Looking for things to do in Saranda? We spent a week here, from August 12 to 19, 2026, during a family trip through Albania. Traveling with children meant finding a balance between discovering new places, spending time by the sea and leaving enough room to simply enjoy the destination.

Saranda turned out to be a great base for this kind of trip. We stayed in a rented house within walking distance of the sea, and for places further away we rented a car for around €40 per day in August 2026. What we enjoyed most was the mix of coastal scenery, nature and warm summer days, and the freedom to slow down whenever we wanted. Whether you’re planning a short stop or a full week, there are plenty of things to do in Saranda for families.

Here are the experiences that stood out to us, especially as a family.

Best Things to Do in Saranda

Saranda offers public beaches, seaside walks and easy access to Ksamil, the Blue Eye and Gjirokastër. We didn’t try to fill every day. Instead, we kept a relaxed rhythm, with time for the beach, for exploring the surroundings and for enjoying the scenery.

Things to Do in Saranda Along the Coast

One of the easiest ways to experience Saranda is simply to spend time along the coast. The waterfront and promenade offer views of the Ionian Sea and are a pleasant place for a walk, especially later in the day when the temperature becomes more comfortable.

In August, the city and coastline were quite busy, especially in the afternoon. With children, we found that going to the beach early worked much better: between about 9 AM and noon, the beaches were considerably quieter. It was already warm, but the calmer atmosphere made those morning swims particularly enjoyable.

Public Beaches in Saranda: Our Favorites

Among the many things to do in Saranda, spending time at a public beach is one of the simplest and most affordable. We were glad to have several public beach options, so we never had to plan a beach day around a paid beach club. Our house owner recommended a few places, and we then checked them on Google Maps.

Saranda city center public beach: a pebble beach with showers, which is ideal for children. It was also the most convenient, since we could reach it on foot.

• El Primero Beach: also pebbles, next to Camping Ecuador and the Lumi i Bistricës area. It is free, and it became our favorite public beach. We found it cleaner than the others and loved the color of the water. It is almost 30 minutes on foot from the center, but from our house it took us about 10 minutes.

• Lori Beach (Ksamil): a sandy beach that is very well suited to children, with a free public section without sunbeds. More on this in the Ksamil section below.
• Gjiri i Hartës: a pebble beach with a free public section, on the way back from Ksamil toward Saranda. More on this below as well.

Having these four options kept our days flexible. If one place felt too crowded, we simply chose another.

Enjoy Saranda’s Coastal Views

The sea, the surrounding hills and the coastal landscape create scenic views throughout the city. We enjoyed taking time to look out over the water instead of moving constantly from one attraction to another.

Watching the sunset was one of our favorite simple moments. We watched it from the terrace of our house and from El Primero Beach. After hot summer days, the cooler evening air made it a lovely time to slow down and watch the colors change over the Ionian Sea.

Best Things to Do Around Saranda: Ksamil, the Blue Eye and Gjirokastër

Saranda works well as a base for exploring southern Albania. Having a rental car gave us the flexibility to visit places outside the city without depending on public transportation.

Ksamil

Visiting Ksamil is one of the most popular things to do in Saranda and its surroundings. It’s one of the most famous coastal destinations in the area, about 15 minutes by car, and it is known for its turquoise water.We visited Poda Beach in August: it was very pretty, but also very crowded. Many of the paid beach options weren’t what we were looking for as a family.

Instead, we chose the public section of Lori Beach. It has sand that is very well suited to children, and it has a free public area without sunbeds. This suited us much better.

On the way back toward Saranda, we spent the day at Gjiri i Hartës, another beach with a free public section. It is a pebble beach, and it gave us a more relaxed experience than the busier parts of Ksamil.

If you visit Ksamil in August, we found that you don’t need to stay in the busiest or most expensive areas to enjoy the coastline.

The Blue Eye

Visiting the Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër) is one of the most memorable things to do in Saranda and the surrounding area: it’s a natural spring where deep blue water rises from an underground source. It is about 45 minutes by car from Saranda, and it was one of the experiences our children enjoyed the most.

When we arrived, there were several ways to reach the spring: walk for around 30 minutes, rent a bicycle or take a small tourist train. With children, we took the train, which cost €6 round trip in August 2026 (parking was an extra €3). The children loved it, and it turned the journey into part of the experience.

We visited around 4 PM, when it was less crowded, and spent about three hours there. We stopped for a coffee at the Blue Eye Veranda restaurant, which overlooks the surrounding landscape. Near the parking area, a juice vendor sold a very good pomegranate juice, which we recommend.

Surrounded by greenery, the Blue Eye felt completely different from the coast and showed us another side of southern Albania.

Tip for families: check the transport options when you arrive. The small train can make the visit much easier for younger travelers.

Gjirokastër: A Stop on the Way Back to Tirana

On our last day in Albania, we left Saranda for Tirana. About an hour into the drive, we stopped in Gjirokastër and spent half a day there.

We walked through the old district and visited Gjirokastër Castle. What we liked most was the town’s authenticity: the old streets, stone houses and mountain setting give it a very different atmosphere from the coastal towns around Saranda.

The heat was intense during our visit, so half a day felt like the right balance, especially with children. If you’re driving from Saranda to Tirana, it is a worthwhile stop.

Experiencing Saranda as a Family

Traveling with children changed how we approached the things to do in Saranda. Instead of trying to see as many attractions as possible, we left room for spontaneous moments, beach time and slow breaks.Public beaches made this easy, with no reservation to worry about.

We found the public beaches by asking the owner of our rental house for advice, then checking the locations on Google Maps. Between the central beach, El Primero, Lori Beach and Gjiri i Hartës, each had its own atmosphere.

Some of our favorite memories were the simplest ones: morning swims, exploring nature, a coffee with a view and sunsets together.

When to Visit Saranda

We visited from August 12 to 19, right in the middle of the summer season. The weather was hot and the city was busy, which is typical of peak summer.

With the children, the best time for swimming was in the morning, usually between 9 AM and noon, when the beaches were noticeably quieter. Later in the day, we preferred exploring, relaxing or waiting for the heat to ease. If you visit Saranda with children in August, starting your beach day early makes the experience much more comfortable. Whatever time of year you visit, the best things to do in Saranda are easier to enjoy early in the day, before the heat and the crowds arrive.

What to Know Before Visiting Saranda

Getting Around Saranda

Within Saranda, we mostly walked, including to the beaches. For places outside the city, we rented a car for around €40 per day in August 2026. It allowed us to organize our days around our own schedule rather than fixed transport times, and with children it made it easier to carry everything and take breaks when needed. Getting around is simple, whether you’re heading to the coast or exploring the best things to do in Saranda and beyond by car.

For more practical tips on the rental car, parking, and getting around at a slower pace, see our guide: Saranda Travel Tips: How to Experience the Coast at a Slower Pace.

Approximate driving times from Saranda:

• Ksamil: about 15 minutes
• The Blue Eye: about 45 minutes
• Gjirokastër: about 1 hour

Planning Your Days

If you’re traveling as a family, we’d avoid planning every day too tightly, even with so many things to do in Saranda within easy reach. You can dedicate some days to the coast, others to exploring the surrounding area, and keep some time completely free. Choosing where to stay also makes a difference, and staying within walking distance of the sea made our beach days much simpler.

Final Thoughts on Saranda

Our family trip to Saranda was a mix of sea, nature, family time and simple moments. We loved walking to the beach from our house, and the rental car gave us the freedom to explore further afield. The Blue Eye and its little train were a highlight for the children, and our stop in Gjirokastër offered a completely different atmosphere from the coast.

Saranda can be busy in August, and the summer heat is something to plan around. But by starting beach days early, we found it easy to enjoy the destination at our own pace.

For families who enjoy nature and coastal landscapes, the best things to do in Saranda are often the simplest ones: a morning swim, a day at a public beach, a sunset by the sea. That balance between exploring and slowing down is what made the trip so memorable for us.

Sometimes, traveling well simply means leaving enough space to enjoy where you are.