The Mussel Tour offers an unforgettable adventure through the beautiful waters of Albania, where you can visit and taste the freshest mussels of the highest quality. During the tour, visitors can travel by boat in the clear waters and explore the fishing areas, learning about the traditional way of collecting and cultivating mussels.
Our tour starts from the port of Butrint/Ksamil, where we sail through the Vivari canal and enter the lake. During the cruise, the view of the triangular fortress appears stunning on the right, while the Venetian tower dominates on the left. A special moment is the cruise through the fishing gates, dajlanet as they are known in the language of fishermen. After passing these gates, we head to the Skea Gate, just as the hero of Troy, Aeneas, did 2000 years ago. He stopped for a short rest in these lands before continuing his journey to the founding of Rome.
Continuing beyond, we see the structures of the mussel farms on the lake and sail towards them, where we stop the boat. There we have the opportunity to see the cultivation of mussels up close, learn about the cultivation methods and, as a souvenir from this tour, take some mussels with us. Then, we continue our cruise to Kalivua, another historical site of Butrint. Kalivua, known as the “rich man’s house”, was the vacation spot of Atticus, Cicero’s famous friend. During the trip to Kalivua, we put on gloves and share the mussels we have collected, spending 15 minutes of work, sailing and meditation in nature.
After arriving at the Kalivua pier, we are ready to enjoy a wonderful lunch in the quiet and relaxing nature of the coast, surrounded by willows. During lunch, we will enjoy three types of mussel dishes, fresh vegetables, bread freshly baked from the most famous bakery in Xarre, as well as white wine and water for each person. This authentic taste of our land will be served to you with love by the Lulos family. After an unforgettable day, we return to the port of Butrint/Ksamil.