Where should I stay in Sarandë?

Seafront, hillside, or out towards Ksamil

The promenade is where the restaurants, the harbour and the evening crowd are, and where most of the hotels sit. It is convenient and busy — you will hear the town.

The hillside behind gives you the view over the bay and better value, at the cost of a climb. Heading south along the Ksamil road puts you nearer the better swimming and further from the noise, but you will want a car or taxis.

Getting there — the reason people pick Sarandë

It is the most connected town on the Riviera. Boats arrive from Corfu directly into the harbour, which for the southern coast is far quicker than flying into Tirana and driving down.

From here Ksamil is about half an hour, Butrint a little further, and the Blue Eye is a short trip inland — which is why so many people sleep in Sarandë and day-trip everything else.

When to book

Sarandë has the longest season on this coast: it is a working town, so a good deal of it stays open when Ksamil and Dhërmi have closed. Late May to early October is the reliable window, and September is arguably the best of it — warm sea, thinner crowds, rates coming down.

July and August fill and get expensive. If those are your dates, book well ahead and expect the promenade to be busy every evening.

What it costs, and when

Sarandë has the widest choice of rooms on the Albanian coast, and that shows up as the widest price range. The levers are the usual ones — month first, then how close you are to the waterfront promenade, then apartment versus hotel. A room up the hill behind the town costs noticeably less than one on the front, and the town is small enough that the walk is short.

August is the peak, and it is a real one: Sarandë absorbs both international arrivals and the Corfu ferry traffic. June and late September are far cheaper for the same swimming. Because it is a working town rather than a seasonal village, some hotels stay open through winter at low rates.

Common questions

Is Sarandë or Ksamil better to stay in?

Sarandë for choice of rooms, restaurants and getting around; Ksamil for the beaches. Plenty of people book Sarandë and spend their beach days in Ksamil.

Does Sarandë have good beaches?

The town beaches are adequate rather than spectacular — the famous water is south towards Ksamil. Stay in Sarandë for convenience, travel for the swimming.

Is Sarandë open in winter?

Partly. It is a real town rather than a resort, so hotels and restaurants stay open through the winter, though far fewer than in August.

How long should I stay in Sarandë?

Three to five nights. That is enough for Ksamil, Butrint and the Blue Eye as day trips with unhurried time in between.

How much does a hotel in Sarandë cost?

The range is wide because the supply is wide — waterfront rooms in August sit at the top of it, hillside rooms in June near the bottom. The search here prices each property for your dates, which is more useful than an average across a town that spans both.

Is Sarandë expensive compared with the rest of Albania?

In August it is one of the more expensive places on the coast. Outside the peak it is mid-range and has more budget choice than smaller Riviera villages, simply because there are more rooms competing.

Read next

• Ksamil
• Butrint
• The Blue Eye