Komani Lake: How to Visit Albania’s Hidden Fjords
Komani Lake is one of the most stunning natural attractions in Albania. Often compared to Norway’s fjords and China’s Three Gorges, it’s one of the most spectacular things to see in Albania.
The lake is man-made, on a huge dam, so you have to visit it by boat. The easiest way to do this is by taking one of the ferries.
Komani Lake: How to Visit Albania’s Hidden Fjords
Komani Lake is located in northern Albania, a 2 hour drive from Shkoder and 3 hours from Tirana. I promise the time to get there is worth it! With soaring limestone cliffs and mountains dropping into the water, the scenery is unforgettable.
About Komani Lake
Lake Koman (aka Komani Lake) is a large reservoir on the Drin River in northern Albania. The dam was constructed in 1988, resulting in the lake. It’s surrounded by dramatic mountains and gorges. At its narrowest point it’s only 50 metres wide.
The lake is now a diverse natural habitat to small mammals (otters, fox) and a number of water birds. I saw a large crane when I was there.
How to Get To Komani Lake
The best way to get to Komani Lake is by taking one of the buses the ferry companies operate. The buses leave from Tirana and Shkoder.
I used Berisha Ferries for my transport to and from Shkoder, and also for the ferry.
From Shkoder it was a 2 hour drive, and a lot of it was windy and unpaved. The driver went between passing every vehicle while driving on the wrong side of the road, to hugging the cliff at a snail’s pace.
He did however get us there in one piece, and I just kept reminding myself he does this every day and knows the roads.
You could drive there yourself, but unless you plan to take your car on the ferry to Fierze (more on that later), I don’t recommend it. The road isn’t the best, and you have to park 1 km from the lake and walk through a long, dark tunnel with no sidewalk to get to the ferries.
Which Ferry Should You Take?
There are two route options from Lake Komani: Shala River or Fierze.
Fierze Ferry
This is a small car ferry that travels along the Drin River from Lake Komani to Fierze, a small town in northern Albania. It’s the best way to get to Valbona National Park.
The boat is popular with hikers doing the Valbona-Theth hike because from Fierze Valbona is only is 1 hour’s drive. Doing the hike from Valbona to Theth is the more popular route, as it’s easier.
The boat journey takes about 2.5 hours one way. It is extremely scenic winding through the Drin River past dramatic mountain gorges.
If you’re using the ferry to get to Valbona, this is the best option. But if you are taking the ferry strictly for the scenery and plan to return the same day, this may not be the best one for you.
During summer and autumn this boat is crowded. It was docked beside my boat, and I could see the entire lower level full of vehicles. Passengers were crowded into a small seating area on the second level. It looked cramped for a 2.5 hour journey.
It’s also a long return trip – at least 5 hours on the boat, plus a couple of hours between arrival and departure in Fierze.
Shala River Ferry
This is the ferry I took. The boat trip takes just over an hour, heading across Lake Koman, down the Drin River and then onto the Shala River (which feeds into the Drin).
The scenery is beautiful and there’s plenty of room on the boat. They even sell beer and water. There were several men drinking beer at 9:00 am.
The Shala River is often dubbed the Thailand of Albania for the spectacular scenery. That may be a bit of a stretch, but it is one of the most magnificent river valleys in the world.
The ferry arrives at the end of the Shala River around 11:00 am and departs again at 2:00 pm.
Once you arrive at the end of the Shala River, you’ll disembark and have 3 hours to explore. It is possible to stay overnight here, there are several guest houses, and I saw bonfire pits along the beach.
Lake Komani Day Tour
Berisha Ferries is the biggest tour operator on Komani Lake. They have 3 boats, one that is strictly for passengers and goes up the Shala River, and two that carry vehicles and passengers to and from Fierze.
They run daily passenger vans (furgons) between Tirana and Komani Lake and Shkoder and Komani Lake. You can buy the ferry and bus tickets together, or purchase them separately.
I just purchased them together because it was easiest and about the same price as buying them separately.
The cost for the return bus and ferry ride came to 3800 lek ($46.50 USD).
Komani Lake/Shala River day tour schedule:
- 6:45 am: Meet at Rozafa Hotel in Shkoder
- 7:00 am: Bus departs
- 9:00 am: Bus arrives at Komani Lake
- 9:30 am: Ferry departs
- 10:45 am: Ferry arrives at Shala River – free time
- 2:00 pm: Ferry departs Shala River
- 3:30 pm: Ferry arrives at Komani Lake ferry dock – get back on bus
- 5:15 pm: Bus arrives in Shkoder
What to Do on the Shala River
I wondered what I would do on the Shala River for 3 hours (it’s tiny), but the time went pretty fast.
Lots of people swam and sunbathed, there’s beach loungers and umbrellas set up (bring a towel if you want to swim). For the most part the water is shallow, and it comes from the mountains so it’s cold. You can rent kayaks at the beach.
If you continue along the river bank, past the restaurants there’s hiking routes. I didn’t do any hiking, but the trails would be challenging because the Shala River is surrounded by steep limestone cliffs.
There’s a 12 km trail between Shala River and Theth, but I recommend using a guide for this unless you’re an experienced hiker.
Beside the ferry dock, there’s a viewing platform. It cost 200 lek ($2.45 USD), and the views were fabulous from the top.
My friend and I checked out a couple of restaurants, had lunch and coffee and basically just relaxed.
The wifi is not good at the Shala River. I was using a local sim (Vodafone) and my friend had an e-sim. Neither got good reception. Much of the alpine regions in Albania don’t have good internet reception.
Best Time to Go to Lake Komani
The best time to visit Lake Komani is summer, late spring or early autumn. The ferries operate mid April to the beginning of November. The roads to and from this area may not be passable in winter.
Where to Stay
There are several guest houses on Lake Komani, along the Drin River and at the end of the Shala River. These are the ones I recommend:
Hotel Davids: Small hotel located in the town of Koman. It is 4 km from the ferry dock.
Guest House Aprripe Guri: Lovely guest house on the Drin River.
Bee Eco Guest House: Simple but clean guest house on the Shala River.
If you plan to visit Lake Komani from Shkoder, I highly recommend these Shkoder hotels and guest houses:
Hotel Colloseo: Luxury hotel well located on the main pedestrian road.
Hotel Mozart: Mid-priced hotel, a 5 minute walk from the historical centre.
In Town Guest House Shkoder: Small guest house in the historic centre, simple but lovely.
Scodrinon Hostel: Excellent location in the historic centre. Nicest hostel in Shkoder. Amazing views from the rooftop terrace.
Practical Tips for Visiting Lake Komani
These are my best tips for visiting Lake Komani after doing the trip myself:
- Bring cash: You’ll need cash to pay for things on Lake Koman and the Shala River. Not many vendors accept credit cards.
- Don’t expect good wifi: Very limited wifi, especially on the Shala River.
- Bring a towel: You can rent sunbeds, but you’ll need your own towel.
- Wear good walking shoes: The beach around Shala River is very rough pebbles/stones.
- The drive to Lake Koman is very windy: Be prepared for the last hour to be windy as the road goes through the mountains around the lake.
- There are restaurants at Shala River: You don’t need to bring food.
- The ferries sell water and beer and have toilets.
You can read all my Albania travel tips here.
FAQs
These are common questions about visiting Lake Komani:
Yes, Komani Lake is worth visiting. It is considered one of the most beautiful river valleys in the world.
Yes, you can swim in Komani Lake. There are spots along the lake and adjoining Drin and Shala rivers.
Yes, Komani Lake is man-made. It is a huge reservoir resulting from the construction of a dam in 1988. You can see the dam from the ferry dock.
Last Words on Komani Lake: How to Visit Albania’s Hidden Fjords
Komani Lake turned out to be one of the most memorable experiences of my time in northern Albania. The ferry ride through the river gorge with steep limestone cliffs is spectacular. It really is one of Albania’s most beautiful natural attractions.
