Two days in Sarande Albania

Map of Albania - we were on the South Coast

The last time we were in this area we studiously avoided Albania because we had read all sorts of accounts where yachts were harassed, taxes levied, aggravated assaults on the tourists, and unexploded mines. Thankfully it all turned out to be a total load of rubbish.

As you may recall, we must get Tara out of the EU every 18 months or potentially become liable for some level of taxation … so we were struggling to figure out what to do. Montenegro, where we visited before, is about 200 miles north of Corfu – and that’s a very long week of travelling. By contrast, Sarande Albania is 15 miles from Corfu’s Gouvia harbour –a mere 2 hour jaunt in protected waters.

Thankfully Cruiser’s Forum had posts from a number of yachts that had recently visited Albania with positive outcomes so we thought we’d give it a try.

Tara at the Ferry Dock

We were impressed. We pulled into Sarande and called Agim Zholi on channel 11 on the VHF and he met us at the dock and instructed us where to go. Like Greece you use your anchor to med-moor and then tie up to the quay. Tara got a great spot where we were partially on the side of the quay – and that made getting on and off the boat very simple. We were a little concerned at first, but we were in the Customs area well patrolled by police and under security camera – so we felt more secure than in many other places we have visited.

View from the starboard side.

What you’ll find in Sarande is a bustling tourist coastal town with beaches, cafés, bars, restaurants and places to hang out. The weather was excellent – sunny and HOT and the water was fairly clear – it was definitely clearer upon our departure so the big wind and waves that took us there from Italy were likely responsible for making the water a little cloudier than normal.

View from the port side

We didn’t really avail ourselves of much touring, we were tired from our dash across Italy and just soaked up the sun, lazed about, used the free WiFi internet for hours on end, called home, shopped and ate. The prices in Albania are very reasonable. You can buy a flat in Sarande for 40,000 Euros, or as Agim said for “about what you would pay to buy a parking stall in Canada.” Dinner out was excellent. We tried some local cuisine, Marina sampling local fish – all excellent. 

Lunch was amazing too!

One night we went out for Pizza and pasta. The pasta arrived first for Marina and Ross – Marina waited a minute or two and then we suggested that she and Ross go ahead … then we looked at Ross and he was already finished his Spaghetti Bolognese. When the waiter delivered our Pizzas we ordered Ross a second plate. The waiter, who spoke very good English, laughed and told a couple of his buddies and they pointed at Ross and laughed too. He delivered the Pizza for Jess and I and a couple minutes later dropped another plate of Pasta for Ross – that he finished before we got through our Pizza. His second plate was as clean as the first … must be nice to be young. The kids then walked back to the boat while Marina and I relaxed and watched the world go by. Our waiter delivered a nice lemon gelato and we paid up and strolled slowly down the beach sea-wall back to the boat. (Total bill for 3 pasta dishes, 2 pizzas, 3 cokes, a beer, a bottle of water and a liter of house wine …. 36 Euros … we tipped to 40 … gotta love Albania)

Agim's son, Agim, Mr. Xianni (sounds like Johnny)
and Matt having our coffee.

For me the highlight of the trip was having coffee for an hour or so with Agim, his son Leonardo and friend Mr. Xianni, a guide that works for Agim. We learned some of the history of Albania and its communist roots. Xianni, a retired teacher, said that Communism makes sense in a perfect world but …. Unfortunately our world is not perfect. He then told me a joke to help me understand how it used to be. He said:

“In the communist ideal the workers work hard for the greater good of humanity and are rewarded with all their needs being provided by Government. In reality however, the workers pretend to work hard, and the government pretends to pay them well.”

They explained that Albania has a rich history of religious tolerance with Christian, Muslim and Jews all being part of the cultural mosaic – and like the Turks we have met, the Muslim culture seems to be less rigorous than we found in the Middle-eastern cultures with more of an emphasis on getting along than acrimony.

The boardwalk at Sarande. 

Like much of the former Soviet Union, there remains corruption in Albania – government officials get wealthy and hold back progress, but if Agim, Leo and Xianni are any indication of the general population, their sunny outlook and emphasizing education for their young people will eventually allow them to break through to the next level of prosperity.

Leaving Albania