MAY 8, 2022 /TRAVEL, EUROPE, BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA

RAFTING ON CANYON TARA

Last weekend I went to Bosnia and Herzegovina for the famous rafting experience on the river Tara and Drina in the Canyon Tara. And it was a very wonderful experience. I have been wanting to go since last year but kept postponing it and then summer came and the waters are slow so I had to leave it for next year.

Canyon Tara is famous for its white waters which are perfect for rafting. Also, Tara Canyon is the deepest canyon in Europe and second deepest in the world after the Grand Canyon. The deepest point is 1800m. Located between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montengero is this beautiful natural gem. Besides rafting there are dozens of hiking and walking trails, bicycle trails, wide flora and fauna, UNESCO sights and National Parks it’s definitely a must visit. This time we only did rafting, but I would most definitely return and explore more of Tara Canyon.

I wanted to go in April or May since the waters are the fastest then and it is the most adrenaline rush. After thorough research on which camping to go to since there are so many I choose Drina Tara Rafting Center– as it had great reviews, great package offers, heating (very important) and it looked great. There are various packages and offers they have, check their website for all details.  did the 3 day short rafting tour. You can directly book on their website via email or give them a call.

The camp is located 40 minutes drive from Foča, BiH it’s a narrow and unpawed road so make sure to drive slowly to avoid a flat tire. I choose the deluxe bungalow option, which has a private bathroom. You stay in the cute wooden houses (pictured above). The house is a one room bedroom and a bathroom, nothing more needed anyway. In the package we had one day of rafting and 5 meals included. The rafting experience is around 2-2:30h, before the start of it we have a meeting where we pick up equipment (helmet, water shoes, neoprene suit and life vest), after you get dressed you are driven to the start point (it’s around 1h drive).

We met our skipper there who gave us a brief crash course on rafting, how to padle, where to sit, what to do in case the boat flips etc. and then we were off rafting. The meaximum number of people in one boat is 8 + the skipper. The rafting was 2h long, in summer months when the water is slower it can be up to 4h.

The total length of the route was around 23km, we made two stops during the tour. One to see waterfalls and to take a break there was a little cafe where you could get coffee and water and the second stop was for swimming, only a few brave ones went in since the water was 4 degrees celsius . After that we arrived back in the camping where lunch was ready for us. The afternoon was free time you can spend it to go on a walk, play some sports, relax or rent an ATV. My suggestion is to stay one more night since you would most likely be tired from the rafting. Another tip is avoid going during the weekends, since it gets pretty packed. We had our rafting on Friday and there were only 4 boats so it was very laid back and relaxed.

As for the rafting itself no prior experience is needed, the tour is suitable for first timers and beginners. I would say it was pretty relaxed, I expected more adrenaline rush but it was still a fun experience, we didn’t flip and no one went overboard haha