Uji i Ftohte

Uji i Ftohte, cold water, is the district on the coast road south of Vlora where a group of cold springs emerges from the hillside and runs down through a pine park to the sea, and it has been a resort area since the mid-twentieth century, with sanatoria and hotels built to use the water and the air. The water is drunk and bottled and the springs feed channels and small pools through the park. Pines shade the whole area, which makes it noticeably cooler than the city, and the beach below is one of the better ones close to Vlora. It is a local place rather than a visitor destination, used for walking, eating and sitting under the trees, and it is busy at weekends.

What you actually see

• Cold springs in the hillside - water emerging and running through the park.
• Pine shade - the planted wood covering the whole district.
• Drinking and bottling points - the water taken at the source.
• The beach below - one of the better strips near Vlora.

When to go

May to September. Two hours, or a day with the beach. Weekends bring Vlora families and the restaurants fill. It is cooler than the city at any hour, which is the point in August.

Honest expectations

It is a local recreation area rather than a sight, and there is little to do beyond walking, eating and swimming. Development along the road is untidy. Litter under the pines is a problem at weekends. Facilities are basic.

Nearby

Vlora is north; the Llogara pass and the Riviera lie south.