One of the most prominent islands of strategic importance in the Mediterranean, it is distinguished by its unique location at the entrance to the Gulf of Flora, where the waters of the Adriatic Sea meet the Ionian Sea, and its ability to control vital sea lanes, especially the Strait of Otranto, which has made it throughout history the focus of attention of major military powers.
Thanks to its high terrain and protected bay, Sazan turned into an important military base for surveillance, defense, and hosting submarines. It became a witness to successive stages of conflicts and military influence, before it began in recent years to transform from a closed island with a military nature into a destination that combines its historical value and its environmental nature, which has escaped major human influences thanks to its long isolation as a military zone.
Location and geography
It is the largest island in Albania. It is strategically located at the entrance to the Vlora Gulf in the southwest of the country, where the waters of the Adriatic Sea meet the Ionian Sea. The island is about 5 kilometers from the Karaburun Peninsula, and its location gives it the ability to control the entrance to the bay, so it is described as the “bottle stopper” of Vlora Bay.
The island’s area is about 5.8 square kilometers, its length is 4.8 kilometers, and its maximum width ranges between 2 meters and 2.7 kilometers. Its terrain consists of two rocky hills, the highest elevation of which is 342 meters above sea level.
Its coast is also characterized by meanders and deep bays, the most prominent of which are the “Chinkulis” Bay, which includes the port, and the “Gri-ka-i-Shehenimite” Bay on the western coast. The island includes a number of sea caves in the Mediterranean, including Haji Ali Cave and Devil’s Bay Cave, which attract diving and marine sports enthusiasts.
It has a mild Mediterranean climate, with an average annual temperature of 16.2 degrees Celsius, and a rainfall rate of approximately 715 mm annually.
Nature and environmental diversity
Sazan Island has preserved its pristine nature and biodiversity thanks to its long isolation during its period as a closed military base, avoiding the effects of human activities and illegal fishing. It is dotted with wild Mediterranean plants, and is home to a number of rare species of amphibians and reptiles, including the Balkan green lizard and the European copper lizard.
In 2010, the Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park, Albania’s first and largest national marine park, was established and includes the waters surrounding the island and its surrounding area, with the aim of protecting its marine and terrestrial ecosystems.
History of the island
Sazan Island has a long history linked to its strategic location at the entrance to Flora Bay, which made it the focus of attention and conflict between various regional and international powers throughout the ages. It has also transformed over the course of its history from an important maritime location into a fortified military base.
The roots of the island’s history go back to the sixth century BC, when it was known as Sassoon. Thanks to its maritime location, the surrounding areas have witnessed conflicts and naval battles since the Roman era. During the Middle Ages, it also passed under the control of the Venetians, who realized its importance in controlling maritime shipping lines.
Sazan Island was subject to Ottoman rule for several centuries and appeared on Ottoman maps as Sazino before it passed into Italian influence at the beginning of the twentieth century. In 1914, Italian forces landed on the island, and international treaties, including London in 1915, established its sovereignty over it.
During the period of Italian control, the island was redeveloped and turned into a fortified military base known as Sassino. Italy used it during World War I as an observation point to close the Strait of Otranto, and it strengthened its fortifications during World War II before transferring control to German forces after 1943.
The island returned to Albanian sovereignty in 1947 under the Paris Peace Treaty, but it soon became an advanced naval base for the Soviet Union in the Mediterranean between 1947 and 1961. The base included Whiskey-class submarines, and constituted an important strategic location in the face of NATO.
In 1961, a dispute between Albanian leader Enver Hoxha and the Soviet Union led to the end of the Soviet presence on the island. Albania expelled Soviet experts and seized a number of submarines, after which Sazan was transformed into an Albanian naval base.
Isolation and military fortifications
During the period of political and military isolation that Albania experienced, Sazan turned into one of the most fortified areas in Europe, as more than 3,600 military bunkers were built there, in addition to an extensive network of tunnels and underground facilities.
The island remained a closed military zone for many decades, which prevented civilians and tourists from accessing it, and contributed to preserving its environmental nature and biodiversity away from human influences.
Openness and tourism transformation
In July 2015, the Albanian government opened Sazan Island to tourists for the first time in more than seventy years, becoming a destination that combines military heritage and pristine nature.
The island has returned to international attention with the launch of investment projects aimed at transforming it into a luxury tourist destination, as part of Albania’s efforts to benefit from its strategic location and historical and environmental value.
Ivanka and Kushner project
Interest in the Sazan Island development project began after the island caught the attention of Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner during a cruise in the Mediterranean, when they visited the region and expressed their interest in transforming its former natural and military location into a luxury tourist destination.
In 2024, the project came to the fore after obtaining the approval of the Albanian government within the framework of the Strategic Investment Law, through the company “Atlantic Incubation Partners”, with the announcement of an investment plan valued at approximately 1.4 billion euros to transform the island into a luxury tourist resort.
The project, which extends over an area of approximately 1,400 hectares, includes the construction of five-star hotels and resorts, private villas, and a yacht marina, in addition to recreational and service facilities, with plans to rehabilitate the landscape and remove traces of the island’s previous military use.
The project has sparked widespread controversy in Albania, between supporters who see it as an opportunity to attract investments and stimulate tourism, and opponents who fear its impact on the island’s natural environment, which has preserved its environmental diversity as a result of its long isolation as a closed military zone.
In the first half of 2026, the country witnessed a wave of widespread popular protests rejecting the project, amid calls to preserve the unique nature of the island and criticism related to the potential environmental and legal impacts of the plan.
