Butrint National Park

The national park of Butrint (Albanian Parku Kombetar Butrint ) is a national park in southern Albania roughly 25 kilometers south of Saranda. The 8591.2 -acre site includes hilly areas at the southern end of the peninsula between Butrint Lake and Ionian Sea, riparian areas and the southern part of Butrintsees, the small adjacent Bufisee surrounding area, sea coast and plains and wetlands south of Vivar channel between Lake and coast.

The center of the park and its main attraction is the ancient site of Butrint, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and attracts numerous tourists. Other remains from antiquity - Roman Vilen and temples, and the Bronze Age plant Kalivo - both Venetian and Ottoman fortresses are also a national park. The area, with its many water areas and wetlands in particular is an important refuge for wildlife.

The Butrintsee and the surrounding wetlands are a Ramsar site since 2003. Its core areas are within the National Park. The wetlands are the habitat of 14 endangered species, and nowhere else in Albania were so many birds (246 ), reptiles ( 25) and amphibian species ( 10) found. In addition, 105 fish species and 39 mammal species were detected. Only in these areas are within Albania Epirus Water Frog ( Rana epeirotica ), the marginated tortoise (Testudo marginata ), the Western sand boa ( Eryx jaculus ) and dieTaurische lizard ( Podarcis taurica jonica ) home. Lake and the surrounding area are also an important resting place for migratory birds such as grebes, little grebes, Common Goldeneye, Coot and Pochard. Even rare marine species such as the endangered loggerhead turtle and perhaps the highly endangered Mediterranean monk seal, as well as raptors such as hen harrier, marsh harrier and eagle are respectively found around the lake.