The beautiful city of Saranda, offers a unique atmosphere and style that steels the heart of all its visitors. The sea panorama, the variety of flora, favored by the soft climate, makes Saranda the preferred center for rest and recreation and an important tourist town. Most Albanian couples come to spend their honey-moon in Saranda. That's why it is known in Albania as the town of the honeymooners. Saranda is situated in an open sea gulf, opposite the island of Corfu (Greece). Saranda is an animated town between the mountains and the Ionian Sea, 61km south-west of Gjirokastra. There are today, daily ferry services to and from Corfu. Saranda is rapidly developing into the southern gateway for tourism into Albania. In year 2000 Saranda was visited by 50thousand foreign tourists and many more Albanian tourists. Near Saranda stood the ancient Illyrian city of Onchesmos, mentioned as a port in the 1st century B.C. In the 4th century A.C. the town was fortified with walls. Inside the walls have been excavated the remains of dwellings, water cisterns and an early Christian Basilica of the 5th and 6th century, containing a beautiful multicolored floor mosaic. Other mosaics are to be found in the district museum. The ruins are also preserved of an early Christian Monastery, of the 40 Saints, from which the modern name of the town (Saranda) is derived.