Explora Journeys in Sarandë

Sarandë is a seaside town on the Albanian Riviera, set on a horseshoe bay across a narrow strait from the Greek island of Corfu. The waterfront promenade is the town's whole social life, but the reason ships call is what lies just inland: Butrint, a UNESCO archaeological site layering Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Venetian ruins, and the turquoise coves of Ksamil to the south.

What to do on a day in Sarandë

• Butrint National Park, the UNESCO ruins about 14 km south, with a Roman theatre, a baptistery mosaic, and the Lion Gate, roughly a 40-minute drive each way
• Ksamil, the cluster of small islands and clear-water beaches between Sarandë and Butrint
• Lekuresi Castle on the hill above town, a 16th-century fortress with a sweeping view over the bay and across to Corfu
• The Blue Eye (Syri i Kalter), a deep natural spring of vivid blue water inland, about a 30-minute drive
• The Sarandë waterfront promenade and the Synagogue-Basilica ruins in town for those staying on foot

Getting ashore

Ships anchor in the bay and tender passengers to the central waterfront, so you step off into the heart of town with cafes and the promenade at the pier. The town center is fully walkable, but Butrint, Ksamil, and the Blue Eye all need a taxi or tour; one day is enough for Sarandë plus one inland sight, most often Butrint.

When to book the ship's excursion vs your own →

Weather and when to visit

• Late spring (May to June). Typically warm and dry, daytime highs in the low-to-mid 20s C, comfortable for walking Butrint's open ruins.
• Summer (July to September). Typically hot, dry, and clear, highs near the high 20s C, the sea warm and calm; busiest season on the Riviera.
• Autumn to winter (October to April). Typically cooling and increasingly wet; this is in fact the peak cruise-call window here, with mild days and rising rainfall from November on.