Author: Tom Peeters

After reporting on river pollution on the Ishker River, I needed a break. I wanted to relax, get some writing done and recover from a bout of sickness. (Side note: my sick day coincided with others exploring canyons and turquoise waters, but hey, silver lining – I got to witness FC Bruges clinch the Belgian championship from my sickbed!)

Enter Saranda (or Sarandë), the coastal haven in the south of Albania that whispered promises of sunny days, a laid-back vibe and salty air. Once a sleepy village, Saranda is now the main draw along the Albanian Riviera (although, technically, not part of it). It lured us for a two-week stay. This is what we did:

Enjoy seaside vibes

Saranda might present itself as the Albanian answer to Benidorm – or Blankenberge if you will – but that doesn’t mean it’s not a pleasant place. The town invites you to indulge in the art of mindless strolling. The Albanians call it the xhiro, the evening walk. In Saranda, arguably, the best plan is to have no plan at all, to simply follow your nose along the Hasan Tahsini Boulevard, the walking promenade hugging the Ionian Sea. Hit one of the pebbly beaches in town. Or try to find the cheapest ice cream stall, where two scoops cost just 100 lek. The promenade itself is a canvas for people-watching and sunset-gazing, preferably accompanied by a bottle of local wine. In Saranda, life effortlessly takes on the rhythm of the waves – easy, breezy, and oh-so-enjoyable.

Have a drink at Elvis’s Coffee Bar

Guess what, folks? The King is alive and runs a café at the end of the boulevard. After a refreshing swim at the nearby beach, we often ended up on his cosy terrace – journalling, drinking beer and chatting with the Elvis-lookalike owner. Complete with a greasy ponytail and a deep, gravelly voice that could convince you he’s been smoking fistfuls of cigarettes every day (although he swore to us he quit as a teenager). Inside, dozens of portraits of the King adorn the walls and his tunes rock the speakers. Fun fact: this Elvis doppelgänger used to perform often in nearby Corfu and still regularly hosts shows in his café. Unfortunately for us, we were a tad too early in the season. A fact Elvis bemoaned endlessly as he complained about the lack of visitors.

Hit the beach

North of Saranda, the Albanian Riviera stretches out with its crystal-clear blue water and endless stretches of golden sand. On the other side of Saranda, about ten kilometres south of the city, lies Ksamil, another town boasting picture-perfect paradise beaches. Albanian beach culture seemed all about beach chairs, parasols and the option to rent them at wallet-friendly rates. It’s very inexpensive by Western European standards. As we didn’t plan on a full beach day, we just plopped down on our towels on an empty patch of sand and went for a swim.

Ksamil’s beachfront looked fancy. A short walk, however, revealed a more rural charm – sheep meandered the streets, and in a field stood beekeepers’ boxes. We tried to follow the contours of a nearby lake, passing farmers and mussel harvesters loudly cracking open shells, but let’s just say it wasn’t exactly a well-established road. As there was little respite from the relentlessly blasting sun, we eventually turned back.

The pristine Albanian beaches, left untouched during the communist times, have been undergoing rampant development in the last few years. Whilst I commend the Albanians for their efforts to improve their standard of living, the environmental toll of unchecked development is hard to ignore. (See also: my article in The Guardian about the construction of an airport near Vlora). I don’t have a definitive answer to this issue – and I’m not suggesting you shouldn’t enjoy what the coasts have to offer, it didn’t stop us. Just saying it’s good to be aware of the delicate balance between progress and preservation.

Experience the opening of the tourist season

Our visit to Saranda coincided with the event that officially opened the tourist summer season. In 2022, this happened at the weekend of 21 and 22 May, but do check! Throngs of people shuffled over the coastal promenade, where oldtimer cars were showcased and men in traditional attire sang haunting polyphonic melodies. Amidst the festivities, Anete even made a cameo appearance on the local TV channel.

Explore the national park Butrint

Just south of Ksamil, the Butrint National Park blends ancient ruins with lush natural beauty. Butrint is arguably the most important archaeological site in Albania, a place with a history as a Roman colony, a city the Venetians used strategically to control the shipping and trading along the Adriatic Coast and the personal toy of the infamous local despot Ali Pasha of Tepelena.

A museum showcases an array of discoveries, notably larger-than-life statues of emperor Augustus, his wife Livia and the general Agrippa. The supposedly impressive floor mosaic, one of the biggest draws of Butrint, however, is almost permanently covered with sand. This preservation measure protects it from exposure to the air and to the rising water levels in the lagoon. Every few years, the mosaic is uncovered. Our visit, unfortunately, did not coincide with such an occasion.

Go early to avoid both the oppressive heat and the masses of people. If you arrive a bit too late, expect to see plenty of bored Albanian high-school students.

Stare into the Blue Eye

Like locking eyes with a beautiful girl, staring into the depths of this natural karst wonder is quite the experience. Amidst lush forests, a veritable small jungle, the Blue Eye (Syri I Kalter in Albanian) captivates visitors with a kaleidoscope of blues and greens. As we peeled off our socks to take a plunge into the ice-cold water of this karst pool, a gang of damselflies patrolled over the water. Only the voice of David Attenborough was missing.

Needless to say, you’re unlikely to have this beautiful spot to yourself. When we visited, drones buzzed over our heads while a cacophony of raucous cries and hoots echoed through the air. Rowdy visitors plunged into the water with the grace of primates. Still, it’s worth a visit if you’re staying in Saranda.

Climb to the Monastery of the Forty Saints

Supposedly, Saranda was named after this former monastery on a hilltop. Nowadays, the site is mostly rubble. Unless you’re a history freak, a visit is more interesting for the walk and the views than for the monastery itself. There are two ways to the monastery. Opting for the “back route” leads you through a lively neighbourhood where boys play football in the streets and hairy men in wife-beaters grill meat on the barbecue. Whichever route you choose, the vistas are sweeping.

The monastery was purportedly built in honour of forty Roman martyrs, who preferred banishment over renouncing their faith. It once drew Christians from across the Balkans to Saranda. Italian archaeologist Luigi Maria Ugolini, enraptured by its beauty during his work on the site in the mid-1920s, hailed it as one of the finest examples of church architecture in Albania. However, the passage of time took its toll, the monastery gradually fell into disuse and disrepair and eventually succumbed to World War II bombings.

The Monastery of the Forty Saints: practical

• opening hours: 9-18 (summer), 8-16 (winter).
• cost: 200 Albanian lek (May 2022), payable to the old men playing dominoes.

Bonus: Find Hillary Clinton

Albanians like to show their gratitude for the American support of Kosovo. In Kruje, we spotted a bakery called George W. Bush Bakery (apparently, there is also a statue of the 43rd American president in nearby Fushë Kruje). Tirana boasts a street named after the man, Rruga Presidenti George W. Bush. Here in Saranda, look out for the bust of Hillary Clinton that adorns a micropark near Credins Bank.

Saranda: practical information

Where (and what) to eat in Saranda?

Our introduction to Albanian cuisine left much to be desired. Assigned to cover River Cleanup, a Belgian NGO working on cleaner rivers, we were stationed at a so-called ‘eco-resort’ in the countryside surrounding the Albanian capital, Tirana. Culinary delights were sorely lacking. Each day brought forth the same uninspired fare: half a chicken for the carnivores, bland white rice for the vegetarians (although we managed to negotiate some side dishes). On top of that, the raw milk made me sick. Little did we know that this underwhelming experience was far from indicative of Albania’s culinary landscape. The cuisine of the country is great, a delightful fusion of Balkan and Italian influences.

• In Saranda, after the long bus ride from Tirana, we rediscovered our taste buds when we stepped into the first restaurant we saw. In Garden Taverna, a cosy family restaurant on the seaside boulevard, we paid less than ten euros for two delicious plates of spaghetti Napoletana and two beers (1100 lek, €9,30, May 2022).

• Souvlaki combines great flavour with affordability, making it a staple throughout Albania for budget-conscious travellers like ourselves. Imagine a warm pita bread with lettuce, tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, garlic sauce and fries. (We opted for the vegetarian option, the real deal comes with meat, of course). Not only delicious but also dirt cheap. Even in touristy Saranda, a portion rarely costs more than 200 lek (May 2022). Check out the shacks near the port or on the seaside boulevard.

Where to stay in Saranda?

As you can expect in a popular tourist destination, there are plenty of options to stay. We booked a room in a small, family-owned guesthouse on the outskirts of the city. Initially, we booked for three nights, then asked nicely if we could stay for two more weeks. The family gave us a good deal on a room with a kitchenette, a balcony and a view over the bay. As a token of appreciation for staying in the off-season, the grandparents also offered us a bottle of homemade wine and a jar of jam. They didn’t speak a word of English, but the grandson happily assisted with translations. The initial three-day booking cost us 4200 lek, equivalent to just €35,50.

How to get to Saranda?

There are several ways to reach Saranda:

Bus from Tirana

The bus journey from Tirana takes a long time, especially if, like us, you have to endure the babbling of a middle-aged American. The journey became more tranquil as we left Gjirokastër and ascended the mountains, leaving the American traveller noticeably quieter. With every hairpin, he turned paler. The last thing I heard him whisper was that no way he’d take the same route out, no way he’d suffer through this hell again, he’d surely get a flight from Corfu! To be honest, the journey was far from as arduous as some of the experiences we’ve had on chicken bus routes in Central America.

Our driver stopped at a mineral water source where you can fill up. Make sure you have an empty water bottle.

• Buses to Saranda leave Tirana at 5:30, 7:30, 8:30, 9:45, 12:30, 16:00 and 22:00 (May 2022, double-check at the bus station).
• Buses to Tirana leave Saranda at 5:00, 6:30, 8:30, 9:30, 10:45, 14:00 and 22:00  (May 2022).
• We paid 1700 lek for a ticket from Tirana to Saranda, almost 15 euro, although the ticket prices advertised in the Saranda bus station were 1500 lek to Tirana, 1400 lek to Durrës, 1000 lek to Fier, 500 lek to Tepelenë and 400 lek to Gjirokastër (May 2022).

Bus from Vlora along the Albanian Riviera

This might be the most scenic option. A bus takes you from Vlora to Saranda along the picturesque Albanian Riviera.

Bus from Athens

Travellers can also take the bus that leaves Athens for Tirana in the evening. Disembark at Gjirokastër and travel onwards to Saranda. This is a viable option for those coming from anywhere else in Albania as well; the initial leg usually involves taking a bus to Gjirokastër.

Boat from Corfu

A different option for travellers coming from Greece is to take a boat from Corfu.