Valona is an Albanian city overlooking the Adriatic Sea and is the second most important port after Durazzo.  The region of Vlora is one of the most beautiful areas of Albania, it has a unique light that makes this part of the coast really memorable. There are several places to visit including the Mauride mosque and the Independence museum. There is an extraordinary view of the Gulf of Vlora from Canina Castle Narta Lagoon is a natural wonder worth visiting, it supports a wonderful ecosystem, and the surrounding landscape is really beautiful.  Zvernez Island is another great place to visit; you get there by walking through a pine forest, crossing over a long wooden footbridge from the mainland and then you will see the Shen Merise church.

Valona also has great beaches and the sea is extremely clean. You will find the most beautiful stretch of coastline between Valona and Saranda, which has some excellent golden sand beaches, pine forests and olive groves. The best beaches are Dhermiu, Drymades, Jal and Palasa.

There are also 3 typical Albanian dishes that Netferry recommends on a trip to Valona. Firstly, Byrek is a dish that can also be served as an appetizer if cut into sections as it is a Philo pastry pie that is filled with spinach and cheese You can eat it at any time of the day, from breakfast to dinner, and also as a snack. The special pastry is made simply with flour, water, and salt, while the filling varies according to taste and can be either meat or vegetable. 

Sufllaqe is another dish, very similar to kebab similar to Greek Souvlaki, but is Albanian. It is basically a skewered kebab wrapped in flatbread along with some salad or vegetables and condiments.  The third must-try recipe is a dessert called Lokum, they are gelatinous sweets prepared with water, corn starch and sugar. They are flavoured with dried fruit and spices and then dusted with icing sugar, similar to Turkish delight. People often give Lokum when they are invited to dinner or offer them to guests.  

Ferries to Vlora

Vlora is connected to mainland Italy from the port of Brindisi. There are two daily ferries on the Brindisi - Valona line provided by Red Star Ferries and European Ferries and the crossing takes about 6.5 hours.

To get ferry tickets to other ports in Albania just use Netferry's online booking service. Our operators are also available on (+39) 0831.564257 from Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 13:00 and from 15:30 to 20:00, on Saturday from 09:00 to 13:00.

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