Milë

Milë - or Mali i Millëtit, or Maja e Milës - is a little mountain near Butrint. Visitors to Butrint tend to admire the nearby ruins and rarely direct their gaze towards Milë Mountain, which provides the backdrop to the scenery of the Butrint Lake and the Vivari Channel.

Milë has a sharp drop towards the west, allowing marvellous views across the Butrint Lake, to Butrint itself, the marshy plains, Korfu, and towards Sarande. Hence, Milë can also be seen from Sarande harbor. Those tired of beach life, coffee and the daily xhiro (in Italy: giro - the evening walk) along the seafront promenade may be tempted to stretch their legs on Milë Mountain.

The hike is marked as a balloon hike. It is best to start from the village of Vagalat on the east side of Milë. It might be difficult to find its beginning near the trailhead. Once you leave the built-up area and the last fences, you should be on a well visible trail.

The trail is steep at first, but levels off after a while. You meet a small old military road. At the fork of the balloon hike, you have the choice to follow a less visible but shorter trail directly to the summit, or continue on the old military path. We took the shortcut up, and the old road for our way down.

Near the summit, you meet the 4WD track that leads to the antennas on the top of Milë.