This week is built for early October, when the Ionian is still around 21-23°C for swimming and days sit in the low-to-mid 20s, but the crowds and peak prices have gone. Saranda is your single base for the whole trip. Most people arrive either on the scenic drive or bus down from Tirana (roughly 5 hours) or, more cheaply, by flying to Corfu and taking the short ferry across. Book flights →

Base yourself in Saranda rather than Ksamil for October: the town stays lively and well-serviced in the shoulder season while many Ksamil businesses start winding down. A room near the seafront puts restaurants, the promenade and the ferry port all within a short walk. Search hotels →

Ease into the trip with a slow walk along the palm-lined waterfront that curves around the bay. It is the heart of Saranda's evening life, with cafés for a first coffee or a byrek, and the low autumn light makes the water glow. A relaxed way to get your bearings before dinner.

Head up to the 16th-century Ottoman castle on the hill behind town, about 3-4km from the centre, for the widest view in Saranda: the bay below, Corfu across the channel and the coast running south toward Ksamil. The terrace restaurant inside the walls does grilled meats, salads and local cheeses, and it is one of the best-value sunset tables around, though in October it can keep shorter shoulder-season hours, so it is worth checking it is open before heading up. Entry to the castle grounds themselves is free.