Ksamil
Until 1991, the strip of coast now known as Ksamil was forbidden ground: a military area of Enver Hoxha's regime, dotted with conc...
Updated 9 July 2026
This season · July · Summer
What to do in Ksamil now
The story
The story of Ksamil
From military zone to beach destination: the origins of Ksamil
The territory of Ksamil has historically been part of the region of Chaonia, the ancient area of Epirus that in antiquity gravitated around Butrint and Phoenice, today important archaeological sites just a few kilometres away. Until well into the twentieth century the area remained an agricultural and fishing outpost, inhabited by a few families devoted to fishing and olive growing. With the establishment of Enver Hoxha's communist regime, the southern Albanian coast, because of its proximity to Greece and thus to the borders of the Western bloc, was declared a military zone: concrete bunkers were built all along the shoreline and civilian access to the sea was restricted for decades. Only after the fall of the regime in 1991, and more concretely from the 2000s onward, was Ksamil able to gradually open up to visitors, transforming in just a few years a coastline that had remained almost untouched into one of the most sought-after beach destinations in the country.
The islands of Ksamil and the main beaches
The stretch of sea in front of the village is dotted with four small islands, lined up a short distance from shore and separated by shallow sandy seabeds that are often crossed by swimming or wading through the shallow water. They are the symbol of the place: small strips of land covered in Mediterranean scrub, with no buildings, also reachable by rented small boats or pedal boats in the summer months. The main beaches follow one another along the village's central bay, largely free but flanked by beach clubs with umbrellas and sunbeds, fish restaurants and bars; the shallow seabed and pale sand make this stretch a destination well suited to families with small children too. During the high season the bay fills up quickly, while the smaller coves further south, less served by roads, remain quieter and allow visitors to enjoy the colour of the water with fewer crowds.
Pema e Thatë: the beach of the dry tree
Just south of the centre of Ksamil lies Pema e Thatë, whose name in Albanian literally means 'the dry tree': a more intimate beach, framed by a small hill of olive and pine trees that runs almost down to the shoreline, with a narrower strip of sand and pebbles compared to the central beaches. It is one of the area's historic spots, already frequented in the years when Ksamil was not yet a mass destination, and it retains a more intimate atmosphere, with a few family-run fish taverns overlooking the water. The name probably recalls a lone tree that for years marked the landscape of the place before tourism development, becoming a landmark for local fishermen. Today it remains one of the recommended stops for those who want to see a less built-up Ksamil, just a few minutes by car or on foot from the centre.
The colour of the water and snorkelling among the islets
The clarity of Ksamil's water depends on a combination of factors: shallow sandy seabeds, the absence of large rivers carrying sediment to the sea along this stretch of coast, and the proximity to the channel connecting Lake Butrint to the sea, which nonetheless maintains good water quality here. The result is a range of blues and turquoises that changes with the light of day, particularly intense in the central hours, when the sun is high and the sandy seabeds reflect the light. Around the islets, where the depth increases gradually, snorkelling is practised with visibility that on calm sea days can exceed several metres: there are no large coral reefs, but small rocky seabeds, seagrass meadows and shoals of fish that come close to shore. Many visitors rent a mask and snorkel directly on the beach or rely on the small boats that organise short tours among the islands.
Butrint: the ancient city, a World Heritage Site
A few kilometres from Ksamil, within the national park of the same name, stands Butrint, one of the most important archaeological sites in the Balkans, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1992. Its origins go back to a Greek settlement of ancient Chaonia, also recalled by tradition in Virgil's Aeneid as a place founded by Trojan exiles; it later became a Roman colony, an episcopal seat in the Byzantine era, was ruled by the Venetians and finally fortified by Ali Pasha of Tepelena in the early nineteenth century. In the area a Greek theatre, baths and a paleo-Christian basilica with mosaics, a baptistery, cyclopean walls and a Venetian-Ottoman castle overlooking the channel overlap one another, set within a natural landscape of woods and marshes that makes the visit even more evocative. Walking among these remains, immersed in the vegetation, offers an immediate historical counterpoint to the beach life of Ksamil, just a few minutes away.
The lake and the Vivari Channel
Butrint stands on the banks of the Vivari Channel, which connects Lake Butrint, a broad body of brackish water, to the Ionian Sea. This interweaving of fresh, brackish and marine waters creates a distinctive ecosystem, protected within the national park, home to migratory birds, freshwater turtles and a fish population that has historically made the area suited to fishing and mussel farming. Along the channel the traditional wooden fish traps, locally called 'pescherie', can still be seen, used for centuries to catch eels and other species that pass between the lake and the sea. The landscape here is different from that of the Ksamil beaches: shadier, more humid, crossed by paths and small cable ferries that allow visitors to cross the channel near the castle, in an environment that alternates between water, reed beds and holm oak woods.
Sarandë and the surroundings of the Riviera
The nearest town to Ksamil is Sarandë, the main city of the southern Albanian Riviera, a handful of kilometres away along the coast. It is an active port, connected by ferry to the Greek island of Corfu, with a curved seafront overlooking the gulf, restaurants, hotels and a small historic centre behind the promenade. From Sarandë, roads and excursions depart towards the rest of the Albanian Riviera, the stretch of coast that runs north as far as Himarë and the Llogara Pass, with coves reachable by boat or by car. The city also serves as a reference point for services that are not always available in Ksamil, being smaller and more seasonal: banks, larger supermarkets, the port for trips to Greece. For those staying in Ksamil, a stop in Sarandë is almost inevitable, whether on arrival or for an evening out different from the beach routine.
Facing Corfu
One of the most distinctive features of Ksamil is its almost tangible closeness to the Greek island of Corfu, which at the narrowest points of the strait is barely a couple of kilometres from the Albanian coast. From the islets and from some stretches of beach, the silhouette of the island is perfectly visible, with its green hills closing the horizon to the west; on the clearest days even buildings and Greek coastal settlements can be made out. This proximity, which during the communist regime had made the area a militarised zone precisely because it was a sensitive border with a NATO country, has today become an added attraction: many visitors arrive in Ksamil for the day from Greece, taking advantage of the sea links from Corfu to Sarandë, before continuing on to the municipality's beaches. The relationship between the two shores nonetheless remains asymmetrical, with Albania still cheaper and less developed from a tourism standpoint than the Greek island.
The flavours of Ksamil: fish and mussels from Butrint
Ksamil's cuisine revolves around fish and seafood, served in the restaurants overlooking the beaches and the seafront: grilled sea bream, sea bass and sardines, together with octopus and squid, make up the typical menus of the coast. A signature product of the area is the mussels of Lake Butrint, farmed in the brackish waters of the Vivari Channel using techniques passed down through generations: their quality is recognised throughout the region and they are served steamed, gratinated or in light tomato and herb sauces. Alongside the fish, the local table retains features of southern Albanian cuisine: local olive oil, fresh cheeses, grilled vegetables and byrek, the typical savoury filo pastry roll. In the summer months many venues also offer more international cuisine, a reflection of the tourist clientele that now dominates the village's economy.
When to go
The beach season in Ksamil is concentrated between June and mid-September, with the peak of visitors in July and August, when water and air temperatures are highest but beaches and roads are also more crowded. May, late June and the second half of September offer a good compromise: the sea already warm or still pleasant, smaller crowds on the main beaches and lower prices for accommodation and restaurants. In winter most tourist facilities close and the village returns to a much more low-key dimension, suited to those who want to visit Butrint and the Riviera at a leisurely pace but not to those seeking beach life. Anyone wanting to combine sea and cultural visits should consider the cooler morning hours for Butrint, leaving the rest of the day for the beaches of Ksamil, thus avoiding both the intense heat and the crowds of tour buses that arrive around midday.
From fishing village to tourist boom
The tourism development of Ksamil is a recent and very rapid phenomenon: until the 2000s the village had only a few houses, and growth gained real momentum especially over the last decade, in step with Albania's international opening up and the spread of images of its beaches on social media, which made the islets popular far beyond the Balkans. In just a few years hotels, rental apartments, restaurants and beach clubs sprang up, often built quickly and without organic urban planning, so much so that the Albanian authorities have repeatedly carried out demolitions of unauthorised structures along the coast to protect public access to the sea. This accelerated development has brought economic prosperity and jobs to an area that had remained on the margins for decades, but it also raises questions about the sustainability of growth concentrated into just a few months of the year on a relatively limited stretch of coastline.
- Swim or go snorkelling among the bay's four islets
- Visit the archaeological site of Butrint, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Try the mussels of Lake Butrint at a restaurant on the channel
- Take a boat trip along the coast towards Sarandë
- Admire the sunset with the silhouette of Corfu on the horizon
- Stroll among the traditional fish traps of the Vivari Channel
- Discover the more intimate beach of Pema e Thatë
FAQ
Come si arriva a Ksamil?
Qual è il periodo migliore per visitare Ksamil?
Si può visitare Butrinto in giornata insieme alle spiagge?
Dove si parcheggia a Ksamil?
Ksamil è adatta alle famiglie con bambini?
Quanto tempo conviene restare a Ksamil?
Getting there
- Aeroporto di Corfù 'Ioannis Kapodistrias' (Grecia), poi traghetto per Sarandë (circa 1 ora) e 15-20 minuti d'auto fino a Ksamil
- Aeroporto Internazionale di Tirana 'Madre Teresa', a circa 200 km e 3-4 ore d'auto o bus lungo la costa
- Da Tirana si segue la statale costiera che attraversa Vlorë e il passo di Llogara fino a Sarandë, proseguendo poi sulla SH81 in direzione sud fino a Ksamil; da Sarandë il collegamento con Ksamil è di pochi minuti.
- Nei mesi di luglio e agosto il traffico sulla costa può rallentare molto gli spostamenti: meglio viaggiare nelle prime ore del mattino o in tarda serata.
Perfect for
Spiagge dal fondale basso e sabbioso, acqua turchese e isolotti raggiungibili a nuoto.
Il parco di Butrinto, patrimonio UNESCO, a pochi minuti di auto dalle spiagge.
Pesce fresco e le cozze del Lago di Butrint, allevate nel canale di Vivari.
La vista su Corfù, a poca distanza di mare, e i collegamenti via traghetto con la Grecia.
Fondali bassi e acque calme adatte anche ai bambini piccoli.
To see
