Southern Gateway to Albania
Southern Albania, Albania
Saranda is Albania's most southerly city and has a most beautiful setting, particularly when approached by sea. Situated opposite the Island of Corfu, this ancient town is now mostly visited by day trippers who come to enjoy this previously inaccessible resort and the remarkable ancient city of Butrint.
Background
Saranda is an old town, first settled by the Illyrian tribe of Chaonians, who named it Onchesmus. Cicero mentioned it as ‘a convenient harbour with favourable winds’. The many mosaics found in the town confirm that the town must have seen above average development around the 2nd and 3rd centuries A.D.
Like Corfu, Saranda does have an excellent climate, averaging 290 sunny days a year. In the summer temperatures rarely exceed 30 degrees during the day, while the sea breeze at night is quite refreshing.