The origins of the Sarada Port dates back to the 20s. Initially, this port served only for the transportation of passengers and a few food products and handcrafted goods, which were mainly exchanged with neighboring countries such as Greece and Italy.
Over the years, with the country's socio-economic development, the Sarada Port also began to be constructed and strengthened. More powerful piers with greater depth were built, allowing the arrival of larger ships, ranging from 500 to 1,000 tons.
In the 60s, the construction of reinforced concrete piers began, providing greater load-bearing capacity and the possibility to install loading and unloading mechanisms, as well as ensuring greater depth to accommodate ships of 2,000 to 3,000 tons.
In the 80s, an electric crane with a capacity of 5 tons, obtained from the Port of Durrës, was installed at this port. This enabled an increase in work volume, improved working conditions, enhanced efficiency, and consequently shortened loading and unloading times.
During the years of democracy, the port found its niche, becoming a significant base for the southern region of the country. While the main activity initially involved processing goods, later on, the processing of passengers and tourists, which has been continuously increasing, also gained momentum.
Porti Detar SH.A Sarandë is a joint-stock company owned by the Ministry of Finance and Economy, founded on October 20, 2000, and registered by court decision no. 24689 on November 15, 2000. Since July 2020, the Limion Port, which was an asset of the Port of Sarandë, has been granted a concession, and the processing of commercial ships is no longer done by us.
Today, the Port of Sarandë provides very attentive service to all domestic and foreign tourists visiting this area. The port is considered a genuine tourist port as about 90% of the processed passengers are tourists.
Position
The Port of Sarandë is located at coordinates 39° 52’ 15’’ North and 20° 00’ 11’’ East. This port has now transformed into a tourist port because, out of the total processed passengers, about 90% are tourists.
Port Piers
The port consists of two main piers:
- Pier No.1: It has a length of 50 meters and the depth of the basin at the beginning of the pier is 3.5 m - 4 m. This pier processes passenger and vehicle ferries on the regular Sarandë-Corfu-Sarandë line. Up to four ferries with average capacity can also be docked vertically.
- Pier No.2: This pier is for cruise ships, with a length of 180 meters and a depth of 9 meters. It processes tourist ferries ranging from 100 meters to 210 meters in length. During the tourist season, "dolphin" type ferries are also processed at this pier as it meets the depth parameters for these types of ferries.
- Pier No.3: Known as the "aquarium" of the port, it is primarily preferred by luxury vessels (yachts, sailboats) for long stays, as it offers protection from currents and waves.
Anchorage
Large ships can anchor in the middle of the bay at depths of 20-30 meters, where the seabed is muddy, though occasionally rocky. Small ships are better protected in the northern part of the bay, near the shore. Navigation into the bay of Sarandë at night is guided by two main lighthouses:
- Lëkursi Lighthouse: Located at 20° 01’ 33.7’’ E and 39° 51’ 51’’ N, south of Mount Lëkursi at an altitude of 209 meters. The visible distance of the lighthouse is 20 miles.
- Berdenesh Lighthouse: Located at 20° 01’ 5’’ E and 39° 50.7’ N, northeast of Cape Denta. The lighthouse sits atop a 1.5-meter-high concrete base, with a 3-meter-high metal tripod.
Hydrometeorological Regime
The dominant winds in the bay of Sarandë come from the northeast, southwest, and north. Northeastern winds prevail in all seasons, blowing at an average speed of 4 m/s in winter. These winds do not cause waves in the bay of Sarandë. The second most common winds are from the southwest, impacting mostly in summer, with an average speed of 5 m/s. These winds cause significant waves in the bay, making it difficult for ships to stay anchored or docked. Waves in the bay of Sarandë are not very large, reaching a force of 3-4, as the bay is protected by the island of Corfu. The sea current speed reaches 0.5 knots towards the north.
Depths
At the entrance to the bay of Sarandë, depths range from 20-50 meters. The 5-meter depth contour is 20-30 meters from the shore. The 10-meter depth contour is 100-120 meters from the shore. The seabed is muddy, with a thickness of 3 meters, and beneath it is rocky. This bay is free from underwater hazards, except for the shoal at Cape Paladha, 0.5 miles from the shore. This shoal, named the Sarandë shoal, extends 4 cables with a S-SE direction from the cape. Its shallowest depth is 1.5 meters at the S-SE end and 2.4 meters at the W-SW end. The shoal seabed is rocky. Between the shoal and the shore of Cape Paladha, there is a passage with a depth of up to 3 meters, but it is not a straight line, making it very difficult to navigate and not recommended. Additionally, for orienting ferries at anchor, the Bova e Plazhit buoy is used, with coordinates 39° 52’ 12.6’’ N and 20° 00’ 39.06’’ E. This is an isolated danger buoy, black with red, with a white light, at a depth of 22.4 meters, signaling a sunken ship.
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