Saranda Agritourism: Wine, Food & Farm Experiences
When it comes to excursions from Saranda, most people head out on a boat tour or visit Butrint National Park, but there’s another experience that’s worth doing – agritourism.
Albania has a strong farm-to-table and wine culture, and around Saranda there are small farms, wineries and family run restaurants serving food produced on site or sourced locally. Several are close enough to reach by taxi if you don’t have a car.
I’ve visited Saranda multiple times and explored several agritourism spots in the area. My favourite is Mesopotam Agroturizem, a riverside restaurant just outside the city.
Saranda Agritourism: Wine, Food & Farms Experiences
On my most recent trip to Saranda, I visited two agritourism restaurants, a farm stay and a local kantina for a wine tasting. They were all dog friendly, so I brought my dog Watson along.
This was my third visit to Saranda, and I wanted to explore beyond the city itself. The main reason I hadn’t visited these places before is simple, I didn’t know about agritourism in Albania.
Agritourism in Albania still feels a bit like a local secret. But now that it’s on my radar, I make a point of seeking these places out.
1. Wine Tasting at Agrotourism Isak (Kantina e Verres Isak)
If you’re staying in Saranda without a car and want an easy introduction to Albania’s wine and agritourism scene, Agrotourism Isak is perfect. At just 7.5 km from the city, it’s one of the closest and easiest places to visit.
I took a taxi here for a wine tasting (1500 lek – $18 USD one way), which made it a really simple outing. While the food and wine weren’t the best I’ve had in Albania, my friends loved it.
What does set Agrotourism Isak apart is the range of what they produce: more than a dozen wines, cognac, olive oil, honey, jams and an impressive number of rakis. For our wine tasting, the server left 6 bottles of raki on our table and let us help ourselves!
My friends and I were given a tour of the farm, vineyard, cellar and olive oil production. There are several tasting packages to choose from, and they all come with traditional appetizers.
There’s a terrific farm shop that sells everything they produce. I bought some really good honey, olive oil and of course a bottle of wine!
2. Mesopotam Agroturizem
If you only visit one agritourism near Saranda, make it this one. Mesopotam Agroturizem was my absolute favourite (and my friends agreed). This is one of the best agritourism restaurants I’ve eaten at anywhere in Albania.
Everything here feels special, from the setting to the food and service. We ate on the outdoor terrace overlooking the river, but there’s also garden dining with a playground for families. It’s a very scenic setting, perfect for a relaxing lunch.
The food is organic, sourced from their own farm and local families – and it’s amazing. We asked our server for recommendations and he completely took care of us, brining out platters of traditional appetizers. The baked cheese was incredible – make sure you order it! Even the bread was delicious.
It’s very popular with locals, which is always a good sign. I visited on a Sunday and it was so busy I had to park at another restaurant down the road and walk over. A reservation would be a good idea!
There’s a couple of agritourism spots with similar names in the area, so make sure you go to the right place (there’s a photo of the signage above). Another bonus – Mesopotam Agroturizem accepts credit cards.
3. Tamo’s Farm
For a truly authentic agritourism experience, Tamo’s Farm is hard to beat. It’s a working farm deep in the countryside, and it felt more like being welcomed into someone’s home than a restaurant.
When I visited with friends, the family was hosting a birthday and Orthodox Easter celebration, and we were the only tourists.
There was traditional Albanian music playing, and after lunch, everyone got up to dance. It felt like we’d stumbled into a real local gathering rather than a planned restaurant meal.
All food is from their farm, even the lamb and wine. It’s simple home cooking, but delicious. There’s a traditional outdoor wood oven where the meat is roasted.
It’s more remote than the other places on this list, but the drive is straightforward. The final stretch is along a gravel road, but it was in decent condition when I visited.
If you’re looking for a more polished agritourism restaurant, stick to Mesopotam Agroturizem. But for a genuine farm to table meal with locals, Tamo’s Farm is the best.
4. Bote Farm
Bote Farm is near the village of Clirim, less than 10 km from Saranda. They offer a unique day at the farm experience where guests tour the farm, swim in the pool, take an Albanian cooking class (the only in the area at the moment), and enjoy a 6 course traditional meal.
This is an immersive, full day experience – you can’t just show up for dinner.
I visited Bote Farm in mid April and they weren’t open for the season yet, but I did speak with the owner, see the property and the cute donkeys. There’s also new cabins for a farm stay that looked gorgeous.
If you book it on their website the cost is €60 (children are less), and that includes pick up and drop off in Saranda. It’s really good value.
This is a great choice if you want something more hands on and activity based. Perfect for families with children.
How to Get to Agritourism Places Near Saranda
All of the agritourism spots in this guide are within a short drive of Saranda, making them easy half day or full day trips.
The closest is Agrotourism Isak, just 7.5 km from the city. I visited by taxi using Saranda Eco Taxi, which cost 1500 lek ($18.50 USD) one way. It was simple to arrange via WhatsApp. I messaged when I was ready to leave and the driver returned to pick me up.
For the further out places, I rented a car for the weekend. I booked through Discover Cars, which I use for all my Albania rentals. I’ve always had good experiences with them.
Roads in this area are generally good, and there was parking at all the agritourism places I visited.
What to See Near the Agritourism Places
With a car I was able to explore the area around the agritourism places. I drove to the archeological park at Finiq (near Agrotourism Isak and Bote Farm), and the Monastery of St. Nikolas (Orthodox church with ruins of older monastery) which is very close to Mesopotam Agroturizem.
If you do go to the archeological park at Finiq, the road is partially closed because of landslides. You have to walk the last 1 km, and get the car turned around on a tight mountain road. I did this with an SUV, but my friends got out and directed me.
Syri i Kalter (Blue Eye of Saranda) is also not far from these agritourism spots. I didn’t visit it this time because I’ve been before, but a trip to the Blue Eye followed by lunch at Mesopotam Agroturizem would be a terrific day trip.
Last Words on Saranda Agritourism: Wine, Food & Farms
If you’re looking to see something beyond Saranda’s beaches and waterfront, visiting an agritourism is an authentic way to experience another side of southern Albania.
It was surprisingly easy to get into the countryside around Saranda, and such a fun way to spend an afternoon. Great food, wine, beautiful scenery – not all of Saranda’s best experiences are on the coast.
