Quite some time ago Little Balaton (Kis-Balaton) was a bay of Lake Balaton, but over time the area filled up with silt and thus it became a 'marshy sea of reed and sedge'. Today it is a strictly protected conservation area, because of it's unique and the extremly rich flora and fauna. Following the 1922 water regulation, Little Balaton's remaining open water surface roughly amounted to half a square kilometre. Since 1980 rehabilitation efforts have included controlled inundation and in the mid 1980's a 1870-hectare lake was created, holding 28 million cubic metres of water and serving as a natural filter to improve Lake Balaton's water quality. Birds occupied the new places surprisingly fast.

Even in the first year tens of thousands of migrating birds arrived to have a rest or to spend the winter here. In addition to 250 species of birds identified so far, we find several other rare animals and plants here. It is worth to mention the Northern vole, dogfish, pond loach and some rare species of dragonflies among them. Kányavári Island, near Balatonmagyaród, is a protected area almost 2 kms long, open to and favoured by the public because of its paths, vantage points and fishing. Visitors may have a good view into the teeming world of the wetlands from the two watch towers with good field glasses and with some luck.