South of Himarë, the road stays with the Albanian Riviera, but rarely at beach level. The first clear stop is Porto Palermo, a sheltered bay with Ali Pasha’s fortress on its small peninsula, about eight kilometres from Himarë. From there, the route passes Qeparo and Borsh before the coastal road starts working again: sea below, rock above, olive slopes, villages sitting high over the water. The approach to Sarandë is busier and more urban. That is where the Albanian riding ends: port, passport check, ferry across the Corfu Strait. After landing in Corfu Town, the stage still has one last section to ride. Instead of finishing at the harbour, it crosses the island’s green interior and drops to the west coast at Agios Gordios.
