A Day on the Lakes around Mila 23

Around Mila 23, in the middle of the Danube Delta, narrow channels open into wide lakes and the reed beds reach the horizon. The day on these lakes is at the heart of every tour we run from the village: two slow sessions on the water, one in the morning and one in the late afternoon, with time to rest in between.

Two sessions, at the best hours

The first session starts after breakfast. Around midday you are back in the village for an optional lunch, a rest in the shade and, if you like, a visit to the Ivan Patzaichin Museum, which tells the story of the Lipovans of Mila 23 and is usually open Wednesday to Sunday, from 11:00 to 18:00. The second session leaves in the late afternoon, when the light turns warm and the birds come back to feed.

In July and August the sessions move to sunrise and the late afternoon, the coolest and quietest hours of a summer day. From about 9:30 in the morning hundreds of speed boats race through the Danube Delta, and speed boats are today the greatest threat to its nature. We keep our guests away from them.

Lakes and channels

No two lakes around Mila 23 are alike. Some are wide and open, with the wind moving over the water. Others hide behind walls of reed and are reached through channels so narrow that the willows close above the boat. Often the channels between the lakes are the most beautiful part of the day.

What you look for

Pelicans fishing together or resting on a bank, terns diving for small fish, herons standing still at the edge of the reeds, the blue flash of a kingfisher. And the plants of each season: willow catkins and yellow irises in spring, carpets of water lilies in summer, golden reeds in autumn. Our guides know where to find them, and they take the time to tell you what you are looking at.

A new route every day

The route is chosen every morning by the season, the water level and the latest news from the water. Our guides are out on the Danube Delta every day, in every season, and share in one group whatever interesting they find, so the boat goes where there is most to see.

Slow, by choice

The boat moves slowly, on the channels and on the lakes alike. The point is to see as much as possible of the nature around you and to understand the beauty and the variety of the Danube Delta, so the boat stops whenever there is something worth watching.

The boat

Our boats were built for us, for the Danube Delta and for tours. They are open, with no roof, and sit high in the water, so they reach wild, narrow places where large or covered boats cannot go. An open boat is the complete experience: you see, hear and smell the Danube Delta around you. Come prepared for the weather, with a hat for the sun and a rain poncho. There are enough life jackets on board for all passengers. Read more about our boats.