A Karaburun speed boat trip follows the peninsula’s cliffs from one sea cave and pebble bay to the next, close enough to slip inside the caves on calm days: Haxhi Ali Cave, the Blue Cave, Grama Bay and coves no road reaches. Reception at Valza Boutique Hotel in Uji i Ftohtë helps guests book it.
The Karaburun speed boat trip at a glance
- What it is
- A day by speed boat along the Karaburun Peninsula, inside the Karaburun–Sazan Marine Park, with stops at sea caves and swimming bays.
- Where
- Boats leave from Vlorë and from Orikum marina, about 20 km south of Valza Boutique Hotel; ask which departure point your trip uses.
- Time needed
- Half a day for the caves, a full day with Grama Bay and the bays further south.
- Best time
- Calm summer days, June to September; check the forecast the evening before.
- Cost
- Check the current fare with the operator or reception, and whether the boat is private or shared.
- Good for
- Swimmers, snorkellers, couples and small groups who do not mind a lively ride.
What does the Karaburun speed boat route look like, stop by stop?
The boat runs out to Cape Gjuhëz and Haxhi Ali Cave, rounds onto the Ionian side towards Grama Bay, then works back through caves and coves for swimming. These are the moments in the order most routes take them, with photos from the trip.
Along the cliffs to Haxhi Ali
The limestone wall of Karaburun rises straight from the sea, and near Cape Gjuhëz a tall dark mouth opens at water level: Haxhi Ali Cave, a protected Natural Monument.
Inside Haxhi Ali Cave
On calm days the speed boat slips inside, which the large tour boats cannot do. The cave runs about 30 metres into the limestone, carved by the waves, and the light changes as the water turns a deeper blue.
Look up
At the mouth of the cave the cliffs close in overhead, with only a strip of sky above. It is the photo most guests take twice.
Grama Bay
A small pebble cove on the Ionian side, the only safe anchorage on this western coast and the longest stop of the day, often two to three hours. A thousand or more inscriptions are cut into its rocks, from the 3rd century BC through the Middle Ages: look, but do not touch.
The Blue Cave and the turquoise caves
The Karaburun coast has about 20 caves. The Blue Cave is a separate cave from Haxhi Ali, reached only by speed boat: where the seabed is pale, the water inside glows turquoise and blue, and on calm days you can swim in it.
Swim stops in the coves
Between the caves the boat anchors in coves of white pebbles and clear water. This is a marine park: dolphins, loggerhead turtles and red coral in the half-dark caves have all been recorded here. There are no roads and no services ashore, so the boat is your base.
The bays on the way back
Longer routes add the bays of Dafina, Bristan or Saint Andrew’s Bay before the run home across the Bay of Vlora.
The speed boat day in numbers
-
30 metres
How far Haxhi Ali Cave runs into the limestone
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~20 caves
Along the coast of Karaburun
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1,000+
Inscriptions on the rocks of Grama Bay
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2–3 hours
On the beach at Grama, the longest stop
How is the speed boat different from the boat trip to Sazan?
The speed boat is about the caves and the swimming; the larger boat to Sazan is about the island itself. A speed boat covers more of the peninsula in the same time and can go inside the caves on calm days, while a large boat offers more shade, more space and a steadier ride.
Families with small children and anyone prone to seasickness usually find the large boat easier. For that day, read our guide to the Sazan Island boat trip, stop by stop.
When is the sea calm enough for a speed boat?
On calm summer days, usually from June to September, and the decision is taken on the morning itself. The caves are entered only when the sea is flat enough, and the Ionian side of Karaburun is more exposed than the inside of the bay.
Ask reception the evening before whether the trip is on, and book it early in your stay so a rough morning leaves a spare day. Before you pay, ask what happens if the sea rises: another day, a shorter route or a refund.
What should you bring on a speed boat?
Less than you think, but secured: a speed boat is fast and open, and there is little room for bags.
- Swimwear and a quick-dry towel: several swims in one day
- Sun cream and a hat with a strap: there is little shade on board
- Water and a snack: no services ashore in the Karaburun bays
- A waterproof phone pouch: spray on the run and inside the caves
- Mask and snorkel: clear water and seagrass below
- Non-slip shoes: for the pebbles and the boarding ladder
- A windproof layer: the ride home is fast and cool
Is the Karaburun speed boat trip worth it?
Yes, if swimming and caves are the point of your day and the sea is calm.
Yes, if…
you want to go inside the sea caves, swim in several coves that no road reaches and see Grama Bay in the same day.
Maybe not, if…
you travel with a baby, get seasick easily or want shade all day: the larger boat to Sazan is gentler.
Pick a calm day, ask which caves and bays the route includes, and keep a spare day in case the sea says no.
Our corner of Vlorë
We are Valza Boutique Hotel, a family-run 4-star hotel in Uji i Ftohtë, a coastal neighbourhood on the southern side of Vlorë, with the Karaburun Peninsula across the water. Reception helps guests choose and book boat trips to Sazan Island and the Karaburun Peninsula, and trips depend on the sea and the weather. For a summer stay, start with our rooms and suites, and end the boat day at Eden by Valza, our rooftop restaurant above the bay. Questions before you book? Contact our reception team.
