Travel Guide Konispol

Konispol/Konispoli has a population of around 2,000 (8,000 including the rest of the municipality) and belongs to the Vlora district. It lies 21 km south of the archaeological site of Butrint and 14 km north of Sagiada (Greece). Five minibuses a day take you to Saranda. Known as the "city of mandarins", Konispol is Albania's southernmost town. Bordering Greece, it is surrounded by 480 ha of mandarin trees and the hills of Cape Stillo (240 m above sea level, to the west, between Butrint National Park and the Greek coastal strip), Kllogjer Hill (810 m, to the south) and Mount Saraqin (1,034 m, to the north). The town itself stands on a small summit, 300 m above sea level, dominated by communist-era buildings. Yet the town has a long history. The area was inhabited by the Greek Chaonian tribe, and its name comes from the Slavic terms коньць (kon'c) and поля (polya), meaning "the end of the field", in reference to the Butrint plain which ends here. But since the 1920s, Konispol has mainly been populated by the Chams, a sub-group of Albanians who were driven out of Greece during the 20th century. Considered the "capital of the Chams", Konispol is quite dynamic thanks to its mandarin exports, its large herds of goats and its bees (around 3,700 hives). The town comes alive during the Tangerine Festival (mid-November), and some locals offer accommodation (information at the Ulu restaurant).