Butrint Lagoon

St. George's Monastery (Albanian: Manastiri i Shën Gjergjit) is an ancient Orthodox monastery in Demë, near Sarandë, Sarandë. It is a Cultural Monument of Albania.

Ksamil (Albanian: Ksamili, Greek: Εξαμίλι) is a village and a former municipality in the riviera of Southern Albania, and part of Butrint National Park. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Sarandë. The population as of the 2023 census is 2,731, while according to the Civil Offices it was 9,137 in 2018. The municipal unit consists of the villages Ksamil and Manastir. During the communist era, the coastal village of Ksamil was built in 1966 and is located south of the city of Sarandë off the road to Butrint.

Butrint National Park (Albanian: Parku Kombëtar i Butrintit) is a national park in Vlorë County, southern Albania. It is located 18 kilometres (11 mi) south of Sarandë. The park encompasses 9,424 hectares (94.24 km2) of hilly terrain with freshwater lakes, wetlands, salt marshes, open plains, reed beds and islands. The park's significance for conservation is reflected in the large number of species with over 1,200 different animals and plants. Its mandate includes the protection of the lake and lagoon of Butrint, the natural channel of Vivari, the islands of Ksamil and as well the archaeological site, that provides valuable remains of ancient civilisations. Butrint is strategically located in the eastern part of the Strait of Corfu in the extreme south of the country. It sprawls across a peninsula that is surrounded by Lake Butrint and Vivari Channel. The channel connects the lake to the Ionian Sea through a narrow sandy bar. Located in the direct proximity to the sea, the park experiences mild Mediterranean climate. This means that the winters are mild and the summers are hot and dry. The archaeological heritage of Butrint is one of the most important archaeological sites in the country, containing different artefacts and structures, dating from the Iron Age up until the Middle Ages. Numerous monuments are still extant including the city walls, a late-antique baptistery, a great basilica, Roman theatre and two castles. The ancient city is situated within a natural woodland with a complex ecosystems which depends on the nearby lake and channel. Nevertheless, it is this combination of cultural monuments and natural environment which makes Butrint such a unique place. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the park as Category II. In 1992, the archaeological site joined the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. The lagoon has been further recognized as a wetland of international importance by designation under the Ramsar Convention. Nevertheless, Lake Butrint is an Important Bird and Plant Area, because it abundant to significant bird and plant species of international importance.

The Islets of Ksamil (Albanian: Ishujt e Ksamilit or Ishujt e Tetranisit), consist of four rocky islets located in the direct proximity to the Ionian Sea in Southern Albania. The village of Ksamil, after whom the islets are named, is located to the east of the islets. Furthermore, the islands are situated within the boundaries of the Butrint National Park. The islets lie to the extreme south of the Albanian Riviera along the Ionian Sea. They are remote and can only be accessed by boat. The combined areas of the four islands is only 8.9 hectares (22.0 acres). The two outer islands are connected by a narrow strip of sand. In terms of geology, the islands have been shaped into its current form over the Jurassic period, with its disjunction of the mainland due to the water activity. The islets fall phytogeographically within the Illyrian deciduous forests terrestrial ecoregion of the Palearctic Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome. The vegetation of the islands includes many communities of a Mediterranean type, while the most important habitats include the Mediolitoral and Infralitoral zone. The seagrasses along the coast are dominated by posidonia oceanica, halophila stipulacea and cymodocea nodosa. Posidonia oceanica is mostly abundant in the shallow waters and can extend more down to more than 30 metres in the depth. The forested land area is mostly covered by species such as holly oak, common alder, elm, bay laurel and myrtle. The marine waters are rich in cetacean diversities including such as short-beaked common dolphin and common bottlenose dolphin.

The Archaeological Museum of Butrint (Albanian: Muzeu Arkeologjik i Butrintit) was opened in 1938. It was reopened during the 1950s-1960s in the premises of the Venetian Acropolis Castle within the acropolis of the ancient city. It containes the Graeco-Roman archaeological finds from the Italian Archaeological Mission of the period between the two World Wars (1928 - 1940), led by Luigi Maria Ugolini.

Butrint (Greek: Βουθρωτόν and Βουθρωτός, romanized: Bouthrōtón, Latin: Buthrōtum, Albanian: Butrint) was an ancient Greek polis and later Roman city and the seat of an early Christian bishopric in Epirus. Originally a settlement of the Greek tribe of the Chaonians, it later became part of the state of Epirus and later a Roman colonia and a Byzantine bishopric. It entered into decline in Late Antiquity, before being abandoned during the Middle Ages after a major earthquake flooded most of the city. In modern times it is an archeological site in Vlorë County, Albania, some 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) south of Sarandë, close to the Greek border. It is located on a hill overlooking the Vivari Channel and is part of the Butrint National Park. Today Bouthrotum is a Latin Catholic titular see and also features the Ali Pasha Castle. The city is considered one of the most important archaeological sites in Albania. On the strength of the immense wealth of cultural, historical and natural value with a considerable history, Butrint was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992 and further a National Park in 2000 under the leadership of Auron Tare, its first director.

Vurgu i Ri (Greek: Καινούργιο/Καινούριο; romanized: Kainoúrgio/Kainoúrio) is a village in Vlorë County, southern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality of Finiq. Fieldwork conducted in 1993 found that the village is inhabited solely by Greeks.

Vurg (Albanian definite form: Vurgu; Greek: Βούργος Vourgos or Βούρκος Vourkos) is a plain and region in the southern part of Vlorë County, southwestern Albania.

The Vivari Channel (Albanian: Kanali i Butrintit, also known as Butrinto River) links Lake Butrint in the extreme south of Albania with the Straits of Corfu, and forms a border of the peninsula of Butrint. The natural channel flows in both directions every six hours, from the lake to the sea and vice versa during the rising tide facilitating the access of saline waters into Lake Butrint. A pontoon is situated near the gate of the Butrint National Park. Two small forts, the Ali Pasha Castle and the Venetian Triangular Castle, are located near the mouth of the channel; both were built during the rule of Ali Pasha of Ioannina. According to international organizations, the channel serves as the demarcation line where the Adriatic Sea ends and the Ionian Sea begins. The channel creates a unique situation in Lake Butrint, which is partly fed with fresh water and partly with salt water, thereby creating ideal conditions for mollusks farming. During the communist regime, many students used to volunteer in the summer time to search for ancient ruins in the Butrint National Park.

Vrinë (Albanian definite form: Vrina; Greek: Βρίνα) is a village in the former Xarrë municipality, Vlorë County in Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Konispol.

Xarrë (Albanian pronunciation: IPA: [d͡zar] or IPA: [d͡zarə]) is a village and a former municipality in the Vlorë County, southern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Konispol. The population at the 2011 census was 4,263. The municipal unit consists of the villages Xarrë, Mursi, Shkallë and Vrinë.

Pllakë (Albanian definite form: Pllaka; Greek: Πλάκα; romanized: Pláka) is a village in Vlorë County, southern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality of Finiq. It is inhabited solely by Greeks. The village was formerly known as Memushbej (Greek: Μεμούσβεη).