Saranda Demo Self-Guided Audio Tour

Saranda has more than 300 sunny days. Saaranda, as a beach resort, is most popular during the summer, when you can expect hot and sunny weather. Saaranda was already populated in antiquity, when it was known as Onhezmi. The town was substantially devastated and abandoned during the early Middle Ages, and large portions of the historic ruins can now be found beneath modern city buildings. Some historic ruins have been preserved, including a synagogue (which was later converted into a basilica), a mosaic floor inside the Museum of Archaeology, a portion of the entrance gate on the public beach, and another portion of the fortification wall on the ground floor of the "Republika" Hotel. While the settlement was abandoned, a monastery was erected in the sixth century and named after the 40 martyrs of Sebaste, the Monastery of 40 Saints. In Greek, 40 Saints is known as: Agioi Saranta, or Agi Saranda. When a new village grew up around the port, it was named after the nearby monastery, but the 'Agi' was eliminated, and the town became known as Saranda instead. During World War II, Albania was controlled by Italian forces led by Benito Mussolini, who renamed Saranda as "Porto Eda", in honor of his daughter. The name Saranda was restored immediately following the conflict. A new campaign, to promote tourism in Saaranda and the surrounding region, has adopted the motto: "Theater of the Sun". Saaranda is built on the slopes of the hills around Saaranda Bay, giving the city the appearance of a sun-drenched theater. The slogan , however, also connects to the adjacent ancient theaters of Butrinti, and Phoenice. Saranda is unofficially known as the "Capital of the Albanian Riviera", since many people use it as a jumping off point, for exploring the Riviera.

The bust of Hillary Clinton, the US presidential contender, was erected here to commemorate her international contributions to the Albanian people. The former US Secretary of State's bust is positioned on the major avenue along the shore and is dedicated to her "dimension as a woman in politics, as a representative of the old friendship between Albanian and US. And also for her contribution to the Albanian nation in different historical moments. " Many Albanians feel grateful to Bill Clinton, for his part in ending Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic's rampage, in Kosovo in 1999. Hillary Clinton, then Secretary of State, delivered a speech in Albania in 2012 commemorating the country's 100th anniversary of independence.

Ksamil is a popular attraction in the region, and for good cause. It boasts lovely sand beaches and many little islands where you may swim, and despite its reputation as a hidden gem, it is one of Europe's top beach resorts. Ksamil is a small but constantly growing settlement with approximately 4000-5000 inhabitants that is technically part of the Butrint National Park. Nowadays, tourism is the primary economic engine, but the area became well-known for cultivating olives, lemons, and "mandarinas" during communism, and mussels are grown in the nearby Butrint Lagoon. One of the best places of Ksamil, is the "The 3 islands". You will be amazed by the salty beach, the rocky islands, the fresh food, stunning hues, and the reverberating sun.

Butrinti's name (formerly Buthrotum in Latin) is derived from the word buthrotos, which means "wounded bull". This is based on a Greek legendary thought about a bull offering, that failed on the island of Corfu. The bull escaped and swam to the mainland, which was interpreted as a divine omen, and the Greeks chose to establish a settlement there. Archaeologists believe the first evidence of settled occupancy goes back to the 10th and 8th centuries BC. Helenus, the son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy, is credited with founding Butrinti, which grew to become one of the principal centers of  Illyrian tribe the Kaonians, or Kaonet. It was strategically positioned due to its access to the Corfu Straits, and it was fortified in the sixth century BC. By then, it had a theatre and a sanctuary. Butrinti became a Roman protectorate in 228 BC, and was incorporated into Macedonia the next century. Julius Caesar established a Roman colony in 44 BC, and let his men, who fought against Pompey, to reside there as a reward. Marshland was cleared to greatly expand the village. Romans built an aqueduct, Roman bath, nymphaeum, and forum complex. The settlement grew into a significant port in the region of Old Epirus, and lasted until the late Antiquity period. When signs of collapse were already obvious, an earthquake destroyed much of the town, forcing it to be abandoned. The Byzantine Empire began major rebuilding in the late fifth century. Following various conflicts and the Byzantine Empire's diminishing status, the Angevins acquired it and later ceded it, to the Venetians in 1386, along with Corfu. Again, the area changed hands multiple times, this time between the Venetian and Ottoman Empire, and it even became French territory in 1797, until being conquered and occupied by Ottoman-Albanian governor, Ali Pasha Tepelana, in 1799. Under Ottoman rule, the village was abandoned, and had not been populated in centuries before it became part of independent Albania, in 1913.

The castle is situated near the mouth of the Vivar Canal into the Ionian Sea. It was built between 1807 and 1808, by Ali Pasha Tepelena, to prevent the landing of the French army of Corfu, which asked Ali to surrender Butrinti. It has a quadrangular shape, measuring 28 x 36 m, with four towers at each corner and a residential area on the northern side. The two towers facing the sea have a circular layout, while the two on the other side are quadrangular. The main vaulted gate, which faces east, is located between the latter. The thickness of the walls to guard against artillery blows at the base is 2.8 m, while the height of the towers is 1-1.2 m. The feature of this castle is that, in addition to the towers that protected it from the outside, it has an internal fortification system.