The road inland from Saranda towards Delvina passes two sites that almost nobody stops for, and both are worth more than the beach they are competing with.
The monastery of Mesopotam
The monastery of Saint Nicholas sits between two rivers — the name means exactly that — in flat farmland near the village of Mesopotam. The church dates to the thirteenth century and is architecturally odd in a way that has kept scholars arguing: it has two apses rather than the usual one, and nobody fully agrees why.
What catches most visitors is the carving. Set into the stonework are relief panels of animals and hybrid creatures — lions, griffins, figures that do not belong to any standard Orthodox programme. They look older than the church and may have been reused from an earlier building.
The complex is partly ruined, with the enclosure wall and some monastic buildings still standing. It is usually open to walk around; the church interior may be locked.
Phoenice
Twenty minutes further, above the village of Finiq, lie the remains of Phoenice — capital of the Chaonians, one of the three main tribes of ancient Epirus, and in its day among the wealthiest cities of the region. It was here that the Treaty of Phoenice ended the First Macedonian War in 205 BC.
The site occupies a long ridge with the Vurg plain below. There is a theatre, parts of the walls, house foundations and a late-antique basilica. Excavation has been ongoing with Italian teams for decades, and the interpretation is better than at many Albanian sites.
Getting there
Both lie on or just off the Saranda–Delvina road, fifteen to thirty minutes from Saranda by car. The turnings are signed but small. Any vehicle manages the access roads in dry conditions; the climb to Phoenice is short.
With a car you can see both in half a day. Without one, a taxi from Saranda for a few hours is the practical choice.
When to go
Spring and autumn. Phoenice's ridge is exposed and hot in midsummer, and the light is better for photography early or late. Mesopotam is flat and shadeless, so the same applies.
What to combine it with
The Blue Eye spring is on the same road inland. Butrint is twenty-five minutes the other way from Saranda. A day that takes in Phoenice in the morning, lunch in Delvina and Butrint in the afternoon is one of the strongest cultural days in Albania — and the first two stops will be empty.
Practical notes
- There is a small fee at Phoenice; Mesopotam is normally free.
- Sturdy shoes for the archaeological site — the ground is rough.
- Water and a hat; no shade at either location.
- Little signage at Mesopotam, so read ahead or bring a guide.
Saranda's visitors fill the Blue Eye and Butrint. Two of the most unusual historic sites in the south sit between them, and almost nobody gets out of the car.
Common questions
What is unusual about Mesopotam monastery?
The thirteenth-century church has two apses rather than the usual one, and nobody fully agrees why. Carved reliefs of animals and hybrid creatures are set into the stonework, probably reused from an earlier building.
Why does Phoenice matter?
It was the capital of the Chaonians and among the wealthiest cities of ancient Epirus. The Treaty of Phoenice ended the First Macedonian War here in 205 BC.
How long do the two take?
Half a day with a car. Both sit on or just off the Saranda–Delvina road, fifteen to thirty minutes from Saranda, and the turnings are signed but small.
