Butrint, just 16 kilometres south of Sarandë, is reached via the road built in 1959 for Krushchev’s visit. It is a pretty drive with views across the Gulf of Sarandë to the Greek island of Corfu. At one point the road runs by the shore of Lake Butrint on the left; it then follows a narrow isthmus, skirting the slopes of Mount Sotira, to reach the Butrint archaeological site which lies by the Vivari Channel. Watch out for the old Venetian tower on your left just before you reach Butrint. Buses run at least hourly between Sarandë and Butrint.
The main village along the way is Ksamil which lies in a gorgeous location just north of Mount Sotira. The village was founded as an agricultural collective in 1966, specialising in olives, lemons and tangerines.
