Your Guide to Saranda
Where to eat, stay and swim around Saranda
City Guide
All of Saranda
166+ places across Saranda and its coast. Restaurants, beaches, hotels and nightlife in one independent guide.
Car Rental
Hire a car and explore the southern coast
Kayaks Rent Sups
Run by Lora and Vitalii,
Travel Tip
Carry Some Lek
Albania's currency is the lek (ALL), not the euro, so do not count on paying in euros everywhere. Carry some lek for small purchases, and check which currency a price is quoted in before you pay.
Kantina Isak
The in-town counter of a
Pema e Thatë
The cove is named after
Accommodation
Seafront hotels & Ksamil stays
Jericho Cocktail Bar
Opened as the town's first
Exchange and Jewelry Victoria '96
A tall yellow light box
Blue Whale Boat Trips
Shared trips on the 22-seat
Arameras Resort
Guests have use of a
Restaurants
Fish restaurants & Albanian cooking
Pharmacy Deni
Sun protection, skincare and baby-and-mother
Ksamil Beach
Small boats and canoes cross
Poda Lounge Bar
The bar and restaurant of
Lake Butrint Viewpoint
The lagoon is a Ramsar
Attractions
Butrint, Lëkurësi Castle & the synagogue
Blue Pool Bar & Caffe
Remodelled and reopened under new
Food & Drink
Eat Like a Local
Order the local staples: fish soup, grilled sea bass or bream, byrek filled with wild herbs and a stew of small pllaqi beans. A winery near the town makes wine, brandy, olive oil and honey to taste.
Farmaci Ilda
Carries well-known brands of medicines
Lushi Luxury Travel
A family team from Saranda
Explore by category
Explore Saranda
From fish restaurants on the promenade and the ruins of Butrint to the Ksamil islands and the Blue Eye spring. Every corner of Saranda by category.
Around the city
Around Saranda
From the town and its bay up to Lëkurësi Castle, south to Ksamil and Butrint, inland to the Blue Eye and north along the coast to Lukovë and Borsh.
Tours & Tickets
Tours & Day Trips in Saranda
Boat trips, day tours and tickets around the town and the southern coast, via GetYourGuide.
Beaches in Saranda and Ksamil
The town beaches on the promenade, white sand at Ksamil and its islands, Mirror and Monastery beaches, boat-only coves to the north, then Lukovë and Borsh.
Butrint National Park: A Visitor Guide
Visiting Butrint from Saranda: the theatre, baptistery and Great Basilica, the acropolis museum, the Vivari Channel and its castles, and how to get there.
Day Trips from Saranda: Butrint to Corfu
Butrint, the Blue Eye spring, Gjirokastër, Corfu by ferry, Lukovë, Borsh and Himarë up the coast, and Phoenice on its hill, with how to reach each from Saranda.
Ships in Port
Cruise ships calling at Saranda
The port is small, so cruise ships anchor in the bay and bring their passengers ashore to the port terminal in the town.
Thu 1 Oct
National Geographic Orion
Lindblad Expeditions Cruises
08:00 → 18:00
10h in port
Wed 7 Oct
Seabourn Quest
Seabourn Cruises
08:00 → 17:00
9h in port
Wed 14 Oct
Emerald Kaia
Emerald Cruises
08:00 → 18:00
10h in port
Mon 26 Oct
ms Oosterdam
Holland America Cruises
10:00 → 18:00
8h in portThu 29 Oct
Seabourn Quest
Seabourn Cruises
08:00 → 18:00
10h in portThu 1 Oct
National Geographic Orion
Lindblad Expeditions Cruises
08:00 → 18:00
10h in portWed 7 Oct
Seabourn Quest
Seabourn Cruises
08:00 → 17:00
9h in portWed 14 Oct
Emerald Kaia
Emerald Cruises
08:00 → 18:00
10h in portMon 26 Oct
ms Oosterdam
Holland America Cruises
10:00 → 18:00
8h in portThu 29 Oct
Seabourn Quest
Seabourn Cruises
08:00 → 18:00
10h in portRecently Added in Saranda
The newest businesses to join the directory.
Car hire
Hiring a car in Saranda
Compare the local operators on one screen. Worth knowing before you book: in Saranda cars are handed over by city delivery at an address you agree, not at a desk or a rental office, and a delivery charge can be part of the total. The rental terms allow paved public roads only, which rules out the unpaved tracks down to beaches.
Common questions
Common Questions
Summer is the main season: the national tourism agency calls Saranda a favourite destination through the summer and counts it among the sunniest towns in Albania. The cruise calls on the schedule run from spring into November, and the Corfu ferries cross daily. In high summer, go early in the day, when Ksamil and the Blue Eye are at their busiest.
A day covers the essentials: Butrint and a swim at Ksamil, then the synagogue ruins, the harbour and Lëkurësi Castle in town. Add a second day for the Blue Eye and a boat to the Ksamil islands, and a third for Gjirokastër or the ferry to Corfu.
Saranda has no airport of its own. Tirana Airport (TIA) is about 250 km away by road, a drive of more than four hours, and pre-booked transfers and hire cars both run from there. The other way in is Corfu: the ferry operators put the crossing to Saranda's port at about 30 minutes on the fast passenger boats, while the car ferries take longer.
Albania's currency is the lek (ALL). Albania does not use the euro, so do not count on euros being taken everywhere: carry some lek, and check which currency a price is quoted in before you pay.
The published calls run from spring into November, and the schedule page lists each one with arrival and departure times. The port is small, so cruise ships anchor in the bay and their passengers are brought ashore to the port terminal in the town. From there the choice is the town itself or a trip out to Butrint, Ksamil or the Blue Eye.
For most visitors, yes. UNESCO lists it for a site occupied from prehistory to the 19th century, and it keeps a Greek theatre, a baptistery with a mosaic floor, a great basilica and its city walls, with a museum in the castle on the acropolis. The Butrint Foundation puts it about 30 minutes from Saranda by car.
Summer is the main season: the national tourism agency calls Saranda a favourite destination through the summer and counts it among the sunniest towns in Albania. The cruise calls on the schedule run from spring into November, and the Corfu ferries cross daily. In high summer, go early in the day, when Ksamil and the Blue Eye are at their busiest.
Saranda has no airport of its own. Tirana Airport (TIA) is about 250 km away by road, a drive of more than four hours, and pre-booked transfers and hire cars both run from there. The other way in is Corfu: the ferry operators put the crossing to Saranda's port at about 30 minutes on the fast passenger boats, while the car ferries take longer.
The published calls run from spring into November, and the schedule page lists each one with arrival and departure times. The port is small, so cruise ships anchor in the bay and their passengers are brought ashore to the port terminal in the town. From there the choice is the town itself or a trip out to Butrint, Ksamil or the Blue Eye.
A day covers the essentials: Butrint and a swim at Ksamil, then the synagogue ruins, the harbour and Lëkurësi Castle in town. Add a second day for the Blue Eye and a boat to the Ksamil islands, and a third for Gjirokastër or the ferry to Corfu.
Albania's currency is the lek (ALL). Albania does not use the euro, so do not count on euros being taken everywhere: carry some lek, and check which currency a price is quoted in before you pay.
For most visitors, yes. UNESCO lists it for a site occupied from prehistory to the 19th century, and it keeps a Greek theatre, a baptistery with a mosaic floor, a great basilica and its city walls, with a museum in the castle on the acropolis. The Butrint Foundation puts it about 30 minutes from Saranda by car.