Sazan Island, Haxhi Ali Cave and Karaburun Boat Tour from Vlora

Sazan Island

Sazan Island sits at the mouth of the Bay of Vlora, where the Adriatic and Ionian seas meet, and it is the largest island in Albania. For most of the twentieth century it was a closed military zone with barracks, tunnels and bunkers cut into the rock, and it only opened to visitors in recent years. Today it forms part of the Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park, and the empty buildings give a Sazan Island day trip a strange, fascinating atmosphere against the blue sea.

The speedboat reaches the island in about forty minutes and stops for roughly forty minutes. You can walk up to the old base with the guide, who explains its strategic role, or go straight into the water from the small beach below the pier. The water here is exceptionally clear and the rocks shelter plenty of fish, so the snorkelling mask included in the Plus option gets its first use. Wear shoes you can walk in if you want to explore the buildings.

Haxhi Ali Cave

Haxhi Ali Cave opens in the cliffs at the tip of the Karaburun Peninsula, a vast sea cave high enough for a boat to glide straight inside. It takes its name from Haxhi Ali, a seventeenth-century corsair who is said to have used the cave as a hideout from which he ambushed passing ships, and the skipper tells the story as the engine drops to idle under the rock. Light bounces off the water onto the vaulted ceiling, and the temperature falls noticeably once you are inside.

This is a short photo stop of around fifteen minutes, but it is the moment most guests remember. The boat enters slowly, turns inside the chamber and pauses so everyone can take pictures of the entrance framed in blue. Anyone searching for the Haxhi Ali Cave in Vlora should know it can only be reached by sea; there is no path along the cliffs, which is exactly why a Vlora speedboat tour is the way to see it.

The Karaburun Peninsula and its wild beaches

The Karaburun Peninsula is the long mountain ridge that closes the Bay of Vlora to the west, roadless and uninhabited, with cliffs that fall straight into the Ionian Sea. Its coast is a string of small bays with white pebbles and water in every shade of blue, reachable only by boat. A Karaburun Peninsula boat trip is the simplest way to see this coast, and this tour spends the longest part of the day, about two and a half hours, on one of its most beautiful beaches.

Once the boat anchors you are free to swim, snorkel along the rocks, lie on the beach or walk the shoreline. Sunbeds and umbrellas are usually available for hire from a small beach operator but are not included, so bring a towel and a hat; natural shade is limited. The water is calm and transparent, which makes Karaburun beaches a favourite with families. The guide sets the departure time before you go ashore, and the ride back to Vlora takes about twenty minutes.

Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park and snorkelling

Everything this tour visits lies inside the Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park, Albania's first protected marine area, created to safeguard the underwater meadows, caves and rocky reefs around the peninsula and the island. The sea here is deep and clean, with visibility that often reaches many metres, and the rocky shallows at each stop are full of small fish, sea urchins and the occasional octopus. The Plus option includes a snorkelling mask so you can look beneath the surface at every stop.

Because the park is protected, the beaches have no roads, no buildings and very few people, even in high summer. This is why the Albanian Riviera boat tour from Vlora feels so different from the resort beaches further south. Please take any rubbish back on board, avoid touching the seabed and keep to the areas the skipper indicates; the crew know the currents and the best spots for a safe swim.

Vlora waterfront departure

Vlora is the gateway to the southern coast of Albania and the city where the country's independence was declared in 1912. Its seafront promenade, known as the Lungomare, runs for several kilometres along the bay, and the speedboats leave from a pier on this waterfront. The departure point is a short walk or taxi ride from most hotels in the city, and the exact pier details are sent to you after booking. Luggage can be left at the office during the trip.

There are three departure times each day, in the morning, late morning and mid-afternoon, so you can fit the boat trip around a beach day or a drive down the coast. Among the many things to do in Vlora, this is the one most visitors book first. Halal food is easy to find along the promenade if you want a meal before or after the trip, as it is throughout Albania. Arrive about fifteen minutes before departure for the safety briefing and life jackets.