Ali Pasha's Castle, in Butrint

The castle of Ali Pasha is located about 2.4 km west of the gorge, in the Vivar Canal. The current castle was rebuilt in 1819, on the existing surface with 3 towers. It is known by the name of Ali Pasha Tepelena and was his second residence, who lived there until 1820.

It is thought that the beginnings of its construction are at the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th century, under the Venetian rule. It constituted more security for the Venetians in Corfu to exploit the fishing, grazing, olives and timber in and around Butrint.

Later the castle became the center of numerous conflicts with the Ottoman Empire and changed sides on several occasions. The castle was destroyed in 1798 by a retreating French army to prevent its fall to Ali Pasha.

The fortification itself began to be used at the end of the 17th century or at the beginning of the 18th century as a manor, which belonged to a Corfu family that cultivated the lands south of the ancient city. While Ali Pasha took control of the structure around 1804 and carried out a series of defensive improvements including the installation of batteries for weapons. With its small size, it is thought that the fort functioned more for control over the exit from the sea in Butrint and cannot be compared with other forts of Ali Pasha in the region of Tepelena, Gjirokastra and Ioannina.

The castle of Ali Pasha in Butrint has a stunning view, not only for the natural beauty of the Vivar canal, which is located only 10 minutes from Butrint, but also for the small sandy beaches, for the different species of birds and aquatic creatures that live there. Surrounded entirely by water, the castle can only be reached by boat, which makes this trip even more attractive to visit, both by local and foreign tourists.