"Sarande - entrance to southern Albania " a Sarande Travel Page by illumina

Saranda is situated in an open sea gulf, opposite the island of Corfu. The sea panorama, the variety of flora, favoured by the soft climate, make Saranda the preferred centre for rest and recreation and an important tourist town. Many Albanian couples come to spend their honeymoon in Saranda, which is why it is known in Albania as the town of the honeymooners.

Near where Saranda is now built stood the ancient Illyrian city of Onchesmos, mentioned as a port in the 1st century B.C. In the 4th century A.d. the town was fortified with walls. Inside the walls have been excavated the remains of dwellings, water cisterns and an early Christian Basilica of the 5th and 6th century, containing a beautiful multicolored floor mosaic. Other mosaics are to be found in the district museum.

The ruins are also preserved of an early Christian Monastery, of the Forty Saints, from which the modern name of the town (Santi Quaranta - Saranda) is derived.

Many day trippers make the trip over from Corfu to visit Butrint, a short journey to the south of Sarande, to see the spectacular collection of Roman, Greek, Byzantine and Venetian ruins, which is now a world heritage site. But it would be a waste to visit Albania without staying for longer than one day. The ferry-ride itself is spectacular enough, taking you in towards the snow-capped mountains that tower above Sarandė.

Sarande, as the gateway to the southern Albanian coastline, is full of construction sites as hopeful local speculators throw up hotels in anticipation of a boom. So the advice for anyone who has harboured any curiosity about Albania has to be - go now before it becomes like everywhere else.