Saranda Cruises, Albania

Settled on the edge of the Albanian Riviera, Saranda’s sandwiched between the Ionian Sea and a hilly landscape carpeted in olive groves. The town sits in a horseshoe-shaped bay, edged with marshmallow-white beaches. History’s a big hook here – there are the ruins of a 5^th-century synagogue in the centre and a 16^th-century castle overlooking the town.

• Stroll the promenade that lines the beach. This walkway’s edged with palm trees that shelter ice-cream carts and pop-up bars. There are lots of seafood restaurants here, too.
• Lekuresi Castle looms over the town. It was once a citadel and today lies in semi-ruin. It’s worth making the steep walk up to it for panoramic views of Corfu and the Greek border.
• Get a taste of rural Albania in Butrint National Park. Its hilly terrain is a patchwork of freshwater lakes, wetlands, salt marshes, open plains and reed beds.