most visited tourist destinations in Albania.The city of Saranda is the south-western part of Albania, on the Ionian seacoast. It faces the Greek island of Corfu that is about twenty six km away.

Nature and Climate

Like the other tourist spots of Albania, Saranda exhibits a gentle Mediterranean climate with over three hundred sunny days a year. The daytime summer temperature rarely exceeds thirty degrees Celsius, and a mild breeze blows from the ocean by night.

History and Sights

History, Saranda was referred to as Onchezmus, The name was given to the city by its primary settlers, the Illyrian tribe of Chaonians. The poet and philosopher Cicero describes this ancient city as “a convenient harbor with favourable winds blowing in it”. The picturesque bay of Saranda provides a spectacular view of the city.

In the Saranda suburban area, archaeologists discovered mosaics that prove that the city was the cultural center of the region in the second – third century AD.

Not far from Saranda are the “Blue eye” natural springs and the ruins of the traditional town of Butrint. This is one of the most important archeological finds in Albania, now included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.

The ancient city of Finich is located close to Saranda. According to Edwin Jaque, the territory of this town included the largest Acropolis in the ancient world; seven times larger than the Acropolis in Athens.

5 Reasons to go to Saranda

- Visit Butrint -  “a heavenly, beautiful place”, 20km from Saranda central

- Go on mountain hikes

- Spend a couple of days on the magnificent beaches of the Ionian sea 

- Admire the charming view of the Saranda bay from the sea, on a small yacht cruise. 

- Visit the ancient city of Finich and see the largest ancient Acropolis of Europe 

- Enjoy the comfortable and luxurious hotels of Saranda and the hospitality of local people

  

"Blue Eye" spring 18 km north-east of Saranda. At this beautiful spot, shaded by centuries old oak trees, a twelve headed dragon, according to the legend , jeausly guarded and held back the spring waters from the villagers. Consequently, pagan rituals were carried out by sacrificing young voluptuous maidens to the gods of the same waters.

  








Ksamili

The village of Ksamili is near Sarande. It has a beautiful beach with several small islands you could swim to. The bus from Sarande serves both Ksamili and Butrint. Ksamili is now heavily developed, with a large number of part-completed properties. An extraordinary sight is that some of these new buildings are toppling over; this is believed to be where buildings have gone up without permission, and the police have sabotaged the building by pulling out a couple of upright pillars, leaving the owner to clear up the damage.






Butrint
Just outside of Ksamili, lies Butrint, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Butrint was an ancient city throughout Greek, Roman, bishopric and Byzantine periods. The city was finally abandoned during the Middle Ages perhaps due to the marsh surrounding and subsequent malaria epidemic.
Despite being one of the greatest classical cities of the Mediterranean, Butrint remains largely unknown. The current archaeological site includes an impressive Roman amphitheater, a Byzantine Basilica (the largest in the world after Hagia Sophia in Istanbul), a Roman temple with mosaic floor, a beautifully carved lion's gate as well numerous constructions built throughout the periods. Furthermore, what you see is just 15 per cent of what lies beneath. As of summer of 2005, there is an international archaeological team performing excavations at Butrint which can be observed inside the park. 

Eat

Sarandë is bustling with restaurants, cafes and bars. Fast food places offer a surprisingly cheap and tasty variety of options: 1 euro will usually get you a good souvlaki (usually pork) or a very nice crepe. Look out for yoghurt flavoured ice cream on the boardwalk, near the tourist info office. In Ksamil, there are a few places you can eat at. At least 4 restaurants in Ksamil are open year-round, but in the summer there are a lot more options and many are just seconds from the beach.
If you go to Sarandë, you must try the fish, since Sarandë is next to the sea, restaurants that are located next to water would be the best because those are the places that usually have fresh fish. You should also try the squid, mussel, and shrimp. You should try them in different cooking styles, not just fried. The best time to eat sea products is after a nice long day of swimming.

Drink

Wine,beer,Albanian Raki, the local firewater.

Sleep

• Backpackers SR, Rruga Mithat Hoxha Num 10, Lagja 4 Sarande, 7500 (*Directions from Bus - From the bus stop walk downhill towards the sea, when you reach the promenade turn right on to Ionianet street and walk to the eucalyptus in the center of the road and turn left and 50 metres on the right you will see a yellow and grey building No. 10. At the dark brown door, ring the bell (Tomi) six minute walk. *Directions from the Corfu ferry - Exit the customer area, walk up the ramp, turn right and 50 meters in front you should see a yellow and grey building with an internet cafe on the ground floor. Look for the dark brown door to the left of the creppe shop. Ring the bell named Tomi. One minute walk.), ☎ 00355694345426, [2]. Centrally located in the heart of town, close to everything Saranda has to offer. Bus route 6 min walk, Corfu ferry 1 min, Bus st. to Ksamil/Butrint 1 min, Bus st. to Greece 2 min, beach in front of the hostel, the famous promenade (xhiro) on our doorstep, the farmers market, fresh fruits & vegs 1 min. Open year-round. 14 dorm beds in a new building. Free breakfast. Free wifi. Kitchen. Free Security lockers. Free linen & bedsheets. Free coffee and tea. Roof terrace. Beach BBQ dinners in front of the hostel in the summer. Run by Tomi, a local resident, who is such a nice and helpful guy. He will make you feel right at home by going out of his way to help you out. Knows lots of information about day trips to Butrint and the Blue eye. 11 euro. 
• The Hairy Lemon, ☎ +355 69 355 9317. A small 18 bed hostel run by a great Irish lady. Has hot shower, laundry, free breafast, 24 hour tea and coffee, internet, comfy bunks, large balcony with awesome view of the beach and Corfu. Just a hop skip and a jump from a nice beach with beach chairs and beach umbrellas free after 4 PM! Directions: A taxi from the port costs 3 euros. Otherwise, with your back to the Port turn left and continue on this coastal road (part tarmac and part dirt track) 1 km till you see a sign on the right: 'Pharmacy' and on the left 'Kasandro Restaurant' at the 'Apollonia Hotel' junction. Ask anyone along the coastal road for 'Apollonia Hotel'. From the map 'Andon Lapa Hotel' to 'Apollonia Hotel' is a 2/3 min walk. Above the 'Pharmacy' in the 10 storey lemon and orange building, look up to the 8th floor to see an Albanian flag hanging from their balcony. Go to the opposite side of this building to find the entrance. You can get a key to the building from the shop near the building entrance. Take the lift to the 8th floor. From the lift go left, and the 'Hairy Lemon' awaits you, behind the last door on the left!

• Jolly Hotel, Dhermi (on the boardwalk), ☎ 068-224-0334. This small beach village before reaching Sarande has a beautiful beach, and the Jolly Hotel has 4 person rooms for 20 to 25 euros per room (not person!). You can negotiate. The staff, food, room, and location are all great. 20euro. 

The luxury five star Hotel Butrint in Saranda is prohibitively expensive but very pretty. Another luxury hotel is "Hotel Duraku". The rooms are very comfortable and clean, and the staff is very qualified. It costs around 90euro/night for a family.
The simple yet nice Porto Eda Hotel.

• Holiday Apartments from locals, everywhere in and around Sarande. There are plenty of private houses, apartments offered by locals especially during the high season period. The accomodation offered ranges from low-budget to highly exclusive locations both for low and reasonably high prices. However, if you are traveling in a group of more than 2 people, it is worth a consideration. The apartments can usually accomodate up to 10 people and are much cheaper than a hotel. Furthermore, you can usually cook in the apartment and save some money for the outstanding night life of Sarande. But make sure to book your accomodation in advance, since most of the apartments get booked out very fast. 

For accomodation in Ksamil You can have a look at www.ksamiliapartments.com
Hotel ‘Dea’ tel 00355692724043 e-mail; hoteldea@gmail.com .Probably the best out there in Saranda,with 20 rooms all rooms view on the sea, 3 large suites,big swimming pool,bar restaurant reception 24h/24 private parking,it is only 1 km from the city center so you can just have a nice walk along the road Sarand-Butrinti and you are there