Langarica Canyon — Attraction in Bashkia Përmet

You leave the car at the parking lots before the river. We paid 200 ALK for the whole day. Than we entered the canyon midday, the baths were full so we continoued further on the river. Quickly you get embraced by the rocks as you walk. At the begining there is plenty of visitors which than slowly decrease in numbers. By about half hour you stay alone and enjoy the walls by yourself. The walk continoues and after two smaller side streams come in it becomes just so much more interesting. In places it gets so narrow so you can almost touch both sides at the same time. The river was shallow, never more than knee deep. We came out at the second bridge by hydroplant (to our huge disappointment), and returned via well seen path back. I recommend to take whole day for this, we walked abput 4h upstream - with lunch, stops and 2h on the path back. The river part is not slippery but good shoes or sandals are needed, and river stones sometimes move, so you should watch your step. Do not enter the narrow parts if you visit...

Don't just stop at the thermal baths - the canyon is the real gem! 🏞️🚶‍♂️

If you've come to see the historic Kadiu Bridge and take a dip in the thermal waters, you absolutely must take a walk into the Lengarica Canyon itself. The entrance, marked on Google Maps, is located near the last of the thermal pools.

We heard that the most persistent hikers can reach beautiful waterfalls deep inside, but due to the late hour, we only ventured about 20 minutes into the canyon. However, even that short walk was enough to be amazed by the beauty of the high canyon walls and the incredible play of light. It's a truly spectacular experience and, for us, was the real highlight of the visit. Don't miss it!

(Exploring the canyon was a magical experience, even with limited time. It was a perfect addition to our visit to the thermal baths on our 2025 Albanian road trip. See the full journey in my review of Skanderbeg...

For a miserable window into the impact of unchecked tourism, look no further.

If it weren’t so depressing, it would be funny to watch the many two-wheel-drive sedans and hatchbacks attempt the journey up the riverbed, to save the 3 minutes they would otherwise have to walk from the parking area, as they try to park within feet of the bridge and pool.

You’ll encounter dozens of people staggering up the canyon in flip flops and swim shorts, smeared in mud, whistling loudly for their friends. It’s something to witness but it’s not peaceful.

It’s currently a gigantic building site, with outflows directly into the river, and it looks like there will be literally hundreds of parking spaces when it’s done. A haunting prospect.

One additional star for the nature, because I think it must have been magical once. Maybe in winter, or at dawn, some of that magic remains. It was gone when...