Enver Hoxha, the infamous dictator of Albania, had a grand plan for the island of Sazan. He wanted to turn it into a rock fortress against Western powers that he feared might invade his country.

The largest island outside Albania, with a total area of ​​5.7 square km, it lies strategically between the Adriatic and Ionian seas, between the territorial waters of Albania and Italy, or the so-called "Channel of Otranto".

The island has long served as a military base. Italian forces occupied it in 1920 and it was only on October 22, 1944, towards the end of World War II, that Hoxha's partisans declared its liberation.

While Hoxha proudly declared that Albania had the “keys to the Otranto Channel,” referring to Sazan, he began work to transform the island into a heavily fortified area.

The Soviets helped with ammunition and expertise, while dozens of tunnels – some of them nuclear fallout shelters – were built on the island. What Hoxha knew best, of course, were his famous bunkers. Some 3,600 of these were built on the island.

However, the military machinery being built in Sazan needed people, and during the 46 years of the dictatorship system, around 10,000 of them were forced to live in the area.

Families of soldiers, admirals, and generals filled the island, while it was enriched with infrastructure, including houses, cultural halls, schools, hospitals, and other community buildings. People's lives flourished amid the struggle to provide electricity and drinking water.

However, for the rest of Albania, Sazani was a place of mystery and legend. For people who had no connection to island life, it was a restricted area.

Even the fall of the communist regime did not lift the curtain on Sazan. The Albanian army continued to use it as a military base, while Italian and Albanian police now used it to track illegal activities and movements between the two countries.

In 2015, the government briefly allowed tourist boats from the Gulf of Vlora to stop at Sazan for the first time, and people could view the hidden island and swim from its beaches. But in 2016, the island was closed again.

However, this April, after the Ministry of Defense, Economy and Tourism reached an agreement, they decided to reopen this island for tourist purposes from May to October. Tourist agencies in Vlora immediately seized this opportunity.

Attraction for tourists despite lack of facilities
One July morning, at the port of Vlora, about 200 people were waiting to depart for a day-long boat trip to Sazan – the trip also included the Karaburun peninsula.

Locals and tourists from around the world gathered excitedly as four ship crews made final arrangements with port authorities.

Ruzhdi Ganiki, a businessman from Peja in Kosovo who has lived in Norway for 26 years, was excited to see Sazan, an island he had only heard about in communist-era films and on the news, as a mysterious military base in a strategic position.

“Our summer vacation destination was Saranda, but as soon as I heard that Sazan Island was an option, I kept my family in Vlora for two days, just so I could visit it,” he told BIRN.

Lefter Dhima, one of the captains of the boats that tour the island and the Karaburun peninsula, told BIRN that the presence of Sazan on the list of places where they can stop had become a great attraction.

“No one wants to travel with us anymore if Sazani is not on the list,” he said.
However, full access to the entire island is still not possible. Ships are limited in where they can dock, as half of the island is still occupied by a military base.

At 19:00 PM sharp, the last visitors must leave the island, while no one is allowed to spend the night there.

The 15 kilometers of water from the port of Vlora to Sazan are crossed in about an hour and a half, but this is not a problem for tourists who can enjoy the sight of pods of dolphins swimming nearby. Albanians fill their time with traditional dances that foreigners eagerly follow.

However, tour guides have their concerns when it comes to meeting the needs of travelers as there are no buildings on the island yet.

Migen Xhelo, a tour operator in Vlora, told BIRN that it is difficult for tourists to stay long on the island because there are no bars, restaurants, toilets or other facilities.

What tourists can now find in Sazan are wonderful beaches with blue water, magnificent views, tunnels, numerous bunkers, and the ruins of the communist-era city.

As a concrete road leads them up the hill, many bunkers and tunnels begin to appear on the horizon, along with buildings where military families spent years of their lives.

The elementary school building, named “October 22” – after the liberation day – has 13 classrooms that seem to hold the echoes of children’s voices from the distant past. There are still some old desks in the classrooms.

The Palace of Culture has also been destroyed, as has the summer theater and the city's former bar and restaurant.

Xhelo believes that if tourists were offered more information about the buildings and city from the communist era, the whole experience would be much better.

"The place is undoubtedly historic in many ways. With not much investment, it could become an important Mediterranean destination," he said.

When it comes to investment and the future of the country, however, the government has been silent. No public plan for Sazani has been released.

Despite the lack of facilities, after a two-hour trek there, Ruzhdi Ganiki says the island is even more beautiful than he imagined.

"I am a great patriot and I will travel thousands of kilometers to visit good places in Albania," he said. "But now my good business instincts are speaking. This island is gold," he concluded. /Reporter.al/