Sarandë
Go in June or September for warm water and open beaches without August's crowds. Sarandë is also the one town on this coast that stays open all year.
When is the best time to visit Sarandë?
The best time to visit Sarandë is June or September: around 28° by day and the sea at 23–25°. In winter the town stays open, but the beaches are empty.
Month by month
- Ideal
- Good
- Workable
- Poor / Avoid
- Now
October · Good. Warm early in the month, with the first storms later. Butrint is at its best.
Pick a month to read its note
January
- High / low
- 14° / 5°
- Rain
- 15 days
- Sea
- 16°
- Daylight
- 9 h 36 min
- Crowds
- Low
- Prices
- Low
February
- High / low
- 14° / 6°
- Rain
- 13 days
- Sea
- 15°
- Daylight
- 10 h 42 min
- Crowds
- Low
- Prices
- Low
March
- High / low
- 16° / 7°
- Rain
- 13 days
- Sea
- 15°
- Daylight
- 11 h 54 min
- Crowds
- Low
- Prices
- Low
April
- High / low
- 19° / 10°
- Rain
- 12 days
- Sea
- 16°
- Daylight
- 13 h 12 min
- Crowds
- Low
- Prices
- Low
May
- High / low
- 24° / 13°
- Rain
- 8 days
- Sea
- 19°
- Daylight
- 14 h 18 min
- Crowds
- Shoulder
- Prices
- Shoulder
June
- High / low
- 28° / 17°
- Rain
- 5 days
- Sea
- 23°
- Daylight
- 15 h
- Crowds
- Shoulder
- Prices
- Shoulder
July
- High / low
- 31° / 19°
- Rain
- 3 days
- Sea
- 24°
- Daylight
- 14 h 48 min
- Crowds
- Peak
- Prices
- Peak
August
- High / low
- 32° / 19°
- Rain
- 3 days
- Sea
- 26°
- Daylight
- 13 h 48 min
- Crowds
- Peak
- Prices
- Peak
September
- High / low
- 28° / 17°
- Rain
- 7 days
- Sea
- 25°
- Daylight
- 12 h 30 min
- Crowds
- Shoulder
- Prices
- Shoulder
October
- High / low
- 23° / 14°
- Rain
- 11 days
- Sea
- 22°
- Daylight
- 11 h 12 min
- Crowds
- Low
- Prices
- Low
November
- High / low
- 19° / 10°
- Rain
- 15 days
- Sea
- 20°
- Daylight
- 10 h
- Crowds
- Low
- Prices
- Low
December
- High / low
- 15° / 7°
- Rain
- 17 days
- Sea
- 18°
- Daylight
- 9 h 24 min
- Crowds
- Low
- Prices
- Low
Things to do in Sarandë
See Butrint and the Blue Eye, swim at Ksamil or Mirror Beach, and watch the sunset from Lëkurësi Castle.
Watch the sunset from Lëkurësi Castle
A 16th-century Ottoman fort on the hill above town, now a restaurant terrace looking over the bay to Corfu.
Walk the seafront promenade
The town's evening walk along the bay, lined with cafés, from the ferry port to the beaches south of the centre.
See the ancient synagogue in the town centre
Ruins of a 5th-century synagogue, later a church, with mosaic fragments, a block back from the seafront.
Climb to the Monastery of the Forty Saints
Ruins of a Byzantine monastery on the ridge above town, which gave Sarandë its name: Agioi Saranta, the Forty Saints.
Swim at Mirror Beach
A white-pebble cove below the Ksamil road, named for its still water. Sunbeds fill by 10:00 in July and August.
See the Blue Eye spring
A deep blue karst spring in the woods, ≈40 minutes inland on the Gjirokastër road. Go early, before the coaches.
Sarandë itineraries: how many days you need
Sarandë is the coastal base of the 7-day southern Albania route, with day trips to Butrint and Himarë.
Where to stay in Sarandë
Stay on or just behind the seafront to walk to the port, the buses and dinner; stay in Ksamil if you want the beach at the door.
The seafront
Hotels along the bay and the streets behind it, a walk from the port, the buses and dinner. Ask for a room away from the late bars.
Ksamil
20 minutes south by bus, with the beach at the door; quieter at night than Sarandë.
How much does a trip to Sarandë cost?
Plan on €60–100 per person a day mid-range, €30–45 on a budget and €150 or more for comfort. Buses to Ksamil and Butrint cost 100–200 lek.
Mid-range
€60–100
per person, a day
Budget
€30–45
per person, a day
Comfort
€150+
per person, a day
What things cost
- Espresso on the promenade
- ≈€1.50
- Seafood dinner
- €15–25
- Bus to Ksamil
- €1–1.50
- Bus to Butrint
- ≈€2
- Ferry to Corfu, one way
- from €25
- Double room, mid-range
- €50–90
Getting to and around Sarandë
Buses run to Tirana (≈5 h), Gjirokastër (≈1 h 15 min) and Himarë (≈1.5 h), and every 20–30 minutes to Ksamil in summer. Ferries cross to Corfu in 30–70 minutes.
Getting there
- By air
- Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza (TIA)
Sarandë to Ksamil
≈20 min by bus
Every 20–30 minutes in summer, every 45–60 minutes out of season; pay the driver in cash. From 100 lek.
Sarandë to Butrint
≈35 min by bus
The Ksamil bus runs on to the Butrint gate, about hourly in summer. From 200 lek.
Gjirokastër to Sarandë
≈1 h 15 min by bus
Several buses a day, 08:00–17:00; ask to be let off at the Blue Eye junction. From 400 lek.
Sarandë to Himarë
≈1 h 40 min by bus
A few buses a day along the coast road in summer, fewer from October. From 700 lek.
Tirana to Sarandë
≈4 h 45 min by bus
Tisa Travel · About ten departures a day from the North–South bus terminal outside central Tirana; the coast-road buses take 6 h or more. From 1,300 lek.
Gjirokastër to Sarandë
≈1 h 15 min by bus
Several buses a day, 08:00–17:00; ask to be let off at the Blue Eye junction. From 400 lek.
Sarandë to Himarë
≈1 h 40 min by bus
A few buses a day along the coast road in summer, fewer from October. From 700 lek.
Tirana to Sarandë
≈4 h 45 min by bus
Tisa Travel · About ten departures a day from the North–South bus terminal outside central Tirana; the coast-road buses take 6 h or more. From 1,300 lek.
Before you go: visas, safety and money
Entry and safety rules are Albania's. Arriving by ferry from Corfu, bring your passport: you leave the Schengen area.
Do I need a visa for Sarandë?
- EU, EEA and Swiss citizens
- No visa for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. A valid passport or national identity card is enough.
- UK citizens
- No visa for up to 90 days in a 180-day period, for tourism or business. Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the day you leave Albania.
- US citizens
- No visa for stays of up to one year. Your passport must be valid for 3 months beyond your departure date.
- Other nationalities
- A valid multiple-entry visa or residence permit from a Schengen country, the EU, the US or the UK, already used once, lets you enter without a visa. Otherwise check the ministry's list for your passport and apply at e-visa.al.
Is Sarandë safe?
Neither government advises against travel to Albania. The US State Department rates it Level 2, exercise increased caution, because of crime; the UK FCDO says crime against visitors is infrequent but warns of pickpockets in tourist areas and on buses. The biggest risk is the road: deaths from traffic accidents are among the highest in Europe.
Quick facts
- Emergency
- 112 police · 127 ambulance · 128 fire
- Money
- Albanian lek (ALL). Cards in hotels and larger restaurants; cash for the buses, beach bars and small cafés. There are ATMs along the seafront.
- Plugs
- Type C and F, 230 V
Do I need a visa for Sarandë?
- EU, EEA and Swiss citizens
- No visa for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. A valid passport or national identity card is enough.
- UK citizens
- No visa for up to 90 days in a 180-day period, for tourism or business. Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the day you leave Albania.
- US citizens
- No visa for stays of up to one year. Your passport must be valid for 3 months beyond your departure date.
- Other nationalities
- A valid multiple-entry visa or residence permit from a Schengen country, the EU, the US or the UK, already used once, lets you enter without a visa. Otherwise check the ministry's list for your passport and apply at e-visa.al.
Is Sarandë safe?
Neither government advises against travel to Albania. The US State Department rates it Level 2, exercise increased caution, because of crime; the UK FCDO says crime against visitors is infrequent but warns of pickpockets in tourist areas and on buses. The biggest risk is the road: deaths from traffic accidents are among the highest in Europe.
Money, plugs and emergencies
- Emergency
- 112 police · 127 ambulance · 128 fire
- Money
- Albanian lek (ALL). Cards in hotels and larger restaurants; cash for the buses, beach bars and small cafés. There are ATMs along the seafront.
- Plugs
- Type C and F, 230 V
Questions people ask
Can I visit Butrint from Sarandë without a car?
Yes. The Ksamil bus runs on to the Butrint gate, about hourly in summer, in ≈35 minutes for 200 lek.
How do I get from Corfu to Sarandë?
By ferry from Corfu Town: 30–70 minutes, several times a day in summer and less often in winter. Bring your passport for the border check.
Is Sarandë or Ksamil the better base?
Sarandë, for restaurants, buses and a town that is open all year. Ksamil, if you want the beach outside your door and do not mind the August crowds.
Is Sarandë worth visiting out of season?
For Butrint and the Blue Eye, yes: they are quieter from October to April. Most beach bars are closed, and the sea is too cold for most people from December to April.
Can I visit Butrint from Sarandë without a car?
Yes. The Ksamil bus runs on to the Butrint gate, about hourly in summer, in ≈35 minutes for 200 lek.
How do I get from Corfu to Sarandë?
By ferry from Corfu Town: 30–70 minutes, several times a day in summer and less often in winter. Bring your passport for the border check.
Is Sarandë or Ksamil the better base?
Sarandë, for restaurants, buses and a town that is open all year. Ksamil, if you want the beach outside your door and do not mind the August crowds.
Is Sarandë worth visiting out of season?
For Butrint and the Blue Eye, yes: they are quieter from October to April. Most beach bars are closed, and the sea is too cold for most people from December to April.