Guide · The marine park

Haxhi Ali Cave and Karaburun, with Sazan island offshore

Across the bay from Vlorë, a bare limestone peninsula and a former military island form Albania's national marine park. Here is what the park protects, what you may do there and which boats show you both.

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Editorial team, bluecavealbania.comUpdated October 25, 2026Read time: 6 min43 sources

Vlorë: Sazan Island, Haxhi Ali Cave, and Karaburun Boat Tour The tour behind this guide Vlorë: Sazan Island, Haxhi Ali Cave, and Karaburun Boat Tour 4.8 (3,187 reviews) 5 hours from$33per person Check availabilityFree cancellation up to 24 hrs before

In a nutshell

01The park
Karaburun and Sazan with their waters, a marine park since 2010.1
02Its size
12,570.82 ha in the founding decision; the park itself gives 12,437.7 ha.23
03Sazan
Albania's largest island, once a closed military zone, now open to visitors.45
04The coast
The western shore is cut by caves and deep canyons, with few beaches.6
05By boat
The 5-hour boats land on Sazan, call at the cave and stop on a beach.

A peninsula and an island at the mouth of the bay

Look west from the Vlorë promenade and a ridge and an island close off the horizon. The long ridge on the left is the Karaburun peninsula; the low island to its right is Sazan. The city's own description says the pair give Vlorë the keys of the Strait of Otranto, the narrow sea between Albania and Italy.7 Since a government decision of 28 April 2010, both, with the sea around them, form a protected natural park.1

The founding decision gives the park 12,570.82 hectares, of which 9,848.95 lie at Karaburun and 2,721.87 at Sazan.2 The park administration's own page gives a total of 12,437.7 hectares, and the tourism agency rounds it to about 12,570.38 Either way it is a big stretch of water, and the park administration calls it the only national marine park in Albania.3

On land the peninsula is also a nature reserve, while the land part of Sazan is described as a military zone.9 Under the Barcelona Convention the whole park is listed as a Specially Protected Area of Mediterranean Importance.10 For a visitor, the western side is a coast with no roads or hotels, reached only by boat. Everything you see from the deck on the western side is cliff, cave mouth or cove, and that is the point of the trip.

Haxhi Ali Cave and Karaburun's western shore

The park administration describes the western coast of the peninsula as cut by caves and deep canyons, with high vertical cliffs, and only rarely a pocket beach of gravel or sand.6 Many of the caves are underwater, and fresh water often seeps out of the rock into the sea.6 It names Cape Pëllumbave and Gryka e Ferrit as the most important canyons.11

Haxhi Ali Cave is the best known of those caves: the tourism agency calls it one of the most popular attractions of the area.12 It lies near Cape Gjuhëz at the northern tip, protected as a Natural Monument.1314 Our page on the cave covers its size, its legend and the swimming question in detail. From the boat you will see it long before you reach it: a dark notch at the foot of a pale cliff, with other speedboats waiting off its mouth.

South of the tip the boats follow the cliffs to a chain of bays. The park lists Dafina bay, Anglezi bay, Haxhi Aliu cave and Ariu bay among the bays of the peninsula that boat trips visit.15 Brisan Bay, also called Bear Bay, is one of its loneliest beaches.16 Dafina Cave sits near Dafina Bay, reached by small boats, with a little beach of sand and pebbles.17

Where the protection lies

The park's area, Karaburun and Sazan

ha
Karaburun: 9,848.95 9,848.95 KaraburunSazan: 2,721.87 2,721.87 SazanCore zone: 2,329.59 2,329.59 Core zoneRecreation zone: 779.31 779.31 Recreation zone
Karaburun and Sazan from the founding decision of 2010; the zones from the park's own zoning page.121819

Park zones

How the marine park is zoned

ZoneHectaresSwimmingBoats
Core zone2,329.59ProhibitedNo boat trips or anchoring
Traditional use9,428.8AllowedWithin designated areas
Recreation779.31AllowedWater sports, no jet skis

As the park administration describes its zoning; the park's pages do not say which zone each cave lies in.182019

Three ways to see the park

Island, cave or the whole western shore

Vlorë: Sazan Island, Haxhi Ali Cave, and Karaburun Boat Tour Lands on Sazan

Sazan, cave, beach

Half day from Vlorë

Hours
5
On Sazan
40 minutes
Price
from $33
See this boat
Vlore: Haxhi Ali Cave, Karaburun Speedboat Tour & Snorkeling Longest beach stop

Cave & beach

Short run from Vlorë

Hours
4
Beach time
4 hours
Price
from $28
See this boat
From Vlore: Blue Cave and Grama Bay Adventures The western shore

This site's tour

Full day to Grama Bay

Hours
8
Grama Bay
1.5 hours
Price
from $69
See this boat

Decision helper

Island, cave or coast?

Choose by what you most want to see

Sazan, cave, beach

40 minutes ashore on Sazan.

Cave & beach

4 hours on the peninsula after the cave.

This site's tour

Dafina, the canyon, the coves and Grama Bay.

Any boat, eyes open

The park lists monk seals, dolphins and turtles.21

The western coast of the Peninsula is incised by caves and deep canyons ending rarely by gravel or sand pocket beaches.

Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park administration (RAPA Vlore / National Agency of Protected Areas)Source 6

Is there a blue cave on Karaburun?

Many speedboats sell a blue cave on Karaburun, and you will find the name on boards along the Vlorë seafront. The park administration's own list of caves names Haxhi Ali, Inglezi, Talos, Duk Gjoni, the Written Cave, St. Andreu and Dafina; none of them is called a Blue Cave.22 Its description of Dafina Cave is the closest thing to a color note: water that shows shifting shades of green.23

The Blue Cave is a name the operators use. This site's tour lists a 15-minute stop called Shpella Blu, Albanian for blue cave, just after Grama Bay, and other boats put their Blue Cave, Albania at the same point on their maps. A fourth boat pins its own blue cave further north at Llovizi bay. We map all of them on our page about where the caves are.

The Inglezi cave has a documented story of its own. The park administration says it takes its name from the Second World War, when the British Special Operations Executive set up an operational base in Albania; Inglezi means Englishman.24 The tourism agency also places a Pirates' Cave on the eastern side of the peninsula, with a wide entrance and a depth of about 50 meters.25

Map

Vlorë, Sazan and the western shore of Karaburun

Where the speedboats leave from, the cave at the tip of the peninsula, and the coves down to Grama Bay.

Map of the Bay of Vlorë with Sazan island, the Karaburun peninsula, Orikum and the coast south to Grama Bay 1Vlorë promenade2Sazan Island3Haxhi Ali Cave4Orikum5Dafina Bay6Grama Bay
The Bay of Vlorë
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Map of the coast from Dafina bay south past the canyons and coves to Grama Bay 5Dafina Bay7Gjiri i Brisanit8Kanioni i Skafistave9Gjiri i Inglezit10Gjiri i Llovizit11Gjiri i Nezhajve6Grama Bay12Shpella Blu
Dafina to Grama
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
  1. 1
    Vlorë promenade

    The start of the promenade, where this site's tour meets its guide at the Olympia Tiki Bar.

    In Google Maps ↗
  2. 2
    Sazan Island

    Albania's largest island, a closed military area for many years and now open to visitors as part of the marine park.45

    In Google Maps ↗
  3. 3
    Haxhi Ali Cave

    A karst cave at the waterline near Cape Gjuhëz, protected as a Natural Monument and reached only by boat.132627

    In Google Maps ↗
  4. 4
    Orikum

    A town with ancient ruins and a tourist marina at the inner end of the bay; some boats to the cave also leave from here.282927

    In Google Maps ↗
  5. 5
    Dafina Bay

    A bay on the western side of the peninsula; Dafina Cave nearby has a small beach and water in shades of green.1723

    In Google Maps ↗
  6. 6
    Grama Bay

    Cliffs with about 1,500 inscriptions, protected as a natural and a cultural monument and reached mainly from the sea.303132

    In Google Maps ↗
  7. 7
    Gjiri i Brisanit

    Brisan or Bristan Bay, also known as Bear Bay, one of the loneliest beaches of Karaburun.16

    In Google Maps ↗
  8. 8
    Kanioni i Skafistave

    A narrow inlet where this site's tour stops for 20 minutes to swim and snorkel.

    In Google Maps ↗
  9. 9
    Gjiri i Inglezit

    Inglez Bay, reachable only by boat, with the Inglezit Cave nearby.3334

    In Google Maps ↗
  10. 10
    Gjiri i Llovizit

    The bay where one listing pins the stop it calls 'Llovizi Cave - Blue Cave'.

    In Google Maps ↗
  11. 11
    Gjiri i Nezhajve

    A cove where this site's tour stops for 1 hour.

    In Google Maps ↗
  12. 12
    Shpella Blu

    The 15-minute cave stop after Grama Bay on this site's tour; two other listings put their 'Blue Cave, Albania' at the same map point.

    In Google Maps ↗
Open the map in Google Maps

Checklist

For a day in the park

01

For Sazan

  • Shoes you can walk in on the island
  • Water and a hat: little shade near the landing
  • Stay out of fenced or closed buildings
02

For the water

  • Swim only where the crew allows
  • Never touch or feed sea life
  • Take every scrap of rubbish home

Video

By speedboat through the Sazan and Karaburun marine park

The player loads on your tap, not before.

Sazan: the island that was closed for decades

Sazan sits at the entrance to the Gulf of Vlorë and is the largest island in Albania.4 The park administration gives it as 4.8 km long and 2.7 km wide, with a surface of 5.7 km2.35 Wikipedia puts its highest point at 344 meters.36 It is small enough to see whole from the boat, and big enough to hide a world of its own. From the Vlorë seafront it looks flat and green; up close, the shore turns out to be rock and scrub with concrete half hidden in it.

For many years it was a closed military area; today it is open to visitors and part of the marine park.5 The tourism agency says the remains of a military base, tunnels and Cold War buildings make it a place for exploration and history.37 The park administration traces its military past back to 215 BC and lists housing blocks, schools, a cinema, a hospital and a powerhouse among its buildings.38

Trips to Sazan are made by tourist boats from Vlorë.39 The 5-hour speedboat this page recommends lands there for 40 minutes before the cave, and the second boat on the same route for 45 minutes. That is time for a short walk along the shore and a look at the buildings near the landing, not for crossing the island. Wear shoes you can walk in, not only sandals.

What lives in the park, and the rules that protect it

The tourism agency lists sea turtles, Mediterranean seals and deep corals among the park's rare species.40 The park administration names the monk seal, the short-beaked common dolphin and the loggerhead turtle among its threatened species, and counts Posidonia seagrass meadows covering 1658 ha.21 Its monitoring reports that monk seals still use the park and that the turtle numbers show a positive trend.41

To protect them the park is split into zones. The core zone covers 2,329.59 ha, where diving, swimming, snorkeling, fishing, boat trips and anchoring are all strictly prohibited.18 In the traditional-use zone of 9,428.8 ha you may boat within designated areas, swim, snorkel and kayak without asking first.20 The recreation zone of 779.31 ha allows water sports too, except jet skis.19

The tourism agency lists diving, coastal exploration, wildlife observation and sailing with non-motorized boats among the activities allowed in the park, always in line with nature conservation.42 For you on a speedboat the rules come down to a few habits: swim only where the crew says you may, never feed or chase anything in the water, and take every scrap of rubbish back to Vlorë.

Seeing both in one day

If you want the island and the peninsula in one outing, the 5-hour boats are built for it. The leading one is rated 4.82 from 3,187 reviews and starts from $33. Its itinerary runs 40 minutes across, 40 minutes on Sazan, 20 minutes to the cave, 15 minutes there, 20 minutes to a Karaburun beach, 2.5 hours on the beach and 20 minutes home.

What you do not get on these days is the long western shore. The full-day boats, this site's tour among them, leave Sazan out and spend their 7 to 8 hours on the cave, Dafina, the canyon, the coves and Grama Bay instead. If you have more than a day in Vlorë, the different kinds of trip complement each other rather than repeat. Give the island one morning and the long coast another.

On any boat the order of stops can change with the sea and the captain's judgment, and a boat day is never guaranteed until the morning itself. This site's operator may cancel for bad sea conditions, bad weather or fewer than 6 guests on board. Book with free cancellation, keep a spare day if you can, and look at the bay from the promenade the evening before.

Book your seat

Spend a day on the Karaburun coast

The cave at the tip, the green and blue caves and Grama Bay, from the Vlorë promenade.

Check datesfrom $69 · no cancellation fee 5.0 · 1,047 verified reviews

You ask,we answer.

What is the Karaburun-Sazan Marine Park?

Albania's national marine park. Karaburun, Sazan and their waters, proclaimed in April 2010.31

Can you visit Sazan island?

Yes, by tourist boat. It is open to visitors today and tourist boats sail there from Vlorë.539

How long do boats stay on Sazan?

40 to 45 minutes on the half days. The leading 5-hour boats land for 40 and 45 minutes.

Is there an official Blue Cave on Karaburun?

Not in the park's list. The park's caves page names Haxhi Ali, Inglezi, Talos, Duk Gjoni, the Written Cave, St. Andreu and Dafina.22

Can you swim anywhere in the park?

Not in the core zone. Swimming is prohibited in the core zone and allowed in the traditional-use and recreation zones.182019

Are there monk seals at Karaburun?

The park says yes. Its monitoring reports that monk seals continue to use the park.41

How high is the mountain behind the coast?

2,044 meters. Mount Çika, the highest peak on the Albanian coast, overlooks the peninsula.43

Sources

Where the information comes from

  1. 1↩
  2. 2↩
  3. 3
    Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park administration (RAPA Vlore / National Agency of Protected Areas)Who we are
    ↩
  4. 4
    National Tourism Agency of Albania (AKT)Sazan Island
    ↩
  5. 5
    National Tourism Agency of Albania (AKT)Sazan Island
    ↩
  6. 6
    Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park administration (RAPA Vlore / National Agency of Protected Areas)Who we are
    ↩
  7. 7
    Municipality of Vlora (Bashkia Vlorë)Shtrirja gjeografike
    ↩
  8. 8↩
  9. 9
    Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park administration (RAPA Vlore / National Agency of Protected Areas)Who we are
    ↩
  10. 10
    Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park administration (RAPA Vlore / National Agency of Protected Areas)Who we are
    ↩
  11. 11
    Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park administration (RAPA Vlore / National Agency of Protected Areas)Who we are
    ↩
  12. 12↩
  13. 13
    National Agency of Protected Areas (AKZM), archived copy of its Vlore monuments catalogueShpella e Haxhi Alisë
    ↩
  14. 14
    National Tourism Agency of Albania (AKT)Haxhi Ali's Cave, Karaburun - Official Tourism Website
    ↩
  15. 15
    Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park administration (RAPA Vlore / National Agency of Protected Areas)Beaches and bays
    ↩
  16. 16
    Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park administration (RAPA Vlore / National Agency of Protected Areas)Beaches and bays
    ↩
  17. 17
    Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park administration (RAPA Vlore / National Agency of Protected Areas)Caves
    ↩
  18. 18
    Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park administration (RAPA Vlore / National Agency of Protected Areas)Management of the Park
    ↩
  19. 19
    Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park administration (RAPA Vlore / National Agency of Protected Areas)Management of the Park
    ↩
  20. 20
    Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park administration (RAPA Vlore / National Agency of Protected Areas)Management of the Park
    ↩
  21. 21
    Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park administration (RAPA Vlore / National Agency of Protected Areas)Who we are
    ↩
  22. 22
    Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park administration (RAPA Vlore / National Agency of Protected Areas)Caves
    ↩
  23. 23
    Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park administration (RAPA Vlore / National Agency of Protected Areas)Caves
    ↩
  24. 24
    Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park administration (RAPA Vlore / National Agency of Protected Areas)Caves
    ↩
  25. 25
    National Tourism Agency of Albania (AKT)Shpella e Piratëve, Karaburun
    ↩
  26. 26
    Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park administration (RAPA Vlore / National Agency of Protected Areas)Caves
    ↩
  27. 27
    Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park administration (RAPA Vlore / National Agency of Protected Areas)Caves
    ↩
  28. 28
    National Tourism Agency of Albania (AKT)Orikum - Official Tourism Website
    ↩
  29. 29
    National Tourism Agency of Albania (AKT)Orikum beach - Official Tourism Website
    ↩
  30. 30
    Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park administration (RAPA Vlore / National Agency of Protected Areas)Beaches and bays
    ↩
  31. 31
    Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park administration (RAPA Vlore / National Agency of Protected Areas)Beaches and bays
    ↩
  32. 32
    Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park administration (RAPA Vlore / National Agency of Protected Areas)History and culture
    ↩
  33. 33
    National Tourism Agency of Albania (AKT)Inglez Bay
    ↩
  34. 34
    National Tourism Agency of Albania (AKT)English Bay - Official Tourism Website
    ↩
  35. 35
    Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park administration (RAPA Vlore / National Agency of Protected Areas)Who we are
    ↩
  36. 36
    WikipediaSazan Island
    ↩
  37. 37
    National Tourism Agency of Albania (AKT)Sazan Island
    ↩
  38. 38
    Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park administration (RAPA Vlore / National Agency of Protected Areas)History and culture
    ↩
  39. 39
    National Tourism Agency of Albania (AKT)Sazan Island
    ↩
  40. 40
    National Tourism Agency of Albania (AKT)Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park
    ↩
  41. 41
    Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park administration (RAPA Vlore / National Agency of Protected Areas)Scientific monitoring
    ↩
  42. 42
    National Tourism Agency of Albania (AKT)Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park
    ↩
  43. 43
    National Tourism Agency of Albania (AKT)Çika Mountain
    ↩

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