Porto Palermo Castle is a castle with an intriguing history near Himara in wonderful southern coast of Albania of the Ionian Sea. The Porto Palermo fort is situated in the closed bay of the Porto Palermo, surrounded with nicely arranged beaches, few kilometers south of Himarë, that actually makes an island connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land. The Porto Palermo fortress served as theformer Soviet submarine base during the communist regime in Albania, and nowadays its semi abandoned tunnel and barrack attract attention of visitors, as well as the stronghold walls and gates built by the powerful Ali Pasha of Ionina.

The ancient city of Apollonia is situated in southwestern Albania, about 13 miles from the city of Fier. The fascinating landscape of the archeological park, which has been preserved in an exceptionally intact condition, comprises a successful combination between the beauty of monuments and nature, attractive through its long history, in an atmosphere of relaxation and meditation.

The first Albanian site to be included on UNESCO’s World Heritage was Butrint, in the south of the country, in 1992. It has been inhabited since prehistoric times and was a part of the Greek and Roman colonies. Later, it experienced a period of prosperity under Byzantine administration, which was followed by a short period of Venetian rule and the eventual abandonment of the city in late medieval times. The present state of the archaeological site shows traces of all the time periods the city has gone through. The most ancient objects found at the archeological site in Butrint are a stone hammer and a shaft belonging to the second half of the second millennium B.C.

The Blue Eye (“Syri i kaltër”) is a water spring and natural phenomenon occurring near Muzinë in Vlorë County, Albania. A popular tourist attraction, the clear blue water of the river bubbles forth from a stunning, more than fifty-metre-deep pool. Divers have descended to fifty metres, but it is still unclear what the actual depth of the karst hole is. This is the initial water source of Bistricë river , 25 km long, which ends in the Ionian Sea south of Sarandë.

Saranda is a small coastal town located on the shores of the Ionian sea and sits opposite to the Greek island of Corfu. Due to its location and climate, in recent years it has become a popular destination for tourism for both Albanian nationals and foreigners alike. Though agriculture and fishing are the primary economic means, its proximity to Greece and burgeoning port has solidified Saranda as a gateway city to Albania.

Vlora is an old city founded in the sixth century B.C., originally known by the name Aulona. Vlora is situated in a beautiful location, in the front of the Karaburun peninsula and Sazan. Island and surrounded by beaches and rocky sand. The city carries historical importance to Albania as it hosted the First National Assembly, which declared the country’s independence from Ottoman rule on November 28th, 1912. The Museum of Independence is dedicated to this historic event. Other museums include the ethnographic and historic ones.