VITALYCA
EXPERIENTIAL TOURISM
SAILING IN ALBANIA
In recent years you have often heard people talk about ALBANIA, but from a new tourist perspective. This country is still partly unknown to the masses for the simple fact that Albania 'opened' its doors to tourism a few years ago; discreet investments by the state and local entrepreneurs have created accommodation in places where tourism, if not local tourism, had never arrived. Thanks to this and the minimal industrialization of the country, the waters of their sea are not contaminated in the slightest and offer lovers of the beautiful sea more than crystal clear waters and white sandy beaches.
VITALYCA will be in ALBANIA for the whole month of August, theoretically the worst month to visit it...if we were by car; Luckily we are on a boat and will be able to enjoy the festive atmosphere of the micro-capital of the Adriatic nightlife without being stuck in city traffic under the scorching sun. This 'comparison' is to help you better imagine the enormous difference we can encounter when visiting a small town from land or sea. How many times while looking at the sea from a crowded beach or a coastal road have you seen a sailboat cut across the horizon and asked yourself...Why aren't they on board? Maybe the time has come don't you think.
After the first cruise in the north of Albania, we will sail, on several occasions, the stretch of coast that bathes the south of the country from TONGO ISLAND to PORTO PALERMO passing through KSAMIL and SARANDA, on the way back we will visit the north of CORFU'
The convenient Corfu airport well connected to Italy will be our embarkation/disembarkation hub for cruises in Albania.
The week in ALBANIA offers visitors who explore it by sea the most beautiful bays of the lower Adriatic and a vibrant nightlife especially in August. It therefore goes without saying that this itinerary is ideal for those who want to have fun and make the most of the festive atmosphere of the 'vibrant' SARANDA, but one thing certainly does not exclude the other. Whether we go out to dance or have fun in the village more than one evening (going out is obviously optional), we will have plenty of time to sail, lounge on the beach and live our week of pure sea as we see fit.
Combining nightlife, life on board and different activities, we have created a very complete itinerary for you that allows us to get to know about 100 miles of coastline better, even with guided excursions on land; cities, fishing villages, hidden coves, sunny beaches, sea caves and magnificent islands....it's all perfect.
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As with the other VITALYCA destinations, for summer 2024, it offers an all-inclusive formula that includes much more than what is normally included in this formula, wherever it is offered. We invite you to immediately check our proposal in the dedicated section and let us know if you have ever seen an offer like this :)
locality of
embarkation and disembarkation
Saturday 3 August
Embarking in Durres - disembarkation in Corfu
Saturday 10 August
Embarkation and disembarkation in Corfu
Saturday 17 August
Embarkation and disembarkation in Corfu
Saturday 24 August
Embarkation and disembarkation in Corfu
the VITALYCA team can help you find the right flight
transfers
airport/marina/airport
For each arrival at the indicated airports vitalyca has organized the transfer to and from the arrival and departure airports.
The transfer is included in the All-Inclusive formula only if carried out on the same embarkation and disembarkation days which always take place on Saturdays. The transfers included are exclusively to and from the airport.
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If, for any reason, it is not possible to use a transfer service
we will use taxis from local companies
rates per person
participation fee in OUR all-inclusive formula
double cabin for cruising excluding air flights
it is from 1400 euros per person
check here
All Inclusive formula
In fact, once you have paid the participation fee, don't think about anything anymore. You'll just have to laugh, do activities, or take it easy reading all day.
Ironically, VITALYCA,
you could go on a vacation without a wallet.
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We know well that it is a formula that is rarely offered, but many years of experience on charters have taught us that it is a winning solution and that, to add another drop of comfort to your holidays, we also want to adopt on board VITALYCA.
you can check here features
of the formula all-inclusive
and, if you have already had some sailing holidays,
you'll notice the difference :)
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How to get to Tirana
NOTE The first cruise to Albania embarks on the Durres marina reachable from Tirana airport
Direct flights from the airports of:
Fiumicino FCO Vueling flight VY 6736
Venice VCE flight Easyjet U2 4043
Naples NAP flight Easujet U2 4255
Bergamo BGY Ryanait flight FR 5934
possible further available routes not visible at the time of writing this proposal Dec'23
How to get to Corfù
Direct flights from the Italian airports of:
Fiumicino FCO volo Wizzair W4 6078
Venezia VCE volo Easyjet U2 4036
Napoli NAP volo Easyjet U2 4155
Malpensa MXP volo Easyjet U2 3659
Brindisi BRI volo Volotea V7 1654
CHECK the information before purchasing travel tickets
Additional available routes not visible at the moment
of the drafting of this information Dec'23
The program of the first day of travel can vary considerably depending on the time of your arrival at Corfu airport.
Vitalyca is ready to welcome you on board starting from 5pm every Saturday (see the departure calendar above) at the Corfu marina where you will reach us with the organized transfer.
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Depending, therefore, on the time of your arrival at the marina, we will decide whether to leave the moorings immediately or wait until the next morning. We will decide together, also based on the weather, whether to visit the splendid city of Corfu before setting sail or upon our return. Consider, it's worth it, arriving a day early or leaving a day after disembarking to also visit the surroundings and the castle. However, in agreement with you, we will set sail as soon as possible to start this splendid sailing holiday. We will leave the Greek island to head east where the Albanian coasts finally await us. The first stop will be the islet of Vido where we can go down for a pleasant exploratory walk and admire the entire bay from the top of the ruins of the ancient fortifications still present on the island. It also houses the mausoleum of Serbian soldiers who fought during the Second World War. Next we head straight east to reach Tongo Island to give the real 'start' to our 'mission' that I remember, which is to fully enjoy the uncontaminated nature of these places and go on long sailing trips. The islet, virgin and uncontaminated, is the only one in a bay located right on the Greek-Albanian border.
You can admire its beauty in this video uploaded by Albania Discovery on Facebook
www.facebook.com/watch/?v=631647271133041
Crystal clear waters will welcome our first well-deserved swim in Albania and will give us a sheltered mooring to become familiar with the equipment and life on board.
Maybe we'll leave for Ksamil or maybe we'll sleep here in the harbor... we'll see; as mentioned above it depends on your arrival at the marina in Corfu.
For this itinerary published here on the site we assume you sleep in Tongo. :)
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Dinner and laughter in company then everyone goes to bed....
Cominciamo la nostra navigazione verso est non appena saremo pronti. Vi aspettiamo a bordo presso la marina di Corfu per imbarcarvi dalle ore 17 in poi.
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L'orario di partenza qui consideriamo possa avvenire prima del tramonto per poter rispettare il nostro piano di viaggio e raggiungere entro sera la vicina Tongo Island dove passeremo la notte.
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Qualora per diverse variabili quali, il vostro orario di arrivo, le condizioni meteo, altre eventualità, lasceremo la marina di Corfù all'alba della domenica e avremo tutto il tempo per goderci una visita alla città.
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TONGO Island è un piccolo isolotto, con un paio di baie dall'acqua cristallina posto giusto sul confine Greco Albanese.
Da quello che appare un set cinematografico, daremo il vero via alla nostra vacanza che deve profumare di sale tutto il tempo.
Day 2: TONGO ISLAND KSAMIL
We begin our navigation north towards the seaside town of Ksamil. The Laguna and Aramera beaches are two stops that will brighten our day before arriving in the city. Stops that we will dedicate to our favorite water activities. A nice lunch in a quiet bay, a short siesta and we leave for Ksamil where we will have several 'things' to do. In fact, Ksamil deserves a long stop and an in-depth visit. 4 km from the town where we will spend the night there is an incredible place. A vast lagoon, populated by an incredible variety of birdlife and which hosts one of the most interesting destinations on the coast. This is the Roman archaeological site of Butrint and it only takes an hour's scenic walk to reach it. Here we will be able to admire the ruins of the domus, an ancient theatre, a baptistery and the Roman baths, a basilica and a Venetian castle. The historical picture of this fascinating place shows its ruins still majestic despite the past centuries. A beautiful excursion, practically unmissable for anyone passing through these parts. The city of Ksamil reserves other 'goodies' such as the Twin Islands just across the bay, which are part of a small archipelago. The two islands are connected to each other via a narrow belt of sand and dense vegetation that makes it a tropical paradise. The islands are part of the Butrint National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site.
The scenery of the sun setting between the two islands would be worth a day trip from Italy. Good thing we sleep here.​
During communism in Albania, it was forbidden to visit the Ksamil Islands as the communist regime was isolating Albania from the rest of the world by effectively closing all foreign borders. Lying right in front of Corfu and its territorial waters, the Ksamil islands became an off-limits zone for Albanians and anyone.
In that period, however, the government used the islands for two purposes: to plant medicinal herbs and as sport hunting areas, in fact wild deer and goats were released for high-ranking government officials. After the communist regime, two were damaged by fires and illegal constructions that had been banned for many years now. Now, the Americans, Trump's son-in-law in particular, is interested in buying one of the islands (and another in Croatia) to build a mega-resort and who knows what else (?!)
Thank goodness the Albanian government, like the Croatian one, did not accept, on the contrary, it works to preserve this enchanted corner; to protect nature on the islands, they became an Albanian National Monument in 2002. It is a true tropical paradise with little to envy of the waters of the Caribbean.
I invite you to look at the images of the bay on Google Maps to understand the color of the water. seeing is believing I leave you the direct link www.bit.ly/4ciOgSz
Long day today, we have visited many places, we need a bit of fun and relaxation and we will decide together how to spend our first evening of your holiday.
Nightlife or Relax?
Day 3: KSAMIL SARANDA
Our third day of travel will slowly move us away from Ksamil, sailing in waters that are, to say the least, very clear and making the most of the beauty we will be surrounded by.
The scenario is one of a kind. The mountain ranges form a splendid backdrop to these coasts and every mile of navigation will seem to change place...
We leave from Ksamil, stopping once again in the small archipelago for a dip and a lunch, then we leave the bay sailing north and our next destination is the now well-known Saranda; pulsating town very lively and crowded in summer. In addition to the particularly festive climate that is experienced day and night in Saranda, we find some very interesting historical and naturalistic sites: on the promontory behind Saranda, reachable on foot in half an hour, we find the Lekursi castle which today houses a restaurant with a crazy view of the bay, nearby we find the Saranda lighthouse visible from far away and bunkers dating back to the wars of the last century. Half an hour away by taxi we find another wonder of nature such as the karst spring of the Blue Eye, a 30/40 minute walk in the woods behind Saranda, a crazy place where you have to go to objectively understand the colors and extraordinary beauty of these sources. The city offers many architectural ideas to discover its history through its places. Called Porto Edda by Mussolini for five years (in honor of Ciano's daughter), the city was the interest of many peoples in the past: Greeks, Arabs, Italians... all of whom left a bit of their culture. Also worthy of note and a visit is the Nonastery of the 40 Saints from which you can admire the bay from above for a couple of unprecedented shots ;-)
revelry tonight? I think it is obligatory to participate and I add that if you sleep moored in the bay of Saranda it is likely that at night you can hear the bass of the discos that are open until late. Nice yes, but bring earplugs :)
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See you tomorrow sailors
Day 4: PORTO PALERMO
We're on our fourth day.
After a good breakfast and probably a stop at the petrol station, we head further north in search of quieter beaches where we can spend an entire day enjoying the sea. On the fenders. It's a change of scenery today and we're also enjoying some nice sailing. Staying below the coast, about twenty miles await us to reach our next destination, Porto Palermo, where we are expected to spend the night. In the first part of our navigation we will encounter mainly rocky bays and some high cliffs where the sea, far from the cities, is even clearer. We will try to reach Kakomes beach where we will stop for lunch and a short excursion to the Shen Marise Monastery built at the end of 1500 about one km from the sea. Cultural Monument of the country, it is an incredible place with impressive architecture, unfortunately much of it is in a state of abandonment, but the interior of the Orthodox church still preserves original paintings from the 1600s. It is certainly worth a short visit. The next beach, Krorezes beach, reachable on foot from the monastery, is also wonderful and more than two km long. If we don't find it too crowded we will take the opportunity to take a walk on the beach and then continue towards our destination. On our coastal trip we will encounter we will be further from places reachable by car and we will be like 'masters' of tiny beaches (Marutzi, Klimek, Cobanit) and a couple of small sea caves. Now, as we approach Queparo the landscape changes and after some more civilized beaches with restaurants, beach bars and accommodation facilities. We can decide whether to disembark for an aperitif or head straight towards the quiet bay of Porto Palermo where we will spend the night well moored with a view of the castle of the same name.
How will we spend the evening? There will certainly be no shortage of ideas.
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See you tomorrow guys!
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Day5: PORTO PALERMO CORFU'
Today, having left the bay of Porto Palermo, we have three options that we will develop based on some variables including the weather. Given the season, these should not present any problems while the other variable is the crew's desire to do a few more miles. We will decide it together during navigation.
Option 1) 20 miles to Othonoi Island which offers so much to visitors. Fortifications, truly pristine bays, trekking with a difference in altitude and a small marina with restaurants and bars.
Option 2) 15 miles stop at Erikousa Island which offers a little less but is still equipped with a sheltered marina, three beautiful bays, a bakery and a bar with sea view
Option 3) reduce the miles as much as possible and reach the north-east coast of Corfu in the same day
In all three options our day will not count much except for the miles sailed and places visited; we will take advantage of some, hopefully exciting, deep sea fishing during navigation, we will enjoy swimming in beautiful bays and beaches, we will explore the coast with the tender and we will eat fresh fish, I assure you well cooked.
The night, far from the mainland coasts, will be calm, silent and the little light pollution will give us an unprecedented starry sky. Prepare yourself.
in the photos a collage of the archipelago of the Diapontie islands. Will we be able to see them all? Between today and tomorrow we tryoar.
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Busy day guys, I foresee it in months of silence. The skin asks for the coolness of the night. GLet's play something, have a laugh then go to bed, what do you think?
Days 6: DIAPONTIE NORTH CORFU
It's the dawn of the sixth day and today's program depends exclusively on where we will have stopped for the night one thing is certain, in case we have opted for 1 or 2 it is where we will sleep this night to get closer to north-east Corfu where we will be more comfortable to reach the city and transport to the airport in a maximum of a couple of hours.
These last two days, as previously anticipated, will be conditioned by the weather and by your desire to do or not do a few more miles... nevertheless, another fact that greatly influences the itinerary of these last 36 (approximately) hours together, is given from your return flight and therefore what time you need to be in Corfu town
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Visiting the north of Corfu means navigating an enchanting coastline, dotted with small villages, many resorts and magnificent beaches. Starting from Cape Drastis, a splendid promontory surrounded by stacks and secluded beaches which can only be accessed by sea, to reach the north-west end of the island in a day
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We will arrive by sunset in Kassiopi bay where we will probably spend the night, perhaps taking a nice walk in the village. A drink, a souvenir and let's see how to continue the evening.
Giorni 7: CORFU'
Here we are, it's the seventh day and it's time to say goodbye.
Today's program is very clear. Wake up at dawn and immediately leave for Corfù city.
Less than ten miles and we will be at the Marina where we will disembark you before ten. Depending on your flight plan, if you don't leave early in the morning, you will have the opportunity to visit the city.
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Note. If your return flight is early in the morning we may have to evaluate whether to include or exclude the visit to the Diapontie archipelago. If this were the case, our entire journey starting from Porto Palermo would be 'advanced' by one day. Never mind it will be beautiful just the same.
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Corfu Town is a center of tourist attraction worthy of interest and a more in-depth visit. Consider a night before or after your holiday to visit it more extensively.
The squares, the narrow streets, the commerce, the fortified castle on the promontory overlooking the bay and the distant strait, the nightlife...great atmosphere.
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Happy homecoming friends
We'll see each other again I'm sure.
Have a good trip
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Days 6 and 7:
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Unfortunately, there are only two days left and it's already almost time to say goodbye, During the last days of our journey, we will visit the Isthmus of Santo Stefano, where we will conclude the navigation with Vitalyca.
From the town, we will enjoy a private transfer as we head towards Virpazar, where we will board a charming private boat to visit the Scutari Park.
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Scutari Park is one of Montenegro's natural wonders, with its vast lake and rich biodiversity. We will explore the park by boat, admiring the beauty of its waters covered with lush aquatic vegetation and the biodiversity of the avifauna that populate this enchantment. We will be able to spot different species of birds, including pelicans, flamingos, and hawks. A great opportunity for lovers of wildlife and nature photography.
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After visiting the park, we will head to Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro, where we will catch the return flight. Along the way, we will be able to reflect on the wonderful adventures and discoveries we experienced during our sailing trip to Montenegro and share the highlights of the holiday.
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It will be an unforgettable experience, full of breathtaking landscapes, fascinating culture, and moments of total relaxation. We will carry with us the memories of this adventure, enjoying the unique atmosphere of Montenegro and dreaming of returning one day to relive the great emotions that this country, unlike others, can give.
some tips
equipment that is not essential but can be useful
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rock shoes
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lightweight long-sleeved wetsuit for extended snorkeling, protection of the arms from the sun and from the possible presence of jellyfish
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sunglasses, preferably polarized
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cap with visor even if you are not bald :-)
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sun creams and soaps of various kinds, remember to prefer the purchase of eco-sustainable, organic products etc. to help preserve the environment
Although September is statistically an exceptional month for visiting the lower Adriatic, the travel program that we have built in detail, like any sailing trip, is sensitive to variations based on weather conditions which
obviously, we cannot predict except in a short time. advance.
In this case, the crew, after a careful analysis of current and future weather conditions, in agreement with the guests,
will do everything possible to limit the changes by proposing alternative stages and activities if necessary.
