Welcome to Saranda - a beach town in the very south of Albania on the Ionian sea with a local population of 30 000 inhabitants, a beautiful 1 mile long promenade and lots of restaurants and coffee shops open all year around. It is visited by 1 000 000 tourists every year so the hot season (July and August) is really hot here: crowds of people, everything is fully booked, restaurants have queues of guests to enter. It is a hint for you that it is better to come during the Extra Season (in May-June or September-October). Almost all beaches here are private but there is one relatively big Saranda Albania public beach (150 meters long) near the Orange night club and The Dick & Devil’s Pub.
To give you an idea how fast this popular resort grows: in 2009 Saranda beach resort ending point was where right now in the Orange night club and Hotel Butrinti, in 2015 Santa Quaranta Beach Premium Resort was built and now Saranda ends where Heaven Beach Saranda is!
Money
Albania has its own currency called LEK and it is 104 - 107 LEK for 1 Euro. Albania is a “cash is a king” country and local banks have very high commissions on withdrawals from the ATMs. For example, an OTP bank in Saranda takes a commission of 800 LEK per withdrawal. So even if you withdraw 100 Euro or 500 Euro the bank will charge you almost 8 Euro. Another option is to withdraw money in one of the exchange offices, they take a commission of 9%. So the best option is to take cash in Euro (preferably) or USD:)
How to get to Saranda
Currently there is only 1 international airport in Albania - in Tirana. In March 2025 one more airport will start operation - in Vlore and the trip to Saranda will only last 2.5 hours.
So if you arrive to Tirana in 2024 you have 3 options:
Renting a car in Albania. In low season the price is 12 - 15 Euro per day and 1 liter of diesel costs 1.9 Euro. Don’t miss a chance to drive through Vlore, after taking a mesmerizing photo on Llogara Pass and then drive along the whole Albanian Riviera coast (Palase, Dhermi, Himare, Borsh, Lukove). You will definitely like the start of 2024 Albania vacation:)
Take a taxi. Saranda is 260 km and 3.5 hours drive from Tirana and the price for a taxi will be around 180 Euro.
Take a public bus which costs 17 Euro and drives 5 hours.
Climate
Climate is definitely one of the things which makes Saranda a unique place, the warmest city in winter in Albania. It is all due to 3 facts: the city is located in the very South of Albania, behind the city there are mountain ranges of 1500 meters high and they protect Saranda from cold air and rains from the mainland and in front there is Corfu island which acts like a wall defending it from clouds/rains coming from the open sea. That all results in Saranda having its own microclimate and even in the coldest month - January - it can be +20 in the sun during the day, but at night it is only +1 and it is really cold.
Summers are really hot here easily reaching 38 - 40 degrees. So the best time to visit Saranda is in the low season (May - June and September - October). It is 26 - 30 degrees, the water is warm and you can easily swim till the end of October (at least in 2023 it was that).
Cuisine
Albania has a rich food culture with influences from Greek, Italian, Turkish, Balkan cuisines. Plus there are lots of locally grown organic fruits & vegetables, lots of Albanian traditional meat dishes, fresh fish and other seafood from the Ionian sea. This is how we describe Gastronomic tourism in Saranda. Try these dishes:
Grosh: This is a traditional white bean soup, known locally as Jani Mi Fasule, which is both nutritious and flavorful.
Grilled octopus with vegetables.
While you're in Saranda or Ksamil, make sure to try the local dish of mussels grown in Lake Butrint, just near Ksamil.
Special dish called “tavë dheu” made in clay dish from beef liver.
Fërgesë - a blend of peppers, tomatoes, and cottage cheese, seasoned with a variety of local herbs.
Vegetarians can taste Pispili - traditional cornbread studded with spinach or leeks.
For dessert take Baklava - a sweet, nutty, and syrupy pastry which is a mix of crunchy and soft textures, soaked in a sweet syrup.
Activities
Saranda is a big resort, so you can choose between:
1-day trip to Ksamil to visit one of the best Albania beaches or even stay in one of the best Ksamil hotels.
1-day trip to Corfu by fast ferry which cost 25 Euro one way
Boat tour to islands near Ksamil with round trip price of 25 Euro or to Krorëza Beach (north from Saranda).
Hike to the Old Monastery of Forty Saints
- Jet ski, Fishing, Diving.
Places nearby
Lekursi Castle located on top of the hill with stunning view on the whole Saranda resort, the bay and Corfu island in front.
Blue Eye - natural spring with water coloured in a mixture of blue cyan and green bubbling from a from a depth of at least 50 meters is just 35 minutes drive from Saranda.
Ksamil - a premium beach resort in 30 minutes drive from Saranda. You can visit it together with Butrint and Ali Pasha's Castle as they are close to each other.
Butrint National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a stunning lagoon. It is just a 45 minute drive by bus to Saranda. The entrance fee is 1000 LEK (10 Euro) and you can easily spend 2-3 hours there. There are no cafes or restaurants on the territory so take food and drinks with you. The park itself represents a mix of Greek, Roman and Venice cultures including Roman theater, Venetian Triangle castle, Greek Basilica. To get to Venetian Triangle Castle you just need to pay 1 Euro for that short Ferry crossing to get to the other side of the Park, the entrance to the castle is free
- Tepelene & Vjosa river. In just 1 hour from Saranda there is the nice small city of Tepelene and a stunning Vjosa river flowing among steep mountain ridges.
- Gjirokaster, also known as the "Stone City," is a UNESCO World Heritage Site - true example of Ottoman-era architecture characterized by stone houses with slate roofs, wooden balconies, and cobbled streets. There is a castle on the top of the hill. You can combine your visit to Gjirokaster with Tepelene & Vjosa river.
Seafood and organic food in Saranda
Saranda is definitely the place where you can take full advantage of Mediterranean cuisine at an attractive price, check full list of prices in Saranda. In autumn 2023 it was like this: olive oil everywhere at 6-7 Euro per 1 liter, olives at 3 Euro/kg. Fresh greenery, salads, ruccola, oranges, pomegranate at 1.2 Euro/kg, tomatoes, peppers, beans at 3 Euro/1 kg.
Add to this lots of local fresh seafood stores open all year long plus local restaurants where they can offer you 4-5 different fish species from the fishermen's morning catch!
Nomad
As a digital nomad or expat should you consider wintering in a cozy city, Sarandë in Albania stands out as one of Europe's most budget-friendly cities.
Nestled along the stunning Ionian Sea, Sarandë offers a warm retreat. For those seeking a winter haven that's both warm and economical, Southern Albania is an ideal selection. The weather here can be +23 on Christmas Eve and you could easily walk around in a t-shirt. But, of course, it also can be +15 in the day and even 0 during the night in January.
In any case you can avoid the crowds, get some peace of mind, enjoy one of those 300 sunny days and the Mediterranean cuisine here!
Rental price in winter months - 200 EUR for a small studio and up to 400 EUR for a 2 bedroom apartment with a sea view.
Check the most popular Albanian classified for expats and nomads here.