Orikum

Kaninë is a village 6 km from Vlorë, gathered around its ancient castle. Walk between stone houses and along narrow cobbled lanes, stop at the quiet church of St Mary and try the local food before heading back to the city.

Set on a hill above the Ionian coast, Vuno is a small village of stone houses and cobbled lanes, with the churches of St Nicholas (Shën Kolli) and St Mary. Walks lead up the mountain or towards Gjipe canyon, and the nearest beaches are Gjipe and Jalë.

On the edge of the Narta Lagoon, the village of Zvërnec brings together open water, pine woods and the island monastery of St Mary. Nature watchers come for the waterbirds, and a path through the Soda pine forest leads down to the sea.

Orikum Beach runs beside the town, close to the archaeological site and the marina, with a wide strip of soft sand and a shallow entry into the sea. It suits families with young children, and the port is a good spot to watch the sunset.

The Orikum Lagoon, on the Bay of Vlorë beside the town, is an Important Bird Area where cormorants, great white egrets and grey herons feed and shelter. Bring binoculars in spring or autumn, and pair a shoreline walk with the nearby ruins of ancient Orikum.

Kisha e Marmiroit (Marmiroi Church), near ancient Orikum, is a medieval Byzantine church with a central dome on a cross-in-square plan, in dressed limestone and brick. Set quietly by the Orikum Lagoon, it is a protected monument still visited by worshippers.