From Vlorë you see it every day: a long, bare mountain ridge closing off the bay to the west. Karaburun is the wild side of Vlora — no roads along its coast, no hotels, no villages on its cliffs — and for many travellers a boat trip around it is the highlight of their time in Albania.
A marine park
Together with Sazan Island, the waters around the peninsula form the Karaburun–Sazan National Marine Park, created in 2010 as Albania’s first and only marine park and covering about 12,400 hectares. Below the surface are meadows of Posidonia sea grass, red coral and the wrecks of Greek, Roman and Second World War ships; above it, sea caves, secluded bays and inscriptions carved into the rock by ancient sailors waiting out storms.
What you will see
- Grama Bay — the sheltered cove with ancient sailor inscriptions
- Haxhi Ali Cave — the great sea cave near Cape Gjuhëz
- Dafina Bay — clear water and a half-submerged grotto
- Marmiro Church — a medieval Byzantine chapel near Orikum
- Sazan Island — just across the channel
Getting there
Most visitors explore Karaburun by boat. Speedboat tours, private boats and slower group trips leave from Vlorë, Orikum and Radhimë, with swimming stops along the way. The sea on the open side can get rough when the wind picks up, so morning trips in calm weather are the most comfortable. There are no shops or fresh water on the peninsula — bring everything you need and leave nothing behind.
Shqip
Gadishulli i Karaburunit mbyll Gjirin e Vlorës nga perëndimi dhe së bashku me Ishullin e Sazanit formon Parkun Kombëtar Detar Karaburun–Sazan, të krijuar në vitin 2010. Bregu i tij nuk ka rrugë — eksplorohet me varkë nga Vlora, Orikumi ose Radhima, me ndalesa për not në gjijtë dhe shpellat e tij.
