Travel Guide Orikum

Orikum/Orikumi (pronounced "orikoum"/"orikoumi") has a population of around 4,000 and is part of the municipality of Vlora. The town lies 17 km south of Vlora via Radhima. Minibus connections to Vlora, Radhima and the "Albanian Riviera".A large, soulless town set back from the coast, Orikum lies to the south of Vlora Bay, at the mouth of the small Dukat River. With the development of tourism, the town has turned back to the sea since the 1990s. It now boasts a small seaside resort and, above all, the country's largest marina (pending the Vlora marina announced for 2025). For it was on this coast that the ancient Orikos was born, founded by Greeks from Evia in the 8th century B.C. It played an important role in trade with Italy, but also during the civil war between Pompey and Caesar, the latter succeeding in seizing the port in the winter of 48 B.C. The remains of Orikos are still visible today. The remains of Orikos are only partially open to visitors, as the site is part of the Pasha Liman military zone. During the Cold War, this was the most important Communist naval base in the Mediterranean, where Soviet submarines made port until 1961. It marks the entrance to the Karaburun peninsula ("black nose" in Turkish), which extends over 62 km2. Together with the neighboring island of Sazan, it forms the Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park (124 km2). Off-limits to cars, the peninsula remains a wild place, full of small beaches.