From Durres Bovilla Lake, Canyon and Gamti Mountain Tour

The road from Durres through the hills north of Tirana

The tour begins with pickup at an agreed point in Durres or Golem and a drive of roughly an hour and a half. The motorway takes you past the capital, then a smaller road climbs north-east through the villages of Zall-Herr and the foothills of the Dajti and Skanderbeg mountains, becoming an unpaved track for the last stretch into the valley. This is why a Bovilla Lake tour from Durres with a driver is the easiest way to reach it; the final kilometres are rough and there is no public transport.

On the way the tour leader explains the story of the reservoir and the rules of the site, including that the lake supplies drinking water to Tirana and is therefore closed to swimming. The views open up as you descend into the canyon, with the first glimpses of pale blue water through the rocks.

Bovilla Canyon and the river

Below the dam, the Tërkuza river flows out of the reservoir through Bovilla Canyon, a gorge of grey limestone where the walls rise sheer on both sides and the river runs clear and shallow over boulders. The walk follows a path along the gorge and down to the water, with places where you can step from stone to stone, dip your feet and photograph the cliffs reflected in the pools. The walls keep the canyon cool even in summer, and the only sounds are water and birds.

The canyon walk takes around 45 minutes to an hour at an easy pace and needs no special equipment beyond closed shoes with grip. It is the quiet counterpoint to the viewpoint later in the morning, and many travellers say the Bovilla Canyon walk is the part they did not expect to enjoy as much as they did.

Bovilla Lake: the turquoise reservoir

Bovilla Lake (Liqeni i Bovillës) was created in the 1990s when a dam was built across the Tërkuza valley to supply Tirana with water. The result is a long, winding reservoir whose colour shifts from deep blue to milky turquoise depending on the season and the light, enclosed by steep, bare mountainsides. From the shore near the dam you can walk along the water's edge, take photos and watch the colour change as clouds pass; swimming and boats are not allowed because it is a protected drinking-water reserve.

You have free time here for photos before the hike. The best time to visit Bovilla Lake is spring, when the mountains are green and the water is high, or early autumn, when the light is soft; mornings are clearer, while the afternoon option is timed for the warm light of golden hour.

Gamti Mountain viewpoint

The highlight of the half day is the hike up Gamti Mountain (Mali i Gamtit) to the viewpoint perched on a rocky ledge directly above the lake. The path climbs steeply from the lakeshore for about 30 to 40 minutes, partly on a dirt trail through shrubs and partly on rock steps and short metal stairs fixed to the cliff, so you need closed shoes and a head for heights. At the top the entire reservoir appears beneath you, twisting between the mountains, with Tirana's plain and Mount Dajti in the distance.

This is the photo everyone comes for, and the tour leader allows time for everyone to take it in turn on the narrow ledge. The descent takes about 20 minutes. The Gamti Mountain hike is short but demanding, so bring water and a hat; there is no shade on the upper part of the trail.

The Dajti and Skanderbeg mountains around the lake

Bovilla lies in the folded limestone country that runs north from Mount Dajti, the mountain that overlooks Tirana, towards the Skanderbeg range above Kruja. The slopes around the lake are crossed by shepherds' tracks, wild sage and thyme, and the occasional stone hut, and the area is still largely untouched by development. From the viewpoint you can see how narrow the valley is and why the dam was placed here.

For travellers staying on the Durres coast, this is the most rewarding half-day in the mountains within easy reach: you leave in the morning and are back at the beach by early afternoon. It also pairs well with a Kruja day tour on another day, since the two sites lie on the same side of Tirana.