Sarandë sits at the bottom of Albania's long coast, in a curving bay facing the Greek island of Corfu, which on a clear evening looks close enough to swim to. It is a town of about fifteen thousand, built in tiers up a steep hillside, with a promenade running the length of the waterfront and a view that makes the end of the SH8 feel like a reward. The road you have just finished, the coastal highway from Vlorë over the Llogara Pass, is among the most dramatic in the Balkans.
The name has a story. The Italians called the town Santi Quaranta, and the Greeks call it Agioi Saranta, both after forty Christian martyrs who were said to be commemorated in an early monastery here. Ruins of that church can still be found on the hill above the harbour, and the town has been shaped by Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and Italian influence. The Greek minority in the surrounding district has kept its own traditions alive.
The riding on the way in is excellent. The Llogara Pass climbs to just over a thousand metres through pine and fir forest before the road drops in a long series of bends toward Dhermi and Himare, with the Ionian Sea below, limestone peaks above and not a lot of barrier in between. The surface has improved in recent years but is not uniform, and goats, dogs and slow trucks are routine on the bends. In summer the road is busy with holiday traffic, so aim for early morning or the shoulder seasons of May, June and September.
South of Sarandë lie two places worth a visit if you have the time. Butrint, a few kilometres down the coast, is a UNESCO site where Greek, Roman and Venetian ruins lie in a wooded lagoon landscape, and the Blue Eye, a deep spring of strikingly clear water, sits inland. Ksamil, nearer the border, has small beaches and clear water that are very popular in July and August.
Fuel stations are plentiful in the town and along the main road, though prices vary. Restaurants along the waterfront serve fresh fish and grilled lamb, and a long dinner with the lights of Corfu across the water is a sound way to end the day.