Description

📑 3 days expedition to "Narta Valley-Coastal Riviera-Tongo Island-Ksamil"

👉🏻 The plan: Day 1

Departure from Tirana 06:00 near A. Rustemi Square, New Bazaar, Tirana, Albania.
Stop for a little rest and coffee on the national road and then continue our journey to beautiful Vlora, the first destination is the lagoon of Narte-Zvernec.
Zvërnec is a tourist area located northwest of Vlora, mainly known for the monastery of St. Mary.
The lagoon takes its name from the village of Narta, which is located on the southern shores of the lagoon. Inside the lagoon, there are two islands, with the island of Zvërnec being the largest. A wooden footbridge connects the territory to the island, where a 13th-century monastery is located. At least 34,800 wintering birds can be counted in the lagoon.
After exploring the Island, the Monastery, the Orthodox Church is the time for Sailing full of Adventures, we take the local boats and do a supercruise through the lagoon, then we depart towards Kanina.
Kanine Castle is located 6 km away from the city of Vlora, on a hill 380m above sea level. The perimeter wall is 1 km long and covers an area of 3.5 hectares. It is thought to have been erected there from the 4th century BC The castle was rebuilt by Justinian in the 6th century AD, who built or rebuilt 94 fortifications in Epirus. We make a coffee stop and head towards Llogara and the castle of Ali Pashe Tepelena in Porto Palermo.
The castle of Ali Pasha in Porto Palermo is located in a very beautiful position on a peninsula in the small tectonic bay of Porto Palermo (in antiquity known as the bay of Panorama). The castle is located not far from the village of Qeparose and has a triangular shape. Near it are some magical and pristine beaches.
A little relax, history, and then we continue our journey towards the village of Borsh.
The castle of Borsh or Sopot is mentioned in 1192 in the Memoirs of Anna Komnenos, daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Alexius I Komnenai. The hill of Sopot, on which the castle stands, is located north of the village of Borsh and west of Fterre. On the surface of the town, fragments of vessels with black varnish, of the IV century BC have been found.
Enjoy the magical landscape above Borsh as in the palm of your hand and continue to another destination. We will explore the beautiful Himara, the center, the monastery of Saint Theodore, the church of Saint Mary, and the Illyrian castle.
Vjetër The old town of Himara and the castle itself are important monuments that need protection so as not to suffer irreparable damage. In the castle, there are signs of the uninterrupted presence of the local Illyrian-Albanian inhabitants for more than 3500 years.
Time for walking or drinking coffee under the shade of the waves by the sea in Himara and then we leave in the direction of the next destination, Saranda.
. For the first time the name of Saranda is mentioned in the year (1412). Until the 4th century AD it was under the Roman Empire and this is confirmed by the ruins of the surrounding walls, parts of which are located in the city promenade. From the century. of the 4th to the 6th century, Saranda was under the Byzantine Empire. Saranda is a city in southwestern Albania, located on the Ionian coast.
We are waiting for the sunset in the magnificent Castle of Lekures, the opportunity to have dinner in the picturesque restaurant of the castle, dinner is with traditional Sarandi dishes, and then stay in the beautiful State House of Saranda.
Ber Arrive at Ksamil. We are accommodated in the Hotel by the sea in rooms 2/3/4 people as desired, free time for nightlife. (optional at Irish Pub).

👉🏻 Day 2

Waking up early for those who have the spirit of fitness, we will have a walk or a little run by the sea under the guidance of the Guide, around 7: 30-8: 30 we consume the traditional breakfast of the area.
Next adventure with an undiscovered destination, we will explore Tongo Island.
T Tongo Island is an island in the southwest of the Republic of Albania in the Ionian Sea near the city of Saranda, it is a small island and is located near Greece and is an uninhabitable and untouched island.
We will sail by Jetski for about an hour to the destination. Explore the island, time to get some sunshine (beach option for those challenging the temperatures). We return and the next stop is at Cape Merli, relax and have coffee for about 30 minutes, then return to Ksamil.
Lunchtime - we have lunch with Bio dishes in Ksamil, under the fantastic panorama of 4 islands. We are preparing for a super adventure again by boating on the Vivari canal to Butrint Castle which is located in the middle of Butrint Lake.
Butrit Castle was built by the Venetians in the 15th century, a central part of the conflicts with the Ottoman Empire. It was destroyed by a French army retreating in 1798. However, the castle fell into the hands of Ali Pasha (in the 16th century) who fortified it and made it one of the most strategic fortresses in Ioannina and the Balkans. It is thought that there are several exits and underground tunnels. Our exam continues with Butrin Park. (Entrance ticket is not included in the package)
The ancient city of Butrint is located on a low cape on the southwest coast of Albania. This center, according to archeology specialists, has been inhabited at least since the century. VII BC. Meanwhile, myths speak of the founding of Butrint by displaced Trojans. According to Albanian and English archaeologists, around the 4th century BC, the settlement was fortified and the city turned into a cult center dedicated to Asclepius. The medieval period is documented more vaguely. The city was first involved in power struggles between the Byzantines and then the Normans, Anjouan's, Venetians, and secondly, in the conflict between Venice and the Ottoman Turks.
Explore the strategic fortress of Ali Pasha and set off to the next destination such as the Blue Eye of Delvine.
Kal The Blue Eye is a spring of karstic origin from the Broad Mountain. It is a source of fresh and freshwater surrounded by dense vegetation and evergreen. It has a depth of more than fifty meters. It is also known as the 'Bistrica Spring' as it is the initial water source of the 25 km long Bistrica River, which ends in the Ionian Sea south of Saranda.
We leave the Blue Eye and the evening finds us in the beautiful Gjirokastra of Unesco. We are accommodated in a hotel with rooms 2/3/4 people as desired, free time to spend in the city, dinner with traditional Gjirokastra dishes.

👉🏻 Day 3

Waking up early for those who have the spirit of fitness and will have a walk or a little jog through the cobbled streets of the city, under the guidance of the Guide. Around 7: 30-8: 30 we consume the traditional breakfast of the area and are ready for the next visit, Agjirose Castle.
Gjirokastra Castle is one of the largest in the Balkans. Like a large stone ship, it spans an area of 335 meters. It is located on a hill overlooking the entire city as if to prove the history of the whole region over the centuries. The date of construction of this fortification is still unclear. Archaeological discoveries in the castle area, show that this place has been lived since the IV-V century. According to historians, the first walls of this fortification may have been built after the fall of Hadrianopolis. Ali Pasha rebuilt and expanded the castle which is to this day.
After getting acquainted with the history of the castle, another magical historical place awaits us. She is Labova e Kryqit in the village of Labove. We make a stop, a little break at Rrapi I Libohoves.
The Church of the Labova of the Cross is one of the oldest in Albania and once contained a sacred relic believed to be part of the true cross of Christ. The building is typically Byzantine with a high central dome with nave and aisles built in order to create the figure of the cross. There are at least 9 distinct levels of frescoes painted on the surface of the interior walls. The church, as seen today, is largely a 13th-century building and the time of the Despotate of Epirus, although its initial foundations may go deep into the time of Emperor Justinian in 527-565 BC.
Lunch will be consumed in one of the guesthouses of Labova with fantastic dishes of the area, our journey is coming to an end. We depart in the direction of Tirana with a short stop in the city of Tepelena. Walk in the city promenade and then return to Tirana.
This is the end of the trip and our Aveturara that will stay in your memory for a long time, return to Tirana around 20: 00-21: 00 in the evening.

Thank you for your trust, we will serve you with pleasure and professionalism.

"Guida Albania" is not just a guide but also an expedition.

👉🏻 3 days package with camping costs 75 euros / 8000 lek per person and includes:

(This price is only for groups with more than 10 members)