The Best Places for Wild Swimming in Albania (From a Wild Swimmer)
Wild swimming: once the preserve of cold-water obsessives, now a fully-fledged wellness trend. But Albania doesn’t need a trend to be a great place for wild swimming. When you live near some of Europe’s cleanest rivers and lakes, it’s impossible not to want to jump in for a refreshing swim!
Albania has a multitude of wild swimming spots: from lakes high in the Accursed Mountains to turquoise canyon rivers, and from warm Adriatic-fed lakes to thermal springs that bubble up like nature’s own spa. Not to forget that long stretch of coast, where the Adriatic and Ionian seas meet in one brilliant swathe of turquoise blue.
If you’re planning to visit and wondering where and how to fit some swimming in, here are nine of our favourite spots to wild swim in Albania. All are places that feature on our Albania adventure holidays.
Bring your cozzie, water shoes and no particular expectations about temperature.
Wild swimming in Lake Shkodra
Best for: Families, warmer water, birdwatchers who swim and fresh fish lunches.
Albania shares the Balkans’ largest lake with Montenegro, and the Albanian side of Lake Shkodra (or Shkodër/Skadar) is much less known and visited by tourists. The best swimming spots on the Albanian shore can be found in villages like Shirokë, which are popular weekend destinations for locals. As you immerse in it’s pure waters (the lake is spring and river-fed, refreshing four times a year), you can enjoy views across the water to the Albanian Alps, rising 2,000 metres and more.
Lake Shkodra warms up nicely through summer, making this the most accessible wild swimming in Albania for families or anyone not keen on the full glacial-shock experience. Pelicans are also a likely sighting, along with many other water birds — Lake Shkodra has an estimated 300 Dalmatian pelicans!
Stay at Lake Shkodra for a week of adventures on our North Albania Activity Holiday
The Blue Eye of Theth, Albanian Alps
Best for: People already exploring Theth village, those who want to cool off after hiking the Peaks of the Balkans trail
Not to be confused with the more famous southern Blue Eye, where swimming is strictly forbidden, the Theth Blue Eye is another turquoise pool – and this one has a towering waterfall flowing right into it. It’s icy cold, created by snow melting from the Black Peak above, so only the bravest will attempt a dip – like our guide, Alfi.
The hike to reach it passes through Grunasi Canyon, one of the most beautiful gorges in northern Albania. Arrive early in summer; it’s increasingly popular.
Swimming in the Shala River (Lumi i Shales), Komani gorge
Best for: That “I can’t believe this is Europe” feeling. Adventure travellers, under-30s and friends
Nicknamed the “Thailand of Albania” for its turquoise waters and jungle-like cliffs, the Shala River is one of the country’s most photogenic wild swimming spots, flowing through the Albanian Alps and accessible only by boat from Lake Koman.
The Shala River flows from Theth National Park, which we visit on our many of our Albania trips. Its waters are cold enough to shock, but shallow enough near the banks to be manageable. Summer visits are best avoided if you prefer your swims to be unencumbered by loud music playing from rustic cafes and bars. Otherwise, walk or kayak upstream to find a more secluded spot for a refreshing swim.
Swimming in the Përmet Thermal Baths of Benja
Best for: Those who prefer their wild swimming on the warmer side. Spa lovers. Anyone with aching legs after hiking.
Swimming in the natural thermal springs of Benja in the Përmet region of southeastern Albania feels particularly wonderful during cooler months, though the place draws visitors throughout summer. The canyon nearby rises from 30 to 150 metres, and the Langarica thermal baths are known for their healing properties.
This is Albania’s answer to a spa day, but considerably more spectacular. The warm, mineral-rich water pools beneath limestone cliffs while the Langarica River carves through the gorge beyond, offering plenty more splashy fun away from the crowds if you’re prepared to do some river wading and hiking like the people we take . The combination of the historic Ottoman-era Kadiu Bridge, the Langarica River cutting through its canyon, and the soothing thermal waters makes this one of the most remarkable spots in the country.
Swimming in the Selckë waterfalls
Best for: Wild swimmers who want it all to themselves. Active adventure seekers. Intrepid travellers.
These picture-perfect falls are tucked away off a minor road in the remote Pogoni region, far from the gaze of most tourists. Quite possibly our favourite spot for wild swimming in the whole of Albania, the Selcka waterfall is accessible only to those prepared to put in a little effort – it’s a determined scramble over rocks to reach them. Reward yourself with a secluded dip you’ll never forget.
Water shoes are essential: the rocks are slippery, as your dignity will discover.
Visit the Permet thermal baths and Selckë waterfalls on our 7-day South Albania adventure
Related:
- Albania is not the “Maldives of Europe”—here’s why
- South Albania: Inside the traditional Vjosa river guesthouse
- Albania: 7 things to see and do with kids
Swimming in Albania’s slice of the Ionian Sea
Best for: Open water swimmers, sea water lovers, beach fans
If Albania’s Adriatic coastline is beautiful, the Ionian somehow ups the ante again, with mesmerisingly bright turquoise waters that shimmer in every shade of blue imaginable. It’s this unreal clarity and colour that has led some to dub southern Albania the “Maldives of Europe” — a comparison that, in our opinion, misses the point entirely.
Albania’s Ionian coast is rugged, wild and unmistakably Mediterranean, backed by steep cliffs, olive groves and sleepy stone villages rather than overwater villas. Unsurprisingly, word has spread about the region’s beauty, and hotspots such as Ksamil, Saranda and even Vlorë can become overwhelmingly busy in summer.
For a more rewarding wild swimming experience, escape the crowds to explore by kayak instead, or time your swim for sunrise. On our South Albania trip, we’ll take you paddling from beautiful Qeparo to swim in hidden coves and deserted bays only accessible from the water.
Combine Albania’s stunning Ionian Coast with adventures inland on our Albania multi-activity holiday or our South Albania 7-day adventure
Swimming in the Vjosa river, Europe’s first river as a national park
Best for: Wild swimmers who care about conservation, southern Albania itineraries away from the coast
The Vjosa is not just a great wild swimming river. It is one of the last truly wild rivers in Europe, flowing free from source to sea without a single dam — something almost unheard of on this continent.
The river shifts across a wide floodplain, creating gravel beaches and calm swimming pools that reform after every flood season. Water temperatures reach a comfortable 20°C in summer, making this one of the more approachable wild swims in Albania. The best access points are around Përmet and Tepelena in southern Albania, where the river is wide, calm, and framed by dramatic mountain scenery.
Swimming with eagles overhead and mountains rising all around, is really quite special.
Read more about the Vjosa in our blog: South Albania: Inside the traditional Vjosa river guesthouse
Swimming in Lake Ohrid
Best for: families, taking your time, first time wild swimmers
Ohrid may take its name from the eponymous town over the border in North Macedonia, but you can dive into some of the cleanest, deepest waters in the whole of the Balkans without needing to leave Albania. The sleepy town of Pogradec offers a great base to explore the watery attractions of this UNESCO heritage site (Ohrid is Europe’s oldest lake at an estimated 1.5 to 5 million years old, with a unique ecosystem and endemic species). Archaeologists also recently discovered evidence of Europe’s oldest human settlement here; remnants of wooden huts on stilts submerged underwater.
On our South Albania Activity holiday we spend our last two nights here at a beguiling small village, so there’s plenty of time to find your own secluded little cove in waters so clear you’d swear you were in the sea and not freshwater!
Swimming in the Jezerca Glacial Lakes, Albanian Alps
Best for: Serious mountain hikers, wild swimmers who like the cold.
High up in the Albanian Alps near the towering Mount Jezercë, the highest peak in Albania, the Jezerca Lakes sit at 1,794 metres above sea level, surrounded by rugged alpine cliffs and untouched wilderness.
The trail leads into a glacial valley carved by ancient ice flows descending from Mount Jezerca. Weather permitting, the bravest can dare a dip in its ice-cold glacial water. This is cold water swimming at its most extreme and most memorable. The views of the Accursed Mountains are worth the ascent alone, whether or not you actually get in.
Join us on our Via Dinarica Hiking Tour: Montenegro to Albania 7 days holiday.
Is it safe to go wild swimming in Albania and other FAQs
Albania’s wild swimming spots are extraordinary, but a handful of rules keep them that way. Always check water levels before entering rivers, especially in spring when snowmelt makes currents unpredictable. Some spots, including the famous Blue Eye near Sarandë, have restrictions to protect fragile ecosystems: please respect them. Take a local guide in remote areas where trails are less defined and it is easy to get lost. Hold off on geo-tagging if you find a wildly untouched spot or it may not stay that way. And if you have pre-existing heart conditions, a sudden plunge into 10-degree glacial water is probably a conversation to have with your doctor first.
Everything else: dive in.
Ready to explore Albania? Browse our North Albania activity holidays, Albania hiking adventures, and cross-border Balkans trips. Or get in touch to build a tailor-made Albania itinerary around wild swimming, hiking, and the country’s extraordinary nature.
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