Marked Walks around Butrint

A network of walking trails exists in the Butrint National Park that leads to many of the main historical sites. The trails pass through a rich variety of Mediterranean habitats, including pastureland, wetlands, Mediterranean maquis and olive groves.

The trails are suggested routes, which will take the visitor through the natural and archaeological landscape that make Butrint unique. The magnificent lagoonal landscape, in which the monuments are set, is now one of the most important environments for wildlife in Albania. Globally endangered species – such as the Hermann’s tortoise and white-tailed sea eagle – can be seen here, and in the winter season the flooded marches are home to a wide variety of migrant birds. In recognition of the international importance of the Butrint wetlands, the park and its environs were made a Ramsar site in 2003.

Butrint is impressive in all its seasons. In the spring and autumn months the park is covered with wild flowers and butterflies. In the winter months the Vrina Plain floods and thousands of wintering birds flock to the marshes to feed on the nutrient-rich mud banks.

For centuries Lake Butrint and Lake Bufi have been famous for their rich fisheries, while local communities on the Vrina Plain follow age-old traditions – grazing flocks of sheep in the valleys during the wet and mild winter months, and then climbing the mountains to fresher, greener pastures during the dry and hot summers.

 

• Beyond Butrint and the environment
• Marked walks around Butrint
• The Kalivo Trail
• QTVR from Kalivo
• The Butrint Bay trail
• The Lake Bufi trail
• The Mount Sotirës trail
• QTVR of the ferry crossing
• Download: Walking Trails leaflet

Weather
The climate in Albania can be described as ‘mild temperate’, but it varies with its topography.

• The coastal lowlands have a Mediterranean climate with summers of clear blue skies and high temperatures both day and night.
• Temperatures in the height of summer can reach over 40° C, though days are cooler in coastal areas and higher regions.
• Autumn and spring are mild though often with heavy rainfall.
• Winter brings snow and skiing opportunities but in the southern lowlands freezing temperatures are rare. The lowlands and mountains alike are frequently subject to dramatic thunderstorms.
• April, May, September and October are recommend for visiting hikers and walkers.