Butrint, Blue Eye & Lekursi Castle - Full Day Shore Excursion From Saranda

Sarandë is the city of sun, where more than 300 days a year pass without rain. From here, we begin a journey that follows the southern coastline into a landscape shaped by history and light. Our first stop is Butrint National Park, a UNESCO site where Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Venetian layers exist together in one quiet peninsula surrounded by water and forest. It is not a place of single stories, but of continuity, where civilizations overlap rather than disappear. Butrint also belongs to the wider horizon of ancient imagination, the world shaped by Homer’s Iliad and later echoed in Virgil’s Aeneid, where places like this feel like reflections of “little Troy”: memory carried through geography. We then continue to the Blue Eye Spring, where deep underground water rises in a perfect circle of intense blue, calm on the surface, powerful beneath. The day ends at Lekursi Castle, overlooking Sarandë, the Ionian Sea, and Corfu, a quiet panoramic moment before returning.

1 - Pick-up in Sarandë (port or accommodation) We start with a coastal drive along the Ionian Sea toward Butrint, with short commentary about the region and daily life in southern Albania. 2 - Butrint National Park (UNESCO site) Guided visit of the archaeological site, where Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Venetian layers are preserved in a natural lagoon setting. 3 - Coffee break (coastal area near Ksamil) Short stop for coffee, drinks, or a quick rest before continuing inland. 4 - Blue Eye Spring Visit of the natural spring with free time for walking, photos, or a short break. Small cafés are available on site for drinks or snacks. 5 - Lunch stop in Sarandë Return to Sarandë for lunch at a selected local restaurant offering fresh seafood, grilled dishes, and traditional Albanian cuisine. 6 - Lekursi Castle Short panoramic stop overlooking Sarandë, the Ionian coastline, and Corfu 7 - Return to Sarandë Drop-off at your original pick-up point, adjusted to your cruise or schedule.