Everyone says Saranda, Albania is the place to be during the VERY HOT Albanian summer but I opted to spend the month of July in Vlore. I did however go to Saranda for a weekend to see what all the fuss was about… so let me share my impressions with you.
- Getting to Saranda from Vlore wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. There weren’t any reliable timetables for buses online so after asking around, I heard a RUMOR that the buses left from the mosque downtown at a certain time. So I headed there at said time and there was indeed transportation to Vlore but it was a minivan and although there was some sort of air coming out of the vents, it certainly wasn’t AC and it was 40 degrees outside. The minivan cost around 8 dollars and was packed to the brim and there was even a couple left standing. Don’t ask my how but I even taught a class in that sardine can! Our first stop was in Gjirokaster and thankfully half of the passengers got off so it got a little easier to breath in there. But just when I thought the worst was over, we took a road across some mountains and the driver started driving like a bat outta hell! He was wearing flip-flops, talking on his phone and overpassing cars in the worst moments, on this narrow mountain road. Not to mention how queasy the curves made me feel, since he was driving incredibly fast. I’ve seen dangerous driving all over SE Asia, Georgia, Turkey etc but I had never experienced anything like this, where I felt lucky to be alive after it was over.
2) Upon arriving in Saranda, I checked into my hotel called JB. I decided to splurge on a place with a pool, considering the temperatures, and it ended up being a good spot. Considering it’s the high season and Saranda is very pricy, I felt that 60 dollars a night was a fair price. The room was small but had AC and a nice little balcony. The pool was very well maintained and the staff was really nice. Their breakfast was also incredible and included in the price. The only downside is that they didn’t seem to offer any food options at night and it was also a 15 minute walk downhill to the city center, which meant I had to walk back up in that 40 degree heat every time. Overall though I would recommend staying there, as it’s a great bang for buck.
3) Now about Saranda itself… There’s no denying it’s a beautiful place and they have 300 sunny days a year. It’s also only 14km from the island of Corfu in Greece, which you can even see it from the promenade. It is a pebble beach, so you’d probably be more comfortable in one of those water shoes but I totally roughed it. The water is nice and cool and doesn’t have any waves, as you’d expect from the Mediterranean. What I really liked about the beach is that they have these lanes for swimming in the corner, next to the port. So you can do some laps in the ocean and get that exercise in.
4) Since it is one of the priciest areas, wealthier Albanians flock here every summer and with that of course, you have the youth flaunting their cars (which seems to be an obsession all through the Balkans), blasting terrible music through their speakers, and the general vibe is of overpriced restaurants and bars, where people can show off how rich they are. For that reason, the traffic seemed to be quite heavy the whole time I was there so I’m not sure I’d recommend driving there because you’d have trouble getting around and parking. But on the other hand, you might die taking a minivan so… I guess it’s your call?
5) I’d actually like to recommend a restaurant I had dinner at: Mare Nostrum. The service was excellent and I had some of the best curry ever! I also got a starter and a glass of wine and the total was about 17 dollars, which of course is pricer than your average meal in Albania but it was well worth it. I’ll put a link the description. And it’s worth saying that you can find decently priced meals in Saranda, you just may have to go a little off the main promenade.
6) When you’re ready to leave Saranda, it might be a little difficult getting the information you need for bus timetables. I asked around and people told me that I should go ask the drivers at the meeting point, which is right in front of the archeological museum of an ancient synagogue, which I’ve linked here. I went a day early to try and find out what time the buses left and I was able to get some information but I just didn’t feel to certain about the hear-say nature of it. Regardless I came back the next day and everything worked out as planned but the funny thing is, I had to buy a ticket at a little travel agency, which is just around the corner (right behind the archeological remains). There they had timetables and the possibility to purchase tickets in advance, so why wasn’t I told of this place earlier? No one mentioned it. Not my hotel and not the drivers from the previous day. It really would have made things much easier and I would’ve been able to plan my day much better had I known exactly what time I was going to leave. So I strongly urge you to visit the little travel agency when you need to buy a ticket.
The minibus I took back here to Vlora was in much better condition. It was 2 dollars more expensive, so 10 dollars but it was well worth it, with actual AC and a very responsible driver who was the exact opposite of the other one. From Saranda to Vlore, he took the coastal route and it took 1.5 hour longer. The views were nice but I would’ve preferred to arrive quicker. Obviously they do that so they can drop everyone off at all the other beach towns on the way. At least I didn’t feel like my life was at risk.
So the big question… is it worth visiting Saranda?
I think my big takeaway was: don’t just go there for the weekend unless you’re already reasonably close. It wasn’t worth spending close to 9 hours on transport just to enjoy the town for 1 full day.
And if you’re a budget traveler like me, I’m not sure it’s worth going during the high season. Here in Vlore I’m paying about 18 dollars a night, which is a huge difference compared to the 60 dollars I spent in Saranda.
It’s certainly a nice place to check out but I’m not sure it’s too different from other beach towns in Albania. It just has the hype attached to it. As you saw in this video, if I rent a scooter here in Vlora, I can get to some pretty beautiful beaches in under 20 minutes.
So although I definitely don’t regret going to Saranda, I would do some things differently if I were to visit again. And I don’t see that happening in the near future, considering the surplus of cheaper options that Albania has to offer and that are just as nice.
In fact, if you want to know more about the cost of living in Albania, there’s a post about it here.
I’ve created a community over on Facebook in which we encourage each other to find our freedom through travel and it’s a great way to get tips like the ones I’ve given you here today. It’s free and growing by the day, so you can access it here and I hope to chat with you over there on Facebook Groups. It’s called Nomad Nation.
I’ll also leave my Albania playlist here so you can check out everything I’ve been up to in this beautiful country. Catch you on the next one!