Photo: Albinfo · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Rrozafa · CC BY-SA 4.0
Viluni Lagoon, also known as the Lagoon of Velipojë, is a lagoon of the Adriatic Sea on the northern coast of Albania. Through history it was a sea inlet, and it has been transformed into an estuary fed through a channel from the Buna river. It lies within the Buna River–Velipoja Protected Landscape and is recognised as an Important Bird Area, a wetland of international importance.
Nature
The lagoon is shallow and salty, with dunes, forest and low mountains around it. About 200 species of birds use it in season, among them herons and cormorants and occasionally flamingos, and it holds many kinds of fish. Tourism around Velipojë has put pressure on it. Bird numbers vary a lot, and some days it is nearly empty.
Gallery
Visit
Getting there
Nearest settlement: Velipojë
Swimming
No reliable information
Tips
Viluni lies at the eastern end of Velipojë beach, easy to reach on foot or by bicycle from the resort, or by a short unpaved road that a normal car can manage in dry weather. The easiest way to see it is from the restaurants on its western shore; the marshes on the eastern shore need a long detour towards Baks-Rrjolla.
Spring and autumn migrations are the best times for birds, with salt-loving and breeding species in summer, and early morning is calm. Bring binoculars and a hat, as there is little shade. This is a fragile ecosystem, so do not enter the water, keep noise down and keep your distance from the birds; for a swim, go to the nearby beaches.
Nearby lakes
Show on map
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Sources & data
- English Wikipedia: List of lakes of Albania, Wikimedia Foundation
- OpenStreetMap: Liqeni i Vilunit (relation 5339154), OpenStreetMap contributors
- English Wikipedia: Viluni Lagoon, Wikimedia Foundation
- Wikidata: Laguna e Vilunit (Q22009743), Wikimedia Foundation
- Vilun Lagoon, Plizio
- Velipoja IBA (Albania), BirdLife International
- Viluni Lagoon, In Your Pocket