Founders Leg 6 · Thursday 16 September 2027

Vlorë to Sarandë

Off the ferry, over the Llogara Pass and down what is probably the best descent of all 15 legs onto the turquoise Albanian Riviera.

Distance
126km
78.2 mi
Climbing
2,595m
8,515 ft
Descent
2,568m
8,424 ft
High point
1,026m
3,366 ft

The day's digital “cloth” map

Breakfast at a seafront hotel after we roll off the ferry, then south along the bay to the big climb.

  1. Start
    0.0 km / 0.0 mi
    Vlorë ferry port
    We roll off the overnight ferry from Brindisi.
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    2.2 km · 1.4 mi to breakfast
  2. Breakfast
    2.2 km / 1.4 mi
    Breakfast at a hotel on the Vlorë seafront
    A proper breakfast before we head south along the bay.
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    36.2 km · 22.5 mi to coffee
  3. Coffee
    38.4 km / 23.9 mi
    Coffee at the top of the Llogara Pass
    Coffee and water with views at the top of the big climb, before over 1,000 m of descent to the sea.
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    33.4 km · 20.8 mi to lunch
  4. Lunch
    71.8 km / 44.6 mi
    Lunch on the beach at Himarë
    Lunch on the beach. The crew confirm the exact spot at the morning briefing.
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    19.4 km · 12.1 mi to water stop
  5. Water stop
    91.2 km / 56.7 mi
    Water stop near Lukovë
    The crew confirm the exact spot at the morning briefing.
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    34.7 km · 21.6 mi to finish
  6. Finish
    125.9 km / 78.2 mi
    Bougainville Bay Resort & Spa, Sarandë
    Looking across the water to Corfu. Bring your swimmers: there's a rooftop pool and a beach to swim at when we arrive.
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Ride25 crew

Call the crew for a lift, a mechanical or if you are lost. Everyone is also in the ride WhatsApp group.

112
EmergencyFree from any phone in Albania. Police 129, ambulance 127.

Tonight's hotel

Bougainville Bay Resort & Spa, Sarandë

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The road snaking down from the Llogara Pass to the Ionian Sea
The descent from the Llogara Pass: over 1,000 m down to the sea. Photo: godo godaj, CC BY 2.0

Route map

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  • Wind, km/h

Elevation

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Wind and weather

Too far ahead for a forecast yet, so these are the conditions on the same day in 2025. Winds were light, around 2 to 7 km/h, mostly south south westerly. Dry, about 19°C early and up to 30°C. The live forecast appears here automatically in the two weeks before the ride.

Typical conditions from Open-Meteo records for the same day in 2025. Check the live forecast on the morning.

Riding notes

  • The Llogara Pass climbs to over 1,000 m. Pace yourself: there is plenty of up and down afterwards.
  • The descent from the pass is probably the best of all 15 legs: over 1,000 m down on good tarmac, with almost no traffic and sea views all the way. Enjoy it, but watch for goats on the hairpins.
  • Drink plenty: the coast road is hot and exposed in September.

The country you ride through

History on the road

0 to 25 km

Vlorë

Albania declared its independence in Vlorë in 1912. The bay is guarded by the island of Sazan and the Karaburun peninsula.

25 to 45 km

The Llogara Pass

The pass runs through a national park of black pine and fir, with the Ceraunian Mountains dropping straight into the Ionian Sea. Julius Caesar is said to have landed nearby in 48 BC.

45 to 126 km

The Albanian Riviera

Himarë and its villages were cut off for decades under Enver Hoxha. Look out for the concrete bunkers he built across the country: over 170,000 of them.

Look out for

  • The view of the Ionian from the top of the pass
  • Concrete bunkers
  • Porto Palermo castle
  • Corfu across the water from Sarandë

Local heroes

Famous faces from along the route

Mother Teresa was ethnically Albanian, and the country's main airport is named after her. Ismail Kadare, Albania's greatest writer, came from Gjirokastër, close to tomorrow's route.

Call crew leader, Mel+44 7947 765600 Emergency112