Ksamil

Ksamil is a small village at the southern tip of the Albanian Riviera, just twelve kilometres south of Sarandë and within sight of the Greek island of Corfu. It is best known for the four small uninhabited islands lying a short swim from the shore, and for the white-sand beaches and shallow turquoise water that have given the village its nickname: the Albanian Maldives.

The Beaches and the Islands

The coast at Ksamil is broken into a series of small coves divided by rocky headlands, each with its own beach and beach club. The beaches are unusual for Albania in being mostly fine pale sand rather than pebbles, and the water is shallow, calm and exceptionally clear, with white-sand bottom giving it the characteristic turquoise colour. The four small islands offshore, none more than a few hundred metres from the beach, can be reached by a short swim or by pedalo, and the closest of them is shallow enough to wade out to for much of its length.

Development

Ksamil has grown explosively over the past decade, from a small village into one of the busiest beach destinations in the Balkans, and the centre of the village in high season is now very crowded. The beaches themselves remain beautiful, but visitors who prefer quieter conditions should consider visiting in late May, June or September rather than at the peak of July and August. Visiting early in the morning also makes a real difference.

Butrint National Park

Just south of Ksamil, the road ends at one of the most important archaeological sites in the Mediterranean. Butrint occupies a wooded peninsula enclosed by a lagoon, and within its protected boundary lie the remains of a Greek city of the 6th century BC, a Roman colony, a Byzantine bishopric, a medieval Venetian outpost and an Ottoman triangular fortress, all overlapping on the same site. The combination of dense archaeology, lagoon scenery and wildlife makes it one of the great archaeological visits in Europe, and it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1992.

Getting there

Ksamil is about 12 kilometres south of Sarandë and reachable by frequent local minibus in summer. From Sarandë by car or taxi the drive takes about twenty minutes. The village itself is small enough to walk across in fifteen minutes.