Beautiful deserted European island with a dark history tourists can explore
- Our Hidden Earth
- Jan 7
- 2 min read
Albania has become a popular holiday choice in recent years thanks to its beautiful beaches and green landscapes.
However, one unusual island is attracting attention for a very different reason. Just off the coast of Albania’s remote Karaburun Peninsula, it remains one of Europe’s most secretive and least visited places.
Even though the island is naturally stunning, it was closed to the public for many years because of its military history.
During the Cold War, it was used as a Soviet submarine and chemical weapons base.
Today, it has become a place of interest for people curious about dark tourism and hidden history.
Sazan Island once played an important part in Albania’s national defence. Beneath its rocky surface lies a network of bunkers and tunnels, designed to survive nuclear attacks, which still remain hidden across the island.
Although the island is still used as a joint Albanian and Italian military base to help fight drug smuggling, parts of it have slowly been opened to visitors.
In the summer of 2017, a small section of Sazan Island officially welcomed tourists for the first time.
Visitors were allowed to explore its untouched beaches, abandoned military buildings and eerie reminders from the Cold War era.
Today, adventurous travellers can walk through the island’s silent ruins, enjoy its unspoilt nature and even spot parts of the underground tunnel system that once protected Albania’s most secret military sites.
Despite its dark history, Sazan Island is a dream location for nature lovers.
Clear blue water surrounds the island, along with steep cliffs and hidden bays that offer stunning views of the Adriatic Sea and the Ionian Sea.
The island’s Mediterranean climate and thick wild plants create a sharp contrast to the empty buildings and forgotten structures scattered across the land.
Although Sazan Island does not yet have full tourist facilities, boat trips from Vlora now give visitors the chance to step onto this once forbidden island.
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