Things to do in Saranda
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Saranda
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months, warm sea, everything open, prices off August peak and no queues at Ksamil or the Blue Eye.
Peak, low to mid 30s, diaspora and Ferragosto crowds, highest prices, works only with bookings and early starts.
Shoulder, May is green and ideal for hiking, October has warm sea early and harvest food, closures begin late October.
Worst for a beach trip, cool and rainy, many hotels and restaurants closed and ferries minimal.
What's on
- Kala Festival Early June each year
Week long electronic and live festival in Dhermi, base there for the festival and pair with Saranda nights.
- Anjunadeep Explorations Mid June
Festival in Dhermi in mid June, same basing advice as Kala.
- South Outdoor Festival late summer
Outdoor activities festival around Borsh and the Riviera, closest big event in spirit to Saranda.
- Saranda Summer Programme June-August
Municipal beach parties, live music, fairs and outdoor film on the waterfront, no single headline date.
- Diving Festival September
Small international diving festival per municipal listings, ask local dive shops.
- Independence Day 28 November
Patriotic and local public holiday.
Best things to do in Saranda
Butrint National Park
UNESCO ancient city in shaded woodland between lake and channel, with theatre, baptistery, basilica and museum.
Ksamil Islands
Four tree covered islets in clear turquoise water, best early or late in the day in summer.
Blue Eye
Icy electric blue karst spring in a forest clearing, a short visit best before the midday queues.
Lekuresi Castle
Ottoman hilltop castle with the best sunset panorama over Saranda bay, Lake Butrint and Corfu.
Saranda Promenade
Palm lined waterfront and home of the evening xhiro stroll, the social heart of the town.
Monastery of the Forty Saints
Fragmentary Byzantine basilica that named the city, quiet with a wilder bay panorama.
Synagogue-Basilica Complex
Mosaic floors of a 5th to 6th century synagogue turned basilica, a short stop for history minded visitors.
Saranda Town Market
Covered market locals use for fruit, olives, honey, raki, cheese and herbs, best as a morning routine.
Where to stay in Saranda
Kodra
best all-round base
Mostly flat, by the sea and close to the centre, with calmer beaches and family run stock.
Centre and Promenade
no-car, nightlife and ferries
Steps from restaurants, bars, town beach, bus stops and the Corfu ferry, with walkability over August noise.
Rruga Butrinti
beach clubs and private-beach hotels
Larger newer hotels with private beach strips and pools, but steep and a taxi ride back from promenade dinners.
Think twice about
- Steep upper back streets behind Rruga Onhezmi
Unlit lanes, broken pavements, building sites and a taxi or climb after every outing, a topography warning not a crime warning.
- Rruga Butrinti on foot at night
Fast traffic and incomplete pavements. Take a taxi after dark.
- Ksamil village centre as a base in July and August
Purpose built beach strip with little after dark and loud late noise in peak season. Day trip it from Saranda instead.
Best restaurants in Saranda
Haxhi
Consensus number one: family run Albanian and Mediterranean cooking with grilled fish, seafood pasta and mussels.
Manxurane Restaurant and Wines
Special occasion table with French inspired cooking and the best wine list in town, cash only, open all year.
Taverna Joan
Traditional taverna with seafood, grilled meats, generous portions and a long wine list below promenade prices.
Rozmarine
Resident pick for the best nice dinner, fresh seafood with a step up in polish and plating from the tavernas.
Centrali
Most central smart table on the promenade itself, dining and wine with xhiro crowds and bay view.
Taverna Fish Filipi
Local value fish taverna: pick the fish, have it grilled with olive oil and lemon, pay a fraction of promenade prices.
Taverna Kapiteni
Named alongside Fish Filipi for fresh seafood at extremely low cost on the port and centre side.
Family Food Traditional and Grill
Best Albanian home cooking verdict from a six week resident, traditional dishes at local prices.
Best bars in Saranda
Orange Club
Huge club on Rruga Butrinti with DJs and Albanian star nights, supplies one or two genuinely big nights.
Best coffee in Saranda
Limani
Harbour view coffee institution on the promenade, go for the coffee and the view above all.
Cafe Polonia
Best coffee with a view pick, part of the cheap espresso and macchiato culture taken slowly.
Zum Cafe
Brunch pick for coffee in town, part of the low cost morning cafe infrastructure.
Outdoor things to do in Saranda
Krorëza Beach
Boat only coves including Kroreza, Kakome and Turtle Cave on the best active day out from Saranda.
Ksamil Islands Kayak and SUP
Paddle or SUP to the nearer Ksamil islands in the morning before boat wash and beach music build.
Gjirokastër
UNESCO stone roofed mountain town under a vast citadel, with bazaar lanes and tower houses, a full day trip.
Corfu Old Town
Venetian UNESCO old town, fortresses and Greek lunch reached by a 30 to 70 minute ferry from Saranda.
Saranda Diving
Clear, warm and under dived Ionian water with rocky reefs, caves and amphorae for try dives and fun dives.
Saranda ATV Safari
Guided half day quad rides into olive hills, villages and sunset viewpoints behind the coast.
Butrint National Park Trails
Flat shaded park circuit at Butrint is the best walk in the area, with the Blue Eye forest walk and Phoenice also rewarding.
Llogara Paragliding
Tandem flights from about 900 metres at Llogara landing on the beach below, one of Europe's great sea view flights.
Best hotels in Saranda
Hotel Vale
Modern four star directly on the promenade with soundproof rooms, big sea balconies, breakfast and parking.
Yacht Premium Hotel
Service led splurge near the port with spotless quiet rooms, rich breakfasts and staff who organise everything.
Demi Hotel
Four star on Rruga Butrinti with private beach, waterfront terrace and sea view rooms, town reached by taxi.
Santa Quaranta Premium Resort
Larger resort at the south end of Rruga Butrinti with pool and dining, more resort like than the promenade boutiques.
Titania Hotel
Three star behind the promenade with sea view balconies, rooftop restaurant, breakfast and parking, top mid range evidence.
Glow Boutique Hotel and Suites
Boutique modern hotel with the rare Saranda mix of a rooftop pool and private beach access.
Kanes Bohemian Boutique Hotel
Stylish modern centre hotel with balconies over the bay and parking, walkable everywhere, good couples base.
Buze Boutique Hotel
Smaller personal Rruga Butrinti hotel with direct private beach access, friendly staff and modern rooms.
Is Saranda expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | ALL 4,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | ALL 10,000 a person |
| Splurge | ALL 20,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Krorëza Beach: a few days ahead
- Gjirokastër: a few days ahead
- Corfu Old Town: a few days ahead
- Saranda Diving: a few days ahead
- Llogara Paragliding: a few days ahead
- Lake Butrint Mussel Tour: a few days ahead
- Haxhi: a few days ahead
- Manxurane Restaurant and Wines: a few days ahead
- In August book hotels, Corfu ferries, Haxhi, Manxurane, small group tours and small boat tours in advance.
- In June and September use free cancellation hotels and book specific ferries, one special dinner and a private boat if the date is fixed.
- Butrint and the Blue Eye need no advance entry ticket, the booking that matters is arriving early.
Is Saranda safe?
- No area has a severe homelessness or no-go problem, real risks are twisty roads, quads, jet skis, cold Blue Eye water and midday heat.
- Only the port and August promenade need normal crowd awareness for pickpockets.
- Drink bottled water, do not flush toilet paper, and carry small lek notes as cash is still king outside hotels.
Saranda travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Agree sunbed price for the pair, for the whole day, for everything, before anyone sits down.
- For fish by weight ask the per kilo price and see the weighing, or order the fixed price dish.
- Walk two streets from the port for taxis and agree a fare, or pre-book via your hotel.
- Book a named reviewed boat operator, not a promenade tout stall.
Getting around Saranda: public transport and more
- Centre is walkable and the promenade is flat, everything else is hills, taxis and buses.
- Agree taxi fares before moving, short hops historically 300 to 500 lek and the castle about 500 lek.
- Furgons to Ksamil, Butrint, Blue Eye and Gjirokaster leave when full, arrive 20 minutes early and pay on board.
- Arrive via Corfu ferry in 30 to 70 minutes, or from Tirana Airport in 4 to 5 hours by bus or car.
Who Saranda suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Saranda your trip
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