Discover the lake
Skadar Lake National Park: Wildlife, Rules and What to See
Skadar Lake National Park covers the Montenegrin part of the lake and its wetland margins. It was declared in 1983, listed as a Ramsar wetland of international importance in 1996, and is recognised as an Important Bird Area.
- Established
- 1983
- Ramsar wetland
- Since 1996
- Surface area
- 370–530 km²
- Bird species
- 280+ recorded
- Entrance fee
- €5 per person
- Best way to visit
- Private boat tour
What the park protects
Not just open water: the park takes in reed beds, floating lily meadows, karst springs, wooded islands and the surrounding hills. That mosaic is what supports the bird numbers — shallow feeding grounds, dense nesting cover and undisturbed islands within a few kilometres of each other.
Wildlife
The Dalmatian pelican is the emblem of the park and one of the rarest large birds in Europe. Alongside it: grey and purple herons, great and little egrets, squacco herons, glossy ibis, pygmy and great cormorants, whiskered terns, grebes and, in winter, large rafts of waterfowl. Below the surface the lake holds carp, bleak and eel, which have fed the villages here for centuries.
Rules and conservation
The park charges €5 per person over 14 years, which is not included in tour prices; an annual pass covering all Montenegrin parks is available on request. Keep your distance from nesting colonies, don't enter the reed beds, take litter away with you and let the captain decide how close is close enough. Our boats keep to the channels and cut engine speed around feeding birds.
What to see
Island monasteries at Vranjina, Beška, Starčevo, Moračnik and Kom; the fortresses of Grmožur and Žabljak Crnojevića; the fishing village of Karuč with its blue-eye spring; and the horseshoe bend below Pavlova Strana. Almost all of it is reached from the water.
Plan your day on the water
Private boat tours from Restaurant Savina Luka in Rijeka Crnojevića — your group only, free private parking, swim stop included in season.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the entrance fee?
€5 per person over 14 years, paid separately from the tour price.
When was the park established?
1983, with Ramsar wetland status added in 1996.
Can you swim in the national park?
Yes, in the open coves. Reed beds and nesting areas should be left alone.