A fairy- ride across the enchanted Komani Lake

From the moment I heard of Albania’s Lake Komani and Shala River to be precise, I knew how my Albanian visit was going to turn out. Therefore, upon arriving in Albania, I headed straight to Lake Komani and made the discovery of a lifetime.

In short, the lake lived up to its hype, reputation, and my expectation.

Worth every Lek spent on the trip.

The trip and how I fell in love with it

Admittedly the trip was slightly exhausting, even though I did stay overnight on the lake shore guesthouse the night before. I can’t speak for other guesthouses, but the one I stayed in had all their stuff produced locally. The trout came from the lake, the honey came from the bee farm one can see along the shore…you get the picture. And this set the mood for the boat ride in the Lake.

Arriving at the ferry boarding point early the next morning is an adventure. One must pass through a narrow tunnel (people walk through it if arriving by private transport) to reach the pier lined with huge ferries carrying people and motor bound for different destinations. My boat with about twenty passengers and a dog was bound for Shala River, accessible only via the Lake Komani. There were not many tourists heading my way, which was quite a relief.

Once the journey began and the boatman started up a brief introduction of the day’s itinerary is when I learned that the breathtaking lake was created by humans. To me (and I speak boldly for everyone on the boat), it felt more like a fairyland. Lake Komani’s seclusion, the surrounding wilderness, the deep green waters didn’t quite scream “human creation” – and when the music died, I felt as though I was sailing in paradise. Except when small villages appeared along the shore did that illusion shatter.

The emerald water, so clear that it looked unreal, meandered through vertical canyon walls before finally narrowing to a width of merely fifty meters. It suddenly turned cold. I swear everyone slipped on a jacket and mumbled. Through this the boat shot through and finally we arrived at Lumi I Shales (Shala River).

Someone thoughtfully named it the Peace Island because any other name would do no justice to it.

The Shala River is also called the Thailand of Albania. The water shifted colours- from deep green to light blue. Tall, lush, unique mountains lined the entire river rising straight out of the water and isolated between the peaks of these mountains with beach spots next to the river was the most magnificent sight I’d seen in all of Albania.

In no other place in Albania can one see and explore a vertical landscape that goes from 170 to 1800-2400 meters in such a small area.

And yes, my first thoughts were of being in an enchanted, magical land.

Shala River is often confused with Lake Komani and although they are attached, they are not the same. The Shala River is a side branch of the Komani Lake and can be accessed only via the boat. The Shala River has its origin in Thethi and flows past Peace Island towards the lake. Unfortunately, most people skip this trip (and head to Valbona Valley National Park or Fierze instead) but I am glad I chose this way.

After drinking in the scenery, I decided to do the short hike to a point that overlooked the Shala River. Understandably, there were only few people with the same idea and I soon knew why. The hike was steep and slippery, and I can’t say that I didn’t struggle a little, but the overlook to the river was mind blowing. For those enthusiasts, the trail continues upwards into the mountains, which I was told required determination, agility and time.

Perfect if you are staying at one of the only two guesthouses there.

The Shala River boasts of some of the most scenic views in Albania, making it the perfect place to relax in silence.

Seeing that I was all hot and sweaty, the next thing to do was, naturally to chill in the freezing waters with a cold Peja, Albania’s favourite beer, diving into that “happy to be alive and free” feeling.

Did I mention that the waters here are frightfully cold? Easily below freezing! My feet turned numb from the cold. I swear I could see the sun-loungers smile as I stumbled my way out of the water on through the pebbled beach.

So, I spent the next hour warming myself by the wood-fired oven in the restaurant, inhaling the smoke and smell of grilling meat and fish while the others spent time in the bar in the middle of the blue river.

Side note: If you are not into hiking, you can rent a kayak and explore the surrounding area.

How the lake came to be

Located in the northern part of Albania, not far from Shkoder and near the spectacular Valbona Valley National Park, is in fact an artificial lake. It was created when the hydroelectric power station was built in the 1980s on the Drin River with the 115-meters high dam on one side, near Komani village (hence the name of the lake).

Komani Dam is one of the ten highest dams of this type in Europe, with a height of 133m and a length of 290 m, who has created a lake with a total volume of about 500 million m3 of water.

The crystalline water of Shala River originates in the village of Theth and gets together with Valbona River in Komani Lake. It is as though all the beautiful rivers of Albania are united in Lake Komani giving it an ethereal beauty. These rivers collect alpine waters from the melting snow that flow into the valley.

Inland water transport with ferries and boats for passengers and goods is also developed. The lake is also used for fishing.

Getting there

Albania is a small country, so it is not very difficult to reach places if you think of the distances, but access to certain places, Lake Komani included, a direct transportation is rather limited – or mostly restricted to private means or day trips (in groups).

The places are easily reachable by car, although a big part of the road leading to Lake Komani goes through winding mountainous road and is in a rather poor condition so expect to drive slow.  Tirana is around 140 km away (3 hours by car) and Shkoder is 60 km away (1.5 hours by car)

I used private transport from Shkoder as I intended to stay the night on the Lake. However, there are early morning minibus from Tirana departing from the Gazheli Petrol station next to Zogu i Zi roundabout in the center of the city. Berisha Ferry is one of the most popular operators of the ferry. During high season, it is recommended you book early – online booking works well.

Transfers are also available from Shkoder and Valbona.

Quick tips:

1. Book your stay in advance if you intend to stay the night.
2. Pack swim wear, warm clothes and rain gear.
3. No need to pack food or snacks – plenty of options for it around.
4. You can drink water straight from the river.
5. Carry your trash back with you. (There is a board by the ferry boarding point that says – Consider this the land of gods. Keep it clean. There is no trash in heaven). It’s meant to be taken seriously.

Should you visit?

Most definitely yes. When you plan your Albania itinerary be sure to include Lake Komani in it too. The place is also home to numerous species of animals and birds, if you are lucky, you might spot them around when visiting Lake Komani. If you have time on hands, stay the night in one of the guesthouses around the lake.