Comprehensive information and links about Albania Sarandë

Sarandë "Syri i Kaltër, or the Azure Eye, is a well known natural cold water spring in Sarandë. (By Marc Morell)" Syri i Kaltër, or the Azure Eye, is a well known natural cold water spring in Sarandë. (By Marc Morell), is the capital of the District of Sarandë, Albania, and it is one of the most important tourist attractions of the Albanian Riviera. It was named after the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste traditionally commemorated by the Greek Orthodox Church on 10 March, during Byzantine times. Situated on an open sea gulf of the Ionian at 39.88°N, 20.00°E, it has a population of about 15,000. Part of its original Greek and Albanian population moved into Greece during the large exodus in the early 90's. Opposite Sarandë is another tourist attraction, the Greek island of Corfu. There are daily ferries between them.

In ancient times, Sarandë was called i. During 1914, Sarandë, owing to its majority Greek population, formed part of the Autonomous Region of Northern Epirus, in accordance with the Corfu Protocol of 1914. The region still remains part of the government-recognised Greek minority zone, where children of ethnic Greek descent may receive some of their primary education in the Greek language.

Near Sarandë are the remains of Butrint, a UNESCO World Heritage site.