Grama Bay and its Ancient Inscriptions, Karaburun

October 25, 2026 By Travel
Grama Bay from above: a small pale pebble beach with a boat, turquoise water and limestone cliffs on the Karaburun Peninsula

A tiny cove where, for two thousand years, sailors waiting for the wind carved their names into the rock.

Grama Bay is a small pebble cove on the Ionian side of the Karaburun Peninsula, once one of the few safe anchorages on this exposed coast. Its rocks carry a thousand or more inscriptions, carved by sailors from the 3rd century BC through the Middle Ages. You reach it by boat, as a full-day trip.

Why sailors carved their names into the rock

On the Ionian side of the Karaburun Peninsula, the cliffs part just enough to let in a small pebble cove. For more than two thousand years, Grama Bay was the only safe anchorage on this exposed coast, and so it became a waiting room for the ancient Mediterranean. Its name comes from the Greek word for “letter”, and once you look closely at the rocks, you understand why.

The bay was first a quarry: the cut faces of the old quarries are still visible on both sides of the cove. Then came the sailors, stuck in the bay while the storm blew itself out, who smoothed the stone and carved their names and prayers for a safe voyage, often to the Dioscuri, the twin protectors of sailors. Early travellers counted about a thousand inscriptions; later estimates reach 1,500. The oldest Greek ones date from the last centuries BC, followed by Latin inscriptions of the Roman Empire, then medieval Greek prayers asking the Lord to help “his servant”, and even one inscription in Turkish.

Some carry famous names. One preserves the name of Cnaeus Pompeius, Caesar’s rival in the war of 49–48 BC, probably followed by a list of names the sea has worn away. Another records that in 1369 the Byzantine emperor John V Palaiologos stopped here on his way to Venice and Rome, to ask the Pope for help against the advancing Ottomans. Look closely at the letters (without touching them), and the cove feels crowded with people who stood exactly where you are standing.

What you’ll see

  1. The cove between the cliffs

    The cliffs part just enough to let in a small pebble cove, the only safe anchorage on this coast.

  2. Grama Bay seen from the white limestone cliffs above, with its small beach and turquoise water

    The cove from the cliffs

    The white limestone cliffs above, the small beach and the turquoise water below.

  3. A thousand or more inscriptions

    Names, ships and prayers for a safe voyage, often to the Dioscuri. Look closely, without touching them.

  4. Many languages

    Ancient Greek and Latin, then medieval Greek prayers, and even one inscription in Turkish.

Some of the dates on the rock

  1. Antiquity

    The bay is first a quarry; the cut faces are still visible on both sides of the cove.

  2. 3rd century BC

    The oldest Greek inscriptions, many of them prayers to the Dioscuri.

  3. 49–48 BC

    The name of Cnaeus Pompeius, Caesar’s rival, is carved on the rock.

  4. Roman Empire

    Latin inscriptions join the Greek ones.

  5. 1369

    An inscription records the stop of the Byzantine emperor John V Palaiologos, on his way to Venice and Rome.

Grama Bay in numbers

  • 1,000–1,500

    Inscriptions carved in the rock

  • 3rd century BC

    The oldest Greek inscriptions

  • 49–48 BC

    The name of Cnaeus Pompeius on the rock

  • 1369

    Emperor John V Palaiologos stops in the bay

Where it is

On the Ionian side of the Karaburun Peninsula, reached by boat from Vlorë or from Orikum marina.

What to bring

  • Camera with zoom: read the letters without touching them
  • Water shoes: a tiny pebble cove
  • Swimwear: a sheltered cove for a swim
  • Sun hat: for a full day by boat
  • Water: the trip takes a full day
  • Snack: the boat day runs long
  • Notebook: to sketch the ships and names carved in the rock

Is it worth it?

Yes, if…

you like places where history is written on the rock itself, and you are happy to spend a full day on a boat.

Maybe not, if…

you want a short outing: the overland route is long and difficult, so the visit is a full day by boat.

Choose a calm summer day, and check current boat trip prices before you go.

Combine it with

Continue exploring

More places and ideas for your days around Vlorë:

Frequently asked questions about Grama Bay


How do you get to Grama Bay?

By boat. Boats leave from Vlorë and from Orikum marina, 20 km south of Valza, and the visit takes a full day. The overland route is long and difficult, so the trip is made by sea. Check current boat trip prices before you go.


What are the inscriptions at Grama Bay?

A thousand or more inscriptions cover the rocks of the old quarries, from the 3rd century BC through the Middle Ages. Sailors waiting for the wind carved their names and prayers for a safe voyage, often to the Dioscuri. Most are in Ancient Greek and Latin, followed by medieval Greek prayers and one inscription in Turkish.


When is the best time to visit Grama Bay?

Choose a calm summer day. The visit takes a full day by boat from Vlorë or from Orikum marina, so plan to spend it on the water. The bay suits history lovers, swimmers and couples. Check current boat trip prices before you go.


Which famous names appear at Grama Bay?

One inscription preserves the name of Cnaeus Pompeius, Caesar’s rival in the war of 49–48 BC. Another records that in 1369 the Byzantine emperor John V Palaiologos stopped in the bay on his way to Venice and Rome. Look closely at the letters, without touching them.


Sources

  1. A. Hajdari, J. Reboton, S. Shpuza, P. Cabanes, “Les inscriptions de Grammata (Albanie)”, Revue des Études Grecques 120.2 (2007), pp. 353–394, doi:10.3406/reg.2007.7870 — the quarries, the number and dates of the inscriptions, the Dioscuri, Cnaeus Pompeius and John V Palaiologos.
  2. L. Kashta et al., “The first MPA in Albania, Sazani Island – Karaburuni Peninsula”, Varstvo Narave 25 suppl. 1 (2011), on dLib — Grama as the only safe anchorage on the western coast of Karaburun.

Grama Bay seen from the cliffs. Photo: Grtek, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cover photo: Fation Plaku, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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