Visiting Sarande with kids.
Sarande is a beautiful coastal town in Albania. It is, an up and coming holiday destination, so prices are fairly low and crowds less busy compared to it’s more visited neighbouring towns.
Sarande is very easily accessible from Corfu. This is probably the most common and simple way to access Sarande. The other would involve flying directly to the capital Tirana. It’s then a much longer trip to reach the coast than taking the ferry from Corfu. Flights in and out of Corfu are also far more frequent than flights in to Tirana from the UK, making this the easier option when visiting Sarande with kids.
The ferry itself that we took was the 30 minute crossing. There are other options, which take longer, but when travelling with kids and even without I would always go for the quicker one. The check in desk is walkable from Corfu town centre and the same at the other end. It is a lovely walk along the beach front from the ferry terminal to the hotels and perfectly located.
We stayed at the Demi Hotel, very centrally located and a stones throw from the main area of bars and restaurants. (The sunsets from the balcony were quite spectacular) https://booking.tp.st/QpdPlpfN
The beaches in the centre of Sarande aren’t huge, and a few have been privatised by the hotels that sit on the beach front. That said the beaches that you can just visit for free are lovely and have taps to rinse yourself off after taking a dip. There are a few beaches located just slightly further out in the resort of Ksamil.
Ksamil area is stunning, quieter than Sarande, but for beaches and relaxing it’s beautiful.
We opted to hire a car whilst in Sarande. Probably not the most obvious of places to need a hire car but there were a few places we wanted to visit that, whilst having a child in tow, made it easier than using public transportation.
The top attraction in the area is without a doubt the ‘Blue Eye’ or in Albanian ‘Syri i Kalter’. This is a natural phenomenon, a natural spring rising from the depths to produce a fantastic ripple effect on the surface.
The Blue Eye is a 30 minute drive from Sarande. It is also accessible by bus and there are many excursions depending daily. There is a car park for a small fee, and also entry to the reserve comes with a very small fee.
The walk down from the car park is quite a long one and took us about 25 minutes. I would strongly recommend a carrier/pram for younger children as it is quite hilly and probably not much fun for them on a hot summers day.
The walk itself to the lagoon, once you enter the park, is through a series of bridges and wooded pathways, making for a fantastic day out. There are restaurants and toilets at the entrance, though only very small, are useful for picking up a drink as in summer it can be extremely warm.
The eye is most visible from a platform built overlooking the lagoon, it can get busy but it does give excellent views, so it’s well worth waiting a few minutes. Jumping in to the lagoon itself is not permitted. However few meters away are footpaths that lead directly into the streams which in turn lead to the main lagoon. There were plenty of people taking a dip and also swimming when we visited. https://viator.tp.st/PZseCrG1
Butrint national park is located not far from Sarande, and is a UNESCO world heritage site. The site features ancient ruins stretching back to the Roman times. Including the Temple of Asclepius and a Greek Ampitheatre, in addition the site also feature many more natural areas with hiking trails and areas of wildlife. The entrance fee is not cheap so do some research before if travelling with little ones who may not find it totally appealing. https://viator.tp.st/xAs2eiNS
For a cheaper family holiday, in comparison to more well known and well visited beach resorts. Sarande is a wonderful, up and coming place to visit. The ferry from Corfu and the abundance of flights from the UK to Corfu makes it surprisingly easily accessible for families. With a wonderful array of beach front bars and restaurants which look spectacular at night. The site of yachts in the harbour will most likely be a highlight for any little boat lovers in the family.
Sarande features quite a range of hotels, from very cheap options to the more upmarket. Yet even the most expensive hotels are a fraction of the price in comparison to its European neighbours. Finally this also goes for food and drink prices, again much cheaper than you would find in other countries beach resorts.
Visiting Sarande with kids is a brilliant holiday destination and one that I would hugely recommend.
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