The Lagoon of Narta ( sq, Laguna e Nartës) is a

lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') a ...

of the

Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to t ...

on the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...

in the central

coast The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in n ...

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

. The lagoon extends north of the

Bay of Vlorë The Bay of Vlorë ( sq, Gjiri i Vlorës — ) is a large bay of the Adriatic Sea situated along the Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast on the Mediterranean Sea in Southern Europe. It opens to the sea in the northwest and is largely surrounded by the la ...

on the eastern shore of the

Strait of Otranto The Strait of Otranto ( sq, Ngushtica e Otrantos; it, Canale d'Otranto; hr, Otrantska Vrata) connects the Adriatic Sea with the Ionian Sea and separates Italy from Albania. Its width at Punta Palascìa, east of Salento is less than . The st ...

and is separated from the sea by a narrow littoral strip, consisting of an

alluvial Alluvium (from Latin ''alluvius'', from ''alluere'' 'to wash against') is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluv ...

dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...

. It has a surface area of with a maximal depth of . It is situated within the boundaries of the

Vjosa-Narta Protected Landscape The Vjosa-Narta Protected Landscape ( sq, Peisazh i Mbrojtur Vjosë-Nartë) is a protected landscape area in southwestern Albania. It covers a total area of , encompassing the lagoon of Narta along with the estuary of the Vjosë and its surroun ...

and has been recognised as an important

Bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

and Plant Area of international importance. As of May 2020, it is home to 3,000

flamingos Flamingos or flamingoes are a type of wading bird in the family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout the Americas (including the Caribbean) ...

. It is formed by the constant accumulation of solid flow of the

Vjosa The Vjosa (; indefinite form: ) or Aoös ( el, Αώος) is a river in northwestern Greece and southwestern Albania. Its total length is about , of which the first are in Greece, and the remaining in Albania. Its drainage basin is and its ave ...

River, which originates within the

Pindus Mountains The Pindus (also Pindos or Pindhos; el, Πίνδος, Píndos; sq, Pindet; rup, Pindu) is a mountain range located in Northern Greece and Southern Albania. It is roughly 160 km (100 miles) long, with a maximum elevation of 2,637 metres ...

close to the border between Albania and Greece. The lagoon is named after the village of

Nartë Nartë ( sq-definite, Narta; el, Νάρτα, also Άρτα, ''Arta'' or Παλαιοάρτα, ''Palioarta'') is a community in Vlorë County. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Vlorë. It is situated northwest o ...

, which is found on the lagoon's southern shores. Within the lagoon, there are two islands located, with

Zvërnec Island Zvërnec ( sq-definite, Zvërneci; el, Σβέρνιτσα, Svernitsa) is a community in Vlorë County, Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Vlorë. It is situated northwest of the city of Vlorë. It is ...

being the largest. A wooden footbridge connects mainland to the island, where a 13th-century monastery is located. At least 34,800 wintering birds can be counted on the lagoon.

References

{{Portal bar, Geography, Wetlands Narta Wetlands of Albania Geography of Vlorë County Tourist attractions in Vlorë County Important Bird Areas of Albania Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast

See also

References