Things to do in Sarandë.
Slow days by the Ionian.

Sarandë Promenade follows the Ionian shore through the town centre, looking across the water to Corfu, and is one of the busiest spots in Sarandë, lined with cafés, restaurants and beaches. Known in antiquity as Onchesmos, the town takes its name from the Monastery of the Forty Saints (Agioi Saranda).

Lëkurësi Castle was built in 1537 under Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent to guard the port and the sea and land routes near Sarandë. Its surviving walls look out over the town, the coastline and the Ionian Sea.

The Monastery of the Forty Saints dates from the medieval period and was an important spiritual centre for the local community; Sarandë takes its name from it. It stands on the hill of the same name, above the town.

Ksamil Beach lies south of Sarandë, on the road to Butrint, and is one of the best-known summer destinations on the Albanian Riviera. Its crystal-clear water makes it a good choice for families, and the small Ksamil Islands just offshore can be visited by boat.

Butrint is a UNESCO World Heritage site whose remains span more than 2,000 years, from Greek temples and a theatre to a large early 6th-century baptistery and Ottoman forts. The national park around it takes in lakes, lagoons, forest and coast, and its wetlands are a Ramsar site.

The Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër) is a karst spring near Muzinë, reached from the Sarandë–Gjirokastër road. Its water, among the coldest in the area, wells up from deep underground into an intensely blue pool and feeds the Bistrica river. The site has been protected since 1996.

This agritourism resort is in Mesopotam, a village in Finiq municipality not far from Sarandë that is also home to Shën Kolli (St Nicholas), a Byzantine-era monastery. Its restaurant serves traditional and international dishes; contact the resort about stays.

Gjiri i Kakomesë (Kakome Bay) is a cove on the coast near Sarandë, overlooked by the recently restored Monastery of St Mary. Most visitors arrive by boat, as access is from the sea, but a mountain road also lets walkers come down to the shore.

Historic Sarandë grew from ancient Onchesmos (Onhezmi), a port on the Ionian facing Corfu that linked Epirus with the wider Mediterranean. Under Byzantine rule the town was developed and fortified, and it later took its present name from the Monastery of the Forty Saints.

The ruins of Sarandë’s old synagogue are a trace of the Jewish community that lived and worshipped here centuries ago. As they lie within the town, they fit easily into a walk through Sarandë’s religious and cultural history.

This Ottoman-era fortress near Butrint is tied to Ali Pasha of Tepelena, who used it as a strategic defensive post. It stands where the Vivari Channel meets the sea, and its sturdy walls look out over the coast and the calm Ionian.

The Monastery of Shën Mëria (St Mary) at Kakome goes back to the 16th–17th century and is a distinctive example of Albanian religious architecture. It sits near Kakome beach, about 10 km from Sarandë, so it pairs well with a day at the bay.