Travel and transport agencies Southwest

This bus station (Stacioni i Autobusave) is fairly informal. Minibuses to Tepelena and Saranda (1 per hour), the Antigone site (1 per hour until 3pm), Tirana and Berat (7 per day), Përmet (3 per day), Vlora and Korçë (1 per day). Another bus station is 800 m further up the boulevard du 18-Septembre, level with the stadium. Here you'll find city buses and KTEL buses for Greece: Athens (3 per day), Ioannina (1 per day) and Thessalonica (1 per day).

This bus station (Stacioni i Autobusave) is quite informal. Buses and minibuses arrive and depart from the section of Flag Street (Rruga Flamurit) between Onhezmi and Lefter-Talo streets. There are ticket agencies on site that can provide you with information. Connections to Butrint/Ksamil (every 30 minutes), Gjirokastra (1/hour), Tirana (6/day), Himara (4/day), Berat and Elbasan (3/day), Vlora (2/day), Fier (2/day), Durrës (1/day), Permët (1/day) Buses to the north (Tirana, Vlora...) pass through the villages of the "Albanian Riviera".

This border post with Greece (Kalimi Kufitar i Qafë Botës, Τελωνειο Μαυρομάτι/Telonio Mavromati) is Albania's southernmost crossing, and controls are generally swift. It is located at the Bota pass, at the foot of the Kllogjer/Kalogeros hill (810 m above sea level). It leads to the village of Sagiada, the Kalamas delta nature reserve (85 ^km2), and the port town of Igoumenitsa (29 km to the south), where you can embark for Italy.

This border post (Pika kufitare e Kakavijës, Τελωνείο Κακαβιάς/Telonio Kakavias) is the main crossing point with Greece, 30 km southeast of Gjirokastra and 60 km northwest of Ioannia (Ιωάννινα in Greek, Janina in Albanian). On the Greek side, you'll find the deep Vikos Gorge and the superb Zagoria region (Pinde and Vikos-Aoos national parks), the tomb of Ali Pasha (in Ioannina), a major bus station and an airport (in Ioannina).

This small travel agency offers boat excursions and specializes in bus connections between Himara and Greece. The same family also runs a simple but decent 15-room hotel on Potami beach, 1 km south of Himara center (✆ +355 692 21 14 84, www.hotel-likoka.com, €20-50 for two with breakfast).

This agency offers boat and jet-ski rentals, as well as a beautiful 5-hour sea excursion aboard a motorboat. The latter includes a stop at the beautiful beach of Kakome Bay, then the discovery of the southernmost part of the Albanian coastline via Ksamil and the islet of Tongo, with a stop at a superb wild beach. The crew is friendly, and beach umbrellas and a hearty hot meal (fish, salads, drinks...) are included. The drinks-only option is also available.

Created by an Italian company in 2003, this marina (Marina e Orikumit) is the most important in Albania. While waiting to be dethroned by the marina of Vlora (opening planned for 2024-2025), it can accommodate about fifty boats up to 30 m in length. Accessible through a narrow channel with a draft of 2.30 m, the marina has a good reputation among boaters (especially Italian). There are no shops on site, but a tourist complex located next door includes a hotel, a bar and a small supermarket.

This "floating platform" (Platforma e Lundrës) or "raft" (Trapit) crosses the Vivari canal (60 m wide here) to link the Vrina plain, Konispol and Greece to the south. This is a cable ferry: a platform pulled by two cables. It can carry four cars or a truck. The crossing is fast, but you may have to wait for one or two other vehicles before departure. Alternative: route SH 98 links the south of Saranda with the village of Xara (south of the canal), passing to the east of the national park.