A Comprehensive Guide to the Corfu to Saranda Ferry
The new friends I had met on the Greek island of Corfu, Deano and Charlie, dropped me off at the port in the Old Town of Corfu from our hostel, The Pink Palace located in the village of Agios Gordios. The hostel is a 40m ride to the city, but this distance can be bridged much quicker by car then by the rickety Corfiot public transit! I was heavily hungover from the night before and my ferry options were limited due to the fact that it was the off-season. I needed to catch my boat to make it to Saranda, Albania and begin my Balkans adventure. Of course I showed up plenty of time ahead, knowing that since I was involved something was bound to go wrong.
Table of Contents
Geography
Corfu (Kerkyra in Greek), is the largest of the Ionian group of islands. It lies directly across from the Balkans peninsula, only separated by a small passage in the Adriatic sea. The southern portion of the island is near the Greek mainland and the northern portion just shy of the Albanian coast. On a clear day in Saranda you can see the island stretched out in the distance. Daily ferry connections ensure that the island is connected to both nations.
General Information
The ferry between Corfu and Saranda runs all year round. Saranda was once part of the Greek state of Epirus. Today it is one of the centers of the Greek minority in Albania and many locals have dual citizenship or family living just across the border. There are several ferry companies that offer passage across the sea. In the off season that frequency is reduced to as little as one departure a day (in the dead of winter). I arrived in Corfu around the first week of April so I did have a few more options, a full two departures spread across a morning ride or a late afternoon one. The journey across takes about two (2) hours to complete, a rather pedestrian crossing with very little excitement. The vessel was packed with very little room to sit. It was relatively uncomfortable and, since nobody spoke English, I took the opportunity to catch up on my diary writing. Most of the passengers spoke in Albanian, a language that I did not have the time to learn. Unfortunately for me, I also did not know much Greek beyond Malaka, a Greek insult. My little bit of Serbo-Croatian would not help me here, nor I would have expected it to. I just passed the time by observing the sun baked faces of the Mediterranean passengers, mostly well dressed older men with cigarettes and time to kill.
From Corfu
Corfu has a large population for an island city. It has long been coveted as a seaport and was the crown jewel of Venice and its defence against the expansionist Ottoman empire. It should be no surprise that the city of Corfu boasts a wide expanse of port. The asphalt lots stretch for miles on end and terminals connect with such destinations as Ancona, Bari, Venice and Brindisi in Italy, Igoumenitsa, Patras and Paxos in Greece and Saranda in Albania. There are several large cruise ships as well as smaller vessels. The port is outside the old town, on the other side of the new fortress. Although not directly in the old town it is still fairly accessible. Beware it is still a half hour walk from the old town and much more difficult to access if staying elsewhere on the island, so keep that in mind.
My ferry connection was a morning one, we loaded up in the car and I was dropped off at the port. I still had to buy my ferry ticket and the Ionian cruises ticket office was not open yet when I got there. I made my way to the small cafe across the street and waited for it to open. Once it did I purchased my ticket and realized that I had no clue where the terminal building was. My ferry would be leaving soon, so I asked the agent for the location of the terminal. He pointed out that it was all the way at the other end of the port, so I took off in a hurry. At the terminal, there were long lines to clear to get through customs, but once through the terminal there were seating and food options. Customs here are a lot more strict than coming into Albania. The vessel was quite small, compared to what I had expected and you could feel the choppy Adriatic waves throughout the journey.
From Saranda
The Ferry terminal is located right in the center of town, it is a much smaller facility than that in Corfu but I was pleasantly surprised. It was clean, modern and convenient. The border guard was friendly and bemused to see my Canadian passport. Since it was the off-season there were almost no westerners in the city, a fact reinforced in me when I was the only one to check into my hostel that afternoon. She asked me about my visit and what I planned to see, chuckling again, still amused at my visit. She also mentioned that things were much busier during peak season – I’m still convinced that they don’t see many Canadian passports. It was a slow day so I don’t blame her for being chatty, I was glad to see a friendly face!
Just outside the terminal you can find a rental car service, a tour company, many restaurants, hotels and even a beach.
Conclusion
The ferry is an affordable way to reach Albania and vice versa. Although departures are limited it is hassle free in comparison to flying. I highly recommend it.
