Saranda boat tours come in exactly three flavors, and picking the wrong one is the most common complaint we hear from readers: the big slow cruise when they wanted empty coves, the bouncy speedboat when they had a toddler, the group tour when €60 more would have bought the whole boat. The good news: Saranda's tour scene is bigger and cheaper than Himara's, with 2026 group prices starting under €20. Here's the full menu, what each route actually visits, and the honest matchmaking.
The three types of Saranda boat tour
| Type | 2026 price | Duration | Typical stops | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big-boat cruise | €18–25/person | 6–7 hrs (10:00–17:00) | Krorez + Kakome, 2–3h on each beach | Families, budget, sun-lounging |
| Speedboat group tour | €36–47/person | 4–6 hrs | Turtle Cave, Gremina, Kakome, Krorez, 5–6 stops | Cove-hoppers, snorkelers |
| Private charter | from €330/boat | You decide | Anywhere from Mirror Beach to the Blue Eye area coast | Groups of 4–8, flexible schedule |
All three leave from the harbor area near the Saranda ferry terminal. Look for the ticket kiosks along the promenade from about 08:30. Compare current availability and book ahead on GetYourGuide's Saranda page, especially for July–August weekends, which genuinely sell out.
Route 1: the classic Kakome & Krorez cruise (€18–25)
This is the volume product, a big double-decker that motors north and parks at the two beaches you can't reach by road. You get roughly 2–3 hours each at Krorez and Kakome, the two long, white-pebble bays that look implausibly Caribbean in photos and, before the boats arrive at 11:00, in person too.
What the booking pages don't say:
- The first 45 minutes on each beach are the magic window before the second cruise boat arrives. Swim immediately; sunbathe later.
- Most boats sell drinks and basic food aboard at fair prices (coffee 150 lek, beer 300–400 lek); the beach bars at Kakome charge more.
- The top deck has no shade. The bottom deck always has space at 09:50.
- Music volume varies wildly by boat. If that matters, scan recent Tripadvisor reviews of the Saranda cruises for the named boat before buying.
We rate this the best per-euro day out of Saranda for anyone who wants beach time more than exploration.
Route 2: the speedboat cove-hopper (€36–47)
The speedboat tours trade lounging time for coverage: 5–6 stops in a day, typically Turtle Cave, the Gremina cove, a Mirror Beach swim, then shorter stops at Kakome and Krorez, with snorkel gear included in most 2026 listings. Departures around 10:00, back by 16:00–17:00.
Choose this over the cruise if:
- You'd rather see six places for 40 minutes than two places for three hours
- You snorkel, and Gremina and the Turtle Cave approach have the clearest water on this stretch
- You're already beached-out from Ksamil and want the coastline itself
Skip it if anyone in your group has back problems (the ride home over afternoon chop is bouncy) or you're traveling with small kids, since the cruise is the family pick.
What the names on the kiosk boards mean
The promenade boards list stops in Albanian, English, or both, and no two operators spell them the same way. Running the coast north-west to south-east:
| On the board | What it is | Pin |
|---|---|---|
| Pllakoto | The far north-western stop, past Krorëza | No listing found |
| Krorëza / Kroreza / Krorez | The long stop, two to three hours on white pebble | 39.9351, 19.9368 |
| Kakome | The sheltered bay with the pier | 39.9262, 19.9388 |
| Gremina / Gremina e Qefalit | The cove cut into the Cape of Qefali, white pebble under folded zig-zag cliffs. A 15–20 minute swim stop | 39.9119, 19.9089 |
| Plazhi i Ushtarit / Gjiri i Ushtarit / Soldier's Bay | A boat-only cove below a wooded slope. Short swim stop, 4.9 on Google | 39.9011, 19.9187 |
| Gjiri i Rrojdhes / Rojdhes Bay / Roidhe Bay | A short swim stop between Soldier's Bay and Turtle's Cave. Same place under three spellings | No listing found |
| Anchor Bay / Anchor Cave | The inlet just north of Turtle's Cave, mapped as Gjiri i Spirancës | 39.8898, 19.9569 |
| Turtle's Cave / Shpella e Breshkës | A sea cave, five-minute photo stop, boats stay outside. Google lists this pin as The Cave of Milot | 39.8875, 19.9568 |
| Eon's Cave | Sold on the Ksamil side, south of Saranda | No listing found |
| Pasqyrat Beach / Mirror Beach | The road-accessible beach on the Saranda–Ksamil coast | 39.8042, 20.0050 |
| Ksamil Islands | The islets off Ksamil | 39.7754, 19.9962 |
Three of those — Pllakoto, Gjiri i Rrojdhes and Eon's Cave — have no entry in Google Maps or OpenStreetMap under any spelling we tried, so you cannot look them up before you board. Ask the kiosk to point at them on their own map, and check how many minutes you actually get at each.
Route 3: private charter (from €330)
From €330 for a small private boat, less than the cost of ten cruise tickets, you set the route. The move locals recommend: leave at 09:00, do Krorez and Kakome before any group boat arrives, lunch on board, then Mirror Beach mid-afternoon when day-trippers thin out. Some skippers will run south toward the Manastiri cove and the Lëkurësi viewline instead; agree on the route before you pay.
Charters also solve the Saranda–Himara gap: a one-way coastal cruise with swim stops beats the bus for a memorable transfer day, though you'll pay for the boat's return leg.
Practical details (2026)
- Season: Daily departures June through September; reduced schedule in May and October, weather-dependent.
- Booking: Kiosks on the promenade for same-day (cash, often slightly cheaper); GetYourGuide for guaranteed seats with free cancellation, worth it in peak weeks.
- What to bring: Water shoes (both Krorez and Kakome are pebble entries), dry bag, reef-safe sunscreen, cash for beach bars. Same kit as our beach-day packing list.
- Sea sickness: The morning leg north is almost always flat; the 16:00 return is the bumpy bit. Sit low and central on speedboats.
- With kids: Cruise yes, speedboat under age ~6 no. Both Kakome and Krorez shelve gently, better swimming for children than most Saranda town beaches.
Staying near the harbor makes 09:30 departures painless, and the promenade-adjacent blocks put every kiosk within a five-minute walk:
Saranda vs Himara boat tours: which coast wins?
We get asked this constantly, and the answer depends on what you want floating past your gunwale. Saranda tours are cheaper and beachier, with long stops on big swimmable bays. Himara tours are more dramatic, with sea caves, cliff walls, Filikuri-type coves, and the Grama Bay epic. If your trip covers both towns, do the cruise from Saranda and the cave route from Himara; they overlap almost nothing. Full price comparison across every operator town is in our Riviera boat tour price guide.
FAQ
How much do Saranda boat tours cost in 2026?
Group cruises to Krorez and Kakome run €18–25 per person for a full day. Speedboat tours with 5–6 stops and snorkel gear cost €36–47 per person. Private charters start around €330 per boat, which beats group pricing for parties of six or more.
What time do Saranda boat tours depart?
Most depart 09:30–10:00 from the harbor promenade and return 16:00–17:00. Arrive 20 minutes early in July and August, because boarding queues are real. Same-day tickets are usually available at the kiosks midweek, but weekend departures sell out a day or two ahead.
Can you reach Krorez and Kakome without a boat tour?
Krorez has an unpaved, unmarked footpath in from the Lukova side, mapped in OpenStreetMap at roughly 4–5 km and Kakome a long dirt track, but neither has facilities-to-match, and taxis won't do the track. For 95% of visitors the boat is the practical answer; details in our Krorez and Kakome guides.
Are Saranda boat tours suitable for children?
The big-boat cruises are: shaded lower decks, toilets aboard, and long gentle-water beach stops. Speedboat tours bounce hard on the afternoon return and most operators discourage children under about six. Bring water shoes for the pebble entries either way.
Is the sea rough on Saranda boat tours?
Mornings are typically calm; a breeze builds after 14:00, so the return leg can be choppy, especially on speedboats. Tours cancel and refund when forecasts pass roughly 15 knots. June and September average the calmest seas, and the emptiest beaches at the stops.
The bottom line
Saranda boat tours are the cheapest organized day on the water anywhere on the Riviera: €20 for seven hours and the two best roadless beaches in the south. Book the cruise for beach time, the speedboat for cove-count, the charter if there are six of you. Whichever you pick, reserve ahead once July arrives.
