Ksamil

Butrint National Park, a UNESCO site, unfolds a Greek theatre, an early Christian basilica and Venetian walls on a wooded peninsula ringed by a lagoon. Leashed dogs are allowed on the outdoor paths of the site, one of the few genuinely enjoyable cultural visits with a companion.

The four little Ksamil islets, a few strokes from the shore, form the resort's postcard image with their translucent water. The managed sunbed beaches often enforce no-dog rules in summer; aim for the wild, free coves outside high season.

The Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër), a deep-blue karst spring welling up in the middle of a forest, is reached on a half-day trip from Ksamil. The shaded path is walked on a leash, but swimming in the icy spring is forbidden, including for dogs.

Lëkurësi Castle, a 16th-century Ottoman fortress on a hill above Saranda, offers the region's finest panorama over the bay and Corfu at sunset. It is reached on a leash by a dirt road, the outer esplanade remaining open to walkers with a dog.

The seafront promenade of Saranda, fifteen minutes to the north, lines palm trees, cafés and a long lively esplanade facing the Ionian Sea. You stroll here on a leash in the evening when the heat drops, most terraces tolerating a well-behaved dog at their feet.

Mirror Beach (Pasqyra), south of Ksamil, owes its name to the transparency of its shallow water, very popular with families. Crowded and managed in summer, it enforces no-dog rules in season; prefer its rocky ends or a visit outside July-August.