Hotels in Saranda

Saranda is the lively gateway to the Albanian Riviera, a sun-drenched resort town wrapped around a horseshoe bay on the Ionian Sea, directly across the water from the Greek island of Corfu. Once a quiet port, it has grown into the coast's busiest summer hub, with a long seafront promenade, buzzing beach bars, and some of the warmest, clearest water in the country.

The town itself is modern and laid-back, but the surroundings are its real draw: the turquoise spring of the Blue Eye, the beach village of Ksamil with its tiny islands, and the vast archaeological site of Butrint, a UNESCO World Heritage ruin set in a lagoon just to the south. Ferries to Corfu make it an easy cross-border base.

Saranda is affordable, relaxed, and firmly focused on the sea. Summers are hot and busy with domestic and international visitors, while spring and autumn offer warm swimming and quieter beaches.