Mediterranean · Albania
Sarandë & Ksamil
Six ex-navy ships scuttled off Ksamil and a 1943 wreck in Saranda Bay
Sarandë is a dive base on the Albanian Riviera, opposite the Greek island of Corfu. Boats go out daily to the Probitas, a 100 m ship sunk in a 1943 air raid close to shore in Saranda Bay, and to the reef in Hunda e Kuqe bay. Off Ksamil, six ex-navy ships were scuttled in 2002 as an underwater park and still carry machine guns, engines and cannons. Rock reefs at Hunda e Mërtesë and Monastery Bay and the caves near Mirror Beach fill out the rest of the diving.
About diving in Sarandë & Ksamil
The diving is guided and by boat from Sarandë. The Probitas wreck and the Hunda e Kuqe reef are on the schedule every day, and the Probitas, the deepest of the daily dives, usually goes first in the morning. Sites are matched to the divers' certification and recent experience, the group and the sea on the day. Every trip depends on weather and sea state, and dives can be cancelled or postponed at the last moment on safety advisories or directives from the port authorities.
Two kinds of dive make up the menu. The wrecks carry the history: the Probitas was an Italian cargo ship and lies on its side, part of it visible from the surface, and the six Ksamil hulls were sunk to let divers explore the history of communism. The rest is rocky coast: rock formations at Hunda e Mërtesë and Monastery Bay, and swim-throughs and shallow grottos near Mirror Beach. Posidonia meadows surround the islands off Ksamil, a nursery for juvenile fish, seahorses and cuttlefish.
Sarandë suits certified divers who want wrecks near shore and shallow rocky reef. Hunda e Mërtesë stays above 12 m in clear water and makes a relaxed dive for mixed experience levels, and the Mirror Beach grottos suit Open Water divers and photographers when the light is right. The Ksamil hulls are the deep end of the menu. Divers set on the Italian submarine wreck near Sazan or the Karaburun cave dives need the boats out of Vlora.
Best time to dive Sarandë & Ksamil
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Good | Good | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
The sea is coldest from January to March, at about 15 °C, and diving carries on through the winter for divers with the right wetsuit. The best stretch runs from April to October. May and October are shoulder months, with cooler water and some operators not yet open or already closed, though the lighter boat traffic can leave the visibility exceptional. June and September give the best balance of conditions and quiet sites. July and August bring the warmest water, 25 to 26 °C, and the holiday crowds. By November the sea has dropped back to about 19 °C.
Dive types & marine life
Moray eels and lionfish hold the rock at Hunda e Mërtesë, and Monastery Bay is known for its many octopuses. Loggerhead turtles turn up in the channels between the Ksamil islands only occasionally: not guaranteed, but often enough that local operators mention them.
- Wreck
- Reef
- Cave & cavern
- Sea turtles
- Octopus & cuttlefish
Best dive sites in Sarandë & Ksamil
- 1
SS Probitas
Wartime wreck in Saranda Bay, marked by a buoy; dives run from 3 to 18 m.
- 2
Six Shipwrecks - Ksamil
Six former navy ships at 16 to 30 m, a few metres off the Ksamil shore.
- 3
Hunda e Kuqe
Bay reef 6 km from Sarandë, named for its red terrain; dives stay above 12 m.
- 4
Hunda e Mërtesë
Rock reef near Gjiri i Hartës where visibility usually reaches 15 m or more.
- 5
Mirror Beach caves
Cave formations and rock arches at 8 to 15 m on the coast south of Sarandë.
- 6
Monastery Bay
Bay below Saint George's Monastery on the Hill of Dema, with a small cave.
- 7
Antonio Shipwreck
Car ferry lost in 2000 that broke in two; one half lies at about 15 m.
Site guides
Wreck
Two cars that fell off a broken ferry, resting on the seabed
Reef
A bay named for the red rock that rings it, dived every day from Sarandë
Reef
Moray eels and lionfish in the rock formations near Gjiri i Hartës
Loggerhead turtles in the channels between the four islands
Cave & cavern
Rock arches that frame the open blue on the way through
Ex-navy ships still carrying their machine guns and cannons
A Second World War cargo ship so shallow that part of it shows above the water
How to get to Sarandë & Ksamil
Corfu has an international airport with many direct connections, and the ferry from Corfu to Sarandë takes about 30 minutes; the hydrofoil crossing runs 25 to 45 minutes. The dive boats leave from Sarandë, which is also the base for the Ksamil sites.
Questions divers ask
Is certification needed for the boat dives at Sarandë?+
Every guided tour needs a card, but visitors without one can try a first dive with an instructor beside them the whole time. Divers who have not dived for a long time are steered to a refresher before an open-water tour.
Are the Ksamil wrecks dived every day?+
No. The six Ksamil wrecks run on request rather than on the daily schedule, so they are worth asking for when booking.
Why do the dive boats leave early in the morning?+
From June to September the afternoon wind picks up along this coast most days and chops up the surface, so most dives leave at 8 to 9 in the morning.
Sources
- Diving in Albania: Daily Scuba & Boat Tours | Saranda Diving — Saranda Diving
- Diving In Saranda: Discover Albania's Underwater Secrets — Visit Saranda
- Albania Diving: Best Sites from Karaburun to Ksamil — himara.net
- Sarandë Average Sea Temperatures — seatemperature.org
- Sarandë – Wikivoyage — Wikivoyage
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