Albania · Central Albania

Patok Lagoon

Directions

Laguna e Patokut

Patok Lagoon is a lagoon of the Adriatic Sea on the central coast of Albania. It was created during the Holocene in an area of constant geomorphological change, in four phases that correspond to four lagoons separated by coastal ridges; the fourth is the present lagoon, and a fifth, the outer lagoon, is still forming. The land is flat, with active tectonics and many underground waters, and in the second half of the twentieth century drainage, dam building and deforestation changed the ecosystem.

Nature

The lagoon belongs to the Patok-Fushë Kuqe-Ishëm nature park, between the Mat delta and Cape Rodon, an Important Bird Area and one of the Mediterranean’s essential habitats for wading birds, as well as a wintering ground for migrants. Its shallow marshes and salty soils also shelter fish and waterfowl, and sea turtles come here. Fishing is central to the local economy, and traditional wooden pile houses still stand here.

Visit

Getting there

Nearest settlement: Patos

Swimming

No reliable information

Tips

Patok lies on the central Adriatic coast, south of Lezhë, and is reached by car; take the Patok–Fushë Kuqe overpass from Tirana to the old beach cabins of Patok. A decent asphalt road runs along a narrow embankment in the middle of the lagoon.

The lagoon is known for its fish restaurants, with terraces on stakes over the water. Guided kayak tours run from Skuraj to Patok along the Mat. May to July is the most pleasant time, and there are simple guesthouses and a campsite nearby. Bird lovers should come in winter.