Narta Lagoon's tidal wetlands conceal one of Albania's oldest working monasteries, a thirteenth-century Orthodox sanctuary built on foundations laid in the fourth century. The island of Zvernec, reachable only by a narrow wooden causeway, sits at the confluence of lagoon and open sea, a natural fortress where Byzantine monks once sheltered from Adriatic pirates. The monastery of Shën Mëri, dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin, survived Ottoman rule, communist suppression, and decades of neglect before restoration work began in the early 2000s. Today its frescoed apse and stone iconostasis draw archaeologists and pilgrims alike, while the surrounding wetlands remain a protected corridor for migratory flamingos and Dalmatian pelicans. Vlora ATV adventure routes approach Zvernec from the north, threading pine forest and abandoned military bunkers before opening onto the lagoon's southern shore. The terrain shifts from red clay tracks to compacted sand, the Adriatic visible in flashes between umbrella pines. Guides brief riders at the harbor before departure, issuing helmets and mapping the loop that includes Triport Beach, the lagoon overlook, and the monastery causeway. Most quad tour Vlore itineraries allocate forty minutes at Zvernec itself, time enough to walk the island perimeter and climb the bell tower for views across Karaburun Peninsula. The causeway, rebuilt in 2008, extends two hundred meters over shallow water. At high tide the lagoon laps within inches of the planks. Egrets fish the reed beds; in spring and autumn, flocks of spoonbills rest on the sandbars. The monastery's exterior walls, bare stone patched with lime mortar, show centuries of weathering. Inside, fragments of fourteenth-century frescoes survive in the dome, their gold leaf dulled but legible. A caretaker monk maintains the grounds, accepting voluntary donations for roof repairs and icon restoration. The site opens daily from 07:00, and most ATV tours depart early to avoid midday heat and tour-bus arrivals from Saranda. The ride back to Vlorë follows the coast road, the lagoon receding behind a screen of tamarisk and wild olive.