Last updated: September 2026
From the Vlorë waterfront, Sazan looks like a dark green shape guarding the entrance to the bay. Boats pass it every day, but nobody really lives there. There are no resorts, villages or waterfront cafés waiting on the other side.
Instead, hidden behind the trees are empty apartment blocks, crumbling military buildings, bunkers and tunnels left behind from a time when the island was one of Albania’s most secretive places.
For decades, Sazan was closed to ordinary visitors. Today, you can reach it by boat from Vlorë, walk through part of its abandoned military settlement and swim in the clear water surrounding Albania’s only national marine park. Its strange history already makes it one of the most intriguing day trips on the Albanian coast.
Now Sazan has acquired another layer of mystery. A €1.4 billion luxury resort has been proposed for the island, with Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump associated with the plans. The headlines have made Sazan internationally famous almost overnight, but they rarely explain what the island actually is, why people care about it or what a resort could mean for visitors to Vlorë.
Where Is Sazan Island?
Sazan Island sits at the entrance to the Bay of Vlorë, near the point where the Adriatic and Ionian seas meet. At roughly 5.7 square kilometres, it is the largest island in Albania.
You can see it from parts of the Vlorë coast, but there is no bridge or regular public ferry. Most people visit on a seasonal boat tour from Vlorë. Excursions commonly combine Sazan with the rugged Karaburun Peninsula and Haxhi Ali Cave, so the journey is as much about the surrounding water and coastline as the island itself.
Albania’s official tourism website describes Sazan as open to visitors and part of Karaburun-Sazan Marine Park. If you are planning a larger coastal trip, my Albania Travel Guide explains how Vlorë connects with the rest of the Riviera.
Why Was Sazan Island Abandoned?
Sazan’s location made it strategically important long before tourists began arriving. Different powers controlled or occupied it over the centuries, and Italian, Soviet and Albanian forces used it during the twentieth century.
During Albania’s communist period, Sazan became a fortified military outpost. Soldiers and their families lived in a small, isolated community with barracks, apartment buildings and other basic facilities. Tunnels and bunkers were cut into the island, while access from the outside world was tightly controlled.
The military population gradually left after communism ended. The buildings remained, but the trees and thick Mediterranean vegetation began growing around them. What was once a guarded settlement slowly became a kind of ghost town by the sea.
Limited tourism began in 2015. Even now, Sazan feels suspended between different identities. It is an abandoned military base, a nature destination, a beach stop and a piece of Albania’s Cold War history, all on one small island.
What Is It Like to Visit Sazan Today?
Most visitors first see Sazan from the deck of a boat crossing the bright blue water outside Vlorë. Depending on your tour and the day’s access rules, you may land near the small harbour or stop at one of the island’s beaches.
The abandoned buildings are the most unusual part of the visit. They are not polished museum exhibits with carefully arranged signs and restored rooms. They are overgrown remnants of a place that once had a serious military purpose. That unfinished quality gives Sazan its atmosphere, but it also means visitors should stay with their guide and avoid entering unstable or restricted areas.
Many tours spend only part of the day on the island before continuing towards Karaburun and Haxhi Ali Cave. Some focus more on swimming and beaches, while others allow more time near the old settlement. Read the itinerary carefully if the military history is the main reason you want to go.
The surrounding scenery is just as memorable. The Karaburun-Sazan area is known for rocky cliffs, hidden coves, caves and beautifully clear water. Karaburun-Sazan became Albania’s first national marine park in 2010, and the island’s relative isolation has helped it retain a much wilder feeling than the beaches around central Vlorë.
So Why Is Sazan Suddenly in the Headlines?
Jared Kushner, the husband of Ivanka Trump and a former adviser to Donald Trump, revealed plans for luxury tourism developments around Vlorë after the couple visited the coastline. In December 2024, Albania granted strategic-investor status to a company linked to Kushner for a proposed €1.4 billion resort on Sazan.
The broad proposal covers around 45 hectares, or roughly 80% of the island, and has included high-end accommodation, residences, restaurants, recreation areas and a marina. Supporters believe it could restore a decaying military site, create jobs and place Vlorë on the international luxury map. Opponents worry about the marine environment, future public access and how much of a historic state-owned island could come under private control.
You may also see Sazan called “Trump Island,” but that nickname is misleading. The island has not simply been purchased by the Trump family, and it is not currently a Trump-branded hotel.
Another phrase appearing in the headlines is the “Flamingo Revolution.” This refers to protests that began after fencing and roadwork appeared at a separate mainland development site near Zvërnec and the Narta Lagoon, where flamingos live in the protected wetlands. The mainland plan and the Sazan resort are in different locations, but both became part of the same debate about Kushner-backed development, public access and the future of the Vlorë coastline.
The simple distinction is this: Sazan is the mysterious military island; the Narta Lagoon is the flamingo habitat.
What Could the Resort Mean for Tourism in Vlorë?
Sazan already gives Vlorë something few other Albanian destinations can offer: a boat trip that mixes a beautiful coastline and an abandoned Cold War settlement. The resort proposal could make that experience far more famous.
If the development goes ahead, it could raise Vlorë’s profile as a luxury Mediterranean destination. A new marina and high-end accommodation could bring yacht tourism, international hospitality standards and more demand for local restaurants, guides, charters and suppliers. It would fit with the polished side of the city I cover in my Luxury Vlorë guide.
On the other hand, environmentalists warn that the resort could do far more than change Sazan’s atmosphere. Clearing land for buildings and roads, constructing a marina, managing waste and wastewater, and bringing far more boats, noise and artificial light to the island could seriously damage the surrounding marine park and disturb birds, sea turtles, Mediterranean monk seals and other wildlife that depend on its quiet coves and waters.
Once those habitats are damaged, some of the effects may be impossible to reverse. Sazan could also become less accessible to ordinary visitors, while a carefully managed resort beach would feel very different from arriving at a wild, overgrown former military base.
For the moment, the future experience remains uncertain. The proposal is real, but Sazan has not yet turned into a private luxury island. Travellers can still visit it as a day trip from Vlorë and see the place that all the headlines are talking about.
How to Visit Sazan Island From Vlorë
The simplest way to visit Sazan is on an organized boat tour from Vlorë. Tours operate mainly during the warmer months and usually include several stops around the marine park.
There is very little tourist infrastructure on Sazan, so bring water, sun protection, sturdy shoes and anything else you will need for the day. Follow your guide around the military ruins and do not enter closed tunnels or unstable buildings.
For more things to add to your itinerary, see my guide to 7 Unusual Things to Do in Vlorë. My Vlorë Transport Guide explains how to reach the city before your tour.
Is Sazan Island Worth Visiting?
Yes, especially if you prefer places with an unusual story. Sazan is not a perfectly restored historical attraction or a classic island town. Its appeal comes from the contrast between beautiful water, dense greenery and the strange remains of a military community that once operated in almost total secrecy.
Nobody yet knows exactly what the island will look like a decade from now. That uncertainty has become part of the mystery too. For now, Sazan remains one of the most unusual places you can reach from Vlorë, and one of the few boat trips where a beach day can feel like stepping into a forgotten chapter of Albanian history.