How to visit the Shala River

Where it is

The Shala River joins Komani Lake about 25 km upstream of the dam, in the arm that runs north towards Theth. There is no road. Every visitor arrives by boat from Koman, or occasionally on foot from Nderlysa on a long and rough trail.

How to get there

Three options. A group day tour from Koman is the cheapest at around €50 per person and includes the ferry and a transfer. A private boat is €350 for up to seven and lets you choose the timing. Or you can take the public ferry to Fierza and negotiate a boat at the pier, which is cheapest of all but unreliable in shoulder season.

When to go

June to September for swimming. May and early October are beautiful and quiet, but the water is genuinely cold and some boat services stop. Avoid the first two weeks of August if you can — that is when Albanian and Kosovar families holiday, and Ranxa beach fills up.

Beating the crowd

Boats arrive between 10:30 and 11:30 and leave by 14:00. Either get there before ten on a private charter, or walk fifteen minutes upstream past the restaurants to the second and third pools, which stay empty most of the day.

What it costs

Budget €50–70 per person for a group day trip including the boat, €10 for lunch, €10 an hour for a kayak, and a few euros for a sunbed if you want one. Cash is useful; card acceptance at the restaurants is patchy.

What to bring

Swimwear, a towel, water shoes for the shingle, sun cream, and cash. There is shade under the restaurant canopies but very little on the beach itself.

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