The Kalivo Trail
The Vrina Plain is the large expanse of valley floor that stretches 10 km from the main Butrint archaeological site to Çuka e Aitoit, the conical shaped mountain near the Greek border. The plain was formed over 3,000 years ago by accumulating silt washed down from the Pavllas River.
Before the 1960s land reclamation programme the plain was covered in marches and dense woodland. The reclamation programme, which saw the marches being drained and the river diverted along canals, resulted in a great grain in rich agricultural land, but a serious loss of habitat and biodiversity. Since the collapse of collective farms and the return to small-scale farming, much of the land now floods in the winter. Typical floral found in the ditches are celery leafed buttercup, watercress and reedmace. The reed beds are a home to frogs, snakes, terrapins, kingfishers and warblers.
These fresh water marches are particularly attractive to wintering water birds, such as the little egret, spoonbill, grey heron, little-ringed plover and lapwing. In 2002 the plain sheltered the greatest number of geese (white-fronted, greylag and red-breasted goose) ever recognised in an Albanian wetland site. During the migration season terns, sandpipers and curlews use the area as a feeding and resting ground. In 1993, the critically endangered slender-billed curlew was spotted.
Birds of prey, especially buzzards, are regularly sighted here and over the Vivari Channel. Bird spotters may also see the rare white-tailed eagle, osprey, march harrier or peregrine falcon.
Two small hills occupied by the villages of Vrina and Shën Dëlli dominate the plain. Vrina village has a population of about 500 people, most of who are employed in agriculture. The village has a small shop and a couple of bars. Shën Dëlli is now largely inhabited by people from the region of Mirdita, in the north of Albania, inspired by a young man who in 1997 was posted to the Saranda district to complete his National Service. By 2000, 80 families from Mirdita had moved to Shën Dëlli.
Kalivo is a low hill overlooking Lake Butrint, and is home to several pairs of buzzards and kestrels. The upper part of the hill has been used as a settlement from as early as the Bronze Age. It has a large enclosing wall of huge blocks surviving to a considerable height. The recently excavated Southern Gate is perhaps the most accessible and impressive part of the wall circuit.
A small church sits on top of the low hill of Shën Dimitri. The hill offers good views of the Kalivo walls, the Vrina Plain and to the southeast where Çuka e Aitoit (Eagle Mountain) is visible in the distance. It is also a good place to spot birds of prey, tortoises and reptiles.
- 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
- Walls enclose the top of the hill on all but on the steep northern side towards the lake. These are handsomely made, mainly of roughly polygonal blocks.
- Three gates survive. The southern gate is the most impressive with walls standing to a height of 3 m around a narrow entrance way.
- The walls have never been securely dated and suggestions have ranged from the Bronze Age to the Hellenistic period (12th-3rd century BC).
- Within the walls a building of considerable size has been interpreted as a 3rd-century BC Hellenistic farmstead or as a rural sanctuary.
- Given its visual domination of the Vivari Channel to Butrint and Corfu, and of Lake Butrint to Phoenicê, the site may have also have functioned as a watch station or signalling point.
- It is possible that the walls were constructed in the 3rd century – when other sites, like Butrint, Phoenicê and possibly Çuka e Aitoit, were fortified – but Kalivo remains an enigma.
- Map of Kalivo Trail
- White-tailed eagle
- Satellite image of Kalivo with indication of wall circuit
- Panorama from Kalivo