Tongo Island rises less than 400 metres off Ksamil's southern shore, yet its white-pebble crescent and gin-clear shallows remain invisible from the mainland promenade. The uninhabited islet — one of four scattered across the bay — has no permanent structures, no commercial kiosks, and no scheduled ferry.
Access is entirely by private boat or guided tour, a deliberate remoteness that has preserved the island's character even as Ksamil's waterfront grew into one of the Albanian Riviera's busiest summer hubs. Local fishermen used the island as a seasonal anchorage through the mid-twentieth century; stone fire rings near the eastern shore still mark where nets were mended and catches were sorted before the run back to Sarande. Today those same clearings host beachside barbecues, the centrepiece of most Tongo Island boat trip & BBQ tours departing from Ksamil's main jetty.
The boat trip itself traces a route that threads between submerged Posidonia meadows and limestone outcrops, passing Pigeon Cave's arched entrance and the narrow strait separating the four Ksamil islands. Depending on tide and swell, captains anchor in waist-deep water fifteen to thirty metres from Tongo's beach, and passengers wade ashore or transfer by dinghy. The island's interior — a low spine of maquis scrub and wild thyme — offers little shade, so most visitors remain near the waterline, where umbrella pines lean at improbable angles and the seabed drops abruptly from sand to rock shelf.
BBQ service varies by operator but follows a common pattern: skewered sea bream, octopus, or chicken grilled over charcoal braziers hauled from the boat, accompanied by tomato salad, white cheese, and bread from Sarande's morning bakeries. Wine and raki circulate while the fish cooks. The ritual unfolds without fixed seating or formal courses, guests gathering on beach towels or flat stones, the smoke drifting south toward Corfu's silhouette. Afternoon swim stops often include Monastery Beach or the Blue Eye spring inlet, extending the Tongo Island boat trip & BBQ experience into a half-day circuit of the Butrint marine park.
No infrastructure exists on Tongo — no jetty, no fresh water, no waste collection — so each tour carries in supplies and carries out refuse. The Albanian Riviera'sboat adventure culture remains largely self-regulating, a mix of family-run speedboat charters and newer small-group operators. Early-morning departures, typically between nine and eleven, allow the longest beach window and the calmest crossing before the afternoon meltemi picks up.
5 hr
