Meet the pearl of the Albanian Riviera - Saranda! We have collected reviews of a popular resort on the Ionian Sea. See what they write about hotels, beaches, entertainment and food prices in 2021.
Resort experience
The small town is located in the south of the country, opposite the Greek island of Corfu. Saranda is a lively and picturesque resort. Tourists are delighted with the clear azure sea, good beaches, a noisy and cheerful promenade, affordable prices for hotels and food. Gourmets will be delighted - Saranda has a huge selection of fresh fish and seafood dishes!
Find out what tourists think of Albania.
Greta: "Saranda is more suitable for young people to party and not very good for families with small children. There is practically no shallow sea for children. The sea itself is cool in places because of the flowing mountain rivers."
Balyshev D .: "A beautiful embankment. Not a bad place for a walk and rest. Prices in the cafe are too high. With the arrival of a cruise liner, the embankment will not be crowded."
Best hotels
Despite the fact that Saranda is not a very big city, tourists can stay in budget apartments and good 2-5 * hotels. To communicate with hotel employees, a minimum knowledge of English is sufficient. The center of the resort is noisier and prices are higher. Look for tours to Albania on Travelata.
The best hotels in Saranda, according to reviews and ratings of tourists:
Casa Noste Apartments - comfortable apartments with a kitchen, 300 meters from the sandy beach.
Seaside Artist 3 * is a hotel with a panoramic lift and a terrace offering stunning views of the coast.
Illyrian Boutique Hotel 4 * is a stylish new hotel on the first line.
Blue Sky 4 * is a comfortable hotel, from the rooms of which the Ionian Sea and the island of Corfu are perfectly visible.
Asi Rooftop 5 * - luxury apartments near the best beaches of the resort.
Butrinti 5 * is a fashionable spa hotel 100 meters from a pebble beach.
Saranda beaches
The sea at the resort is so clear and calm that, even after sailing far away, you can see the rocky bottom. The beaches of Saranda are located in a bay that protects the coast from strong winds. The longest central beach is located next to the promenade.
Most of the beaches are covered with small to medium pebbles. There are concrete slabs and sandy beaches. The entrance to the water is smooth almost everywhere.
Find out where to relax by the sea in Albania.
Yulia: “No matter what weather you come, there are always beautiful waves on Monastery Beach, even if there is absolutely no wind in the city. The beach is small-pebbled, but pleasant for the feet. You can have a great time taking stunning photos against the backdrop of rocky shores and waves. Especially beautiful here at sunset. It feels like you are in another dimension. "
Julia: "Pulebardha Beach is a beach between Saranda and Ksamil. During the season there are slightly fewer people there than on other beaches. Very good restaurant with a panoramic view of the sea. The pebbles are smooth enough, we did not have special shoes. The sea is clean and transparent. I definitely recommend it for travelers by car, as it's a long way to go there on foot. We arrived in a small boat. "
Food prices
Tourists write that food prices in Saranda are almost two times lower than in Montenegro. The average bill for a hearty lunch for two without alcohol is $ 10-15, and for a dinner with a glass of wine - $ 18-22. In restaurants for tourists, delicious set meals with drinks cost $ 5-6, risotto - $ 5, seafood dishes - from $ 6, pizza - $ 2-2.5, and a cup of cappuccino - $ 1.4-2.
If you are planning to rent an apartment with a kitchen and want to cook yourself, we advise you to buy groceries at the local market in the city center, in the supermarkets Spar, Big Market, Alfa, Market Vellezerit Myrtaj and Conad. Fish, crabs, shrimps and mussels are profitable to take in fish stores.
vradvinsa: "If you want to eat tasty and cheap, go a little further from the center. The portions are huge, and most importantly, delicious. I highly recommend the Mamas kitchen restaurant. Prices in Albania are reasonable, for example, a large fish with vegetables will cost 950 Lek (about 500 rubles) . For mussels it is worth going to The mussel house. A kilo of delicious mussels costs 400 Lek. "
Things to do
There are plenty of attractions in and around Saranda! In the center of the city, near the embankment, there is an Orthodox church in honor of the Holy Martyr Kharlampy and St. Nicholas. A few miles offshore is the Greek Corfu. The journey to the island by ferry takes an hour, and by boat - 30 minutes. According to tourists, in 2021 excursions from Saranda to the ruins of the ancient city of Butrint, the ancient city of Foinike and the Byzantine fortress Lekursi are popular.
serzhantova: "From the excursions we recommend visiting the city of Gjirokastra, the Butrint National Park and the Blue Eye spring. Everything else - jeep safaris, boats with barbecue on the islands - everything is like everywhere else for tourists, if you have financial resources and desire."
When is the best time to go
The swimming season at the resort starts in May and ends at the end of October. From mid-July to late August, Albania experiences hot and dry weather. So many people come to Saranda that there is nowhere for an apple to fall on the beaches! If you can't stand the summer heat, come to the coast of the Ionian Sea in June or early autumn.
Natalya Yuvchenko: "In September, the sea is beautiful, the water is about + 25 ° C. Out of 6 days, three days there were quite strong waves."
According to tourists, the Saranda resort in Albania has excellent beaches, beautiful sea, picturesque nature, pleasant atmosphere and friendly locals. Rest here can be recommended to young people, couples and aged tourists. Please note that from Tirana airport to Saranda is 200 km, the bus goes along the serpentine for 5-6 hours. The disadvantages of the resort are not too clean streets and annoying gypsies.
