Vjosa Rafting Photo Gallery: The River, the Rapids and the Canyon

Photos de nos aventures

These are photographs taken on our own trips on the Vjosa River near Përmet, Albania. They show the 7.6 km route we paddle every day, the Class II and Class III rapids along it, the canyon walls that close in around the water, our guides at work and the groups who come out with us. If you are trying to picture what a day on Europe’s last wild river actually looks like, start here.

The river itself

The first thing most people notice in the photographs is the colour of the water. The Vjosa runs turquoise and clear because it is free flowing, with no dam anywhere along its course. In the wide sections you can see straight to the riverbed, with pale stones and gravel banks on either side and the mountains of the Përmet basin standing behind.

Les rapides

Several photographs are taken in the middle of the whitewater. Our route is graded Class II and Class III, which means broken water, standing waves and channels the guide has to steer through rather than long flat stretches. You can see the spray coming over the front of the raft, paddles going in together, and the faces that go with it.

The canyon

Further along the route the valley narrows and the rock rises steeply on both sides. The canyon shots show layered limestone walls, deep shade on the water and the sky reduced to a strip overhead. This is the quietest part of the trip and the part guests most often say they did not expect. Photographs do not really do the scale of it justice.

The guides and the equipment

You will see our guides in most of the images: in the stern of the raft, standing on the bank during the briefing, or fitting helmets and life jackets before launch. Everyone in these pictures is wearing the kit that comes with every booking, which is a helmet, a life jacket, a wetsuit, booties and a paddle. Our guides are certified in swiftwater rescue, first aid and risk management, and you can read more on our safety page.

Groups on the water

The rest of the gallery is people: families, couples, friends on a road trip through southern Albania, students, and work teams out for the day. There are first timers who had never held a paddle before that morning, and there are children paddling alongside their parents. If you are organising something larger, our group tours page has the detail.

Where were these photos taken?

All of them were taken on our own route on the Vjosa River, just outside Përmet in southern Albania, and at the riverside meeting point where trips start and finish. Nothing here is stock photography from another river. Directions to the same stretch of water are on our how to get there page.

Will there be photos of my trip?

Yes. Our guides take photographs on the water while you paddle, including at the most scenic points along the canyon, so nobody has to sit the rapids out holding a phone. You are welcome to bring your own camera too, as long as it is waterproof and secured.

Can I bring my own phone or camera?

You can, but protect it. Use a waterproof pouch for a phone, or an action camera with a wrist strap. You will get wet on the Class III sections, and anything loose in the raft can go over the side. Leave anything valuable and not waterproof in the changing area instead.

See it for yourself

Trips run twice a day, at 10:00 and 14:00, at €35 per adult and €30 per child. Book your date at book.vjosarafting.com, or message us on WhatsApp at +355 67 49 63 486 if you have a question first.