Travel Guide Saranda

Saranda/Sarandë has a population of around 20,000. The town is the capital of Saranda municipality (41,000 inhabitants) and part of Vlora district. Also called Άγιοι Σαράντα/Agi Saranda in Greek, it lies 35 km northwest of the border with Greece, 83 km southwest of Gjirokastra (difficult road, no minibus connections) and 125 km southeast of Vlora(via Himara). Bus and minibus connections to the "Albanian Riviera", Vlora, Fier, Berat, Durrës, Tirana and Athens.Saranda, the last major town on the southern Albanian coast, is one of the country's most important seaside resorts. A vocation that began early, since it was here that the first foreign tourists gathered during the Communist era. Nowadays disfigured by unattractive buildings, Saranda nevertheless has a few trump cards to play. Admittedly, its beaches are polluted, but it boasts a magnificent bay, fast boat connections with Corfu (very convenient for air travel) and a good network of tourism professionals (hotels, agencies, car rental companies...). It also boasts a rich history. Its port, founded by the Greek tribe of Chaonians nearly 3,000 years ago under the name Onchesmos, was renamed Anchiasmos by the Byzantines and became Agi Saranda, a major Orthodox pilgrimage site until the 19th century. And last but not least, Saranda is very close to Butrint, Albania's most beautiful place to visit.