The ancient site of Butrint and Beach in Ksamil

Neither my Mother, or myself are people who could grill themselves on the beach for days on end, so to keep things interesting for Mom, and just because I myself wanted to explore different places, I had planned visiting different places around the Southern part of Albania.

On our second day upon arriving in Saranda, the ancient city of Butrint south of Saranda was our destination. Mom isn't too fond of ruins, but I dragged her on a trek around this UNESCO World Heritage Site in the 30-degree heat. In my defense, if we waited for a cooler day, that never would've come. Just make sure you've got lots of water with you; there aren't many facilities inside the site to buy any.

We took a local bus from the bus stop near the synagogue at around 9:30. There weren't many people going to Butrint, most of the tourists got dropped off at the beaches of Ksamil. The bus only cost 100 leke per person, one way (under a euro). However, the locals readily accepted euros as payment, so the trip could be paid as 1 euro, they even accepted a dollar as payment!

Getting off at Butrint was easy enough, as it was the last stop, and they do shout out each stop. However, we should've checked when the bus returned to Saranda there and then. The drop-off stop wasn't the same as the pick-up stop, which was behind some rubbish bins further along. In any case, it leaves once every hour in the daytime, now you know :) So just remember when you were dropped off, whether it was half past etc. Some people had even come in with a taxi, and asked them to wait outside, until they were ready.

Butrint is said to be founded by the exiles from Troy after its fall. The earliest sites date from the 8th century BC and is  culturally very rich: ancient Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Venetians and Ottomans have all made their statement in the city. Walking around, you could get a good feel about how big this important port city actually was.

As I like ruins, I took quite a few pictures, but I'm considerate enough not to load everything here :)

The Amphitheater

Wall in the Great Basilika

Roman Bath

Agora/Forum/ Marketplace

The Baptistery (where they baptized people) is known for its incredible mosaics, but unfortunately for tourists, it is now covered in sand as to protect it. Therefore I borrowed a picture from the time it was still available to be admired.

auroraviaggi.com

The Lake Gate

Lake view

Love the combination of water and mountains

There was a lot of climbing and uneven, sometimes slippery pavement stones involved in the experience. I wouldn't suggest anyone with mobility issues to try it, especially all the way to the castle. Some people were even wearing flip-flops, which is rather extreme, seeing as my shoes were comfortable enough, other than the soles were a little too smooth. Sneakers/trainers are the best option, unless you want to go extreme and use robust hiking boots.

The archaeologists have done a great job, uncovering so much of the ancient city and hopefully that will be preserved for generations to come.

Ksamil 

If you are taking the trip to Butrint, do stop by at Ksamil. It's a small town with famous beaches. Famous as in it has the rare white sand and turquoise water that usually isn't found in Southern Albania, which has more pebbly beaches. Best option would be to come by car, as you are rather limited of choice, even though the bus does take you to the town. 

After a decent lunch in the town, the waiter directed us to a nearby beach, which even in the beginning of September was packed full. But as we had come this far, we would go in and enjoy the swim. We paid 1000 lekes for 2 chairs and a beach umbrella, which is a little under 10 euros. 

None of my pictures do Ksamil justice, so here's something from the Swedish Nomad. The beach we went to wasn't the best, but it was the closest and we were able to have a swim or two after a hot day of walking.

From Swedish Nomad