Saranda, Albania

My husband and I LOVE Saranda. We have vacationed there for 5 summers. It is economical and the people are fantatic!!! I cannot say enough. This summer our daughters and their families are going with us. If you get a chance-go to Alabnia.

Ginger Bakalli, 2008-02-28 23:37:03

I traveled to Albania in 2005, and Saranda was one of the places I visited. I saw a lot of the central and southern part of Albania, and Saranda was definitely my favorite place. It's both beautiful and surprisingly inexpensive, especially for Europe. The hotels are especially cheap, but if you are American or European, be sure to negotiate with them, because they doubled the prices as soon as they knew you weren't Albanian.

Saranda has a lot of fairly nice hotels, since it's the Albanian honeymoon capital. The majority of Albania couples go here for their honeymoon. We were there in September, after the summer rush, and it was very quiet. It was easy to get hotel rooms, and restauants weren't busy. I definitely recommend going in the fall, since air conditioning is rare, electricity is spotty at best, and the summers in Albania are very hot! The lack of crowds is an additional bonus. Be prepared, however, for many restaurants and shops to be closed part of the day.

Definitely go swimming in the ocean. The water is clear and a little cold, but you get used to it. The "beaches" in that area are rocky, not sandy like they are further north. The area is stunningly beautiful, and has a wonderful "undeveloped" quality to it. I would highly recommend consulting with locals in regard to the best places to go, however, and be sure to go to the beaches where you pay a fee. The fee is small and well worth it, because they are much cleaner and better kept up.

Butrint, or Butrinti, is a must see. It seems to be the only archeological site in Albania that is being well cared for. It cost us about 7 US Dollars each, and was a bargain at the price. Go early, before the crowds hit. We did, and we got a guided tour for our small group of about 6 people. The young lady spoke excellent English and was very knowledgeable. The ruins reflect the cultures of several ages, from ancient Illyrian to 14th century Venetian. The ruins are massive. At one time this must have been an incredible city!

I take issue with one item in the tip: It is definitely more than 2 hours from Saranda to Gjirokaster. It took us at least 3, and we had a good driver and a rented van. It would be a harrowing trip on a bus, as the roads are extremely narrow and winding. Gjirokaster is a great place to visit, however, and you must see the "kaster" or castle, while you are there. There is no admission fee, but also virtually no upkeep. It's still in pretty good shape, however, and has an incredible view of the city and the surronding countryside.

Darcy, 2006-06-10 05:45:25