Saranda
Saranda, the sunny gateway to the Albanian Riviera, is a lively coastal city that combines a beautiful seafront promenade, crystal-clear Ionian waters, and easy access to some of southern Albania's greatest treasures. Surrounded by hills and facing the Greek island of Corfu across the strait, Saranda has grown from a quiet fishing town into the most popular resort on the Albanian coast — yet retains an authentic, unhurried character outside the peak summer months.
Must-See Attractions
Butrint National Park
A UNESCO World Heritage Site of extraordinary depth, Butrint encompasses the ruins of an ancient city successively inhabited by Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Venetians, and Ottomans for over 2,500 years. Set on a wooded peninsula surrounded by a lagoon, the site includes a Greek theatre, Roman baths and forum, an early Christian baptistery, and Byzantine basilicas — all set amid wild vegetation that makes exploration feel genuinely adventurous.
View on Google MapsKsamil Islands
Just 3 km south of Saranda and within sight of Corfu, the four small uninhabited islands of Ksamil lie in turquoise water of almost Caribbean clarity. The village beaches are separated by rocky headlands, with the islands accessible by a short paddle or water taxi. The combination of jewel-coloured water, white pebble shores, and the view across to Corfu makes Ksamil one of the most photogenic spots on the Albanian coast.
View on Google MapsLëkurësi Castle
A well-preserved 16th-century Ottoman castle perched on a hill above Saranda, offering the best panoramic view over the city, the bay, the Ksamil islands, and the Greek island of Corfu across the blue straits. The castle is now home to a restaurant and bar — making it the perfect spot to watch the sun set over the Ionian Sea with a cold local drink in hand.
View on Google MapsSynagogue of Saranda
The remains of a remarkable early Christian and Byzantine synagogue dating to the 5th–6th centuries AD, discovered in the centre of Saranda. The site features an extraordinary mosaic floor with a menorah, inscriptions in Greek and Hebrew, and decorative patterns attesting to a significant Jewish community in ancient Saranda (then known as Onchesmos). One of the most significant early Jewish sites in the western Balkans.
View on Google MapsAli Pasha Castle (Pasha Liman)
A romantic ruin on a rocky peninsula about 15 km north of Saranda, this castle was built for Ali Pasha of Ioannina — the remarkable Ottoman warlord who carved out a semi-independent empire across Albania and northern Greece in the early 19th century. The secluded bay below the castle is one of the most beautiful and peaceful swimming spots on the Albanian Riviera.
View on Google MapsSaranda Promenade
Saranda's sweeping seafront promenade curves around a wide crescent bay overlooking the Ionian Sea and the lights of Corfu. Lined with cafés, restaurants, ice cream parlours, and palm trees, it is the social heart of the city and comes alive on warm evenings. The seafront fish restaurants serve some of the finest grilled seafood in Albania at prices that seem almost impossibly cheap by Western standards.
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