Canyons are mostly formed from limestone and granite, the incline of their walls reaching 60°. The rocks over which crystal turquoise water cascades, the bright green vegetation – it is hard to put into words. Canyoning involves climbing through narrow crevices and up cascades, and can also involve double rope rapelling, diving and swimming where possible. Canyoning is an extreme sport that is gaining in popularity the world over. Our country can boast a wealth of natural resources and a great number of canyons that you can explore.
The largest and most famous canyon in the world is the Arizona Grand Canyon. The second-deepest canyon in the world, and the deepest in Europe is in Montenegro – the Tara River canyon. The Tara canyon is 78 kilometres long and up to 1,300 m deep. Its drainage basin is 141 kilometres long and is considered the longest river basin in Montenegro. The Tara River canyon has 80 large caves.
In the centre of Montenegro is the Nevidio canyon. Nevidio is the Komarnica River canyon, just an hour away from Nikšić, and is an attractive and increasingly popular tourist destination, especially foreign visitors. A group of mountaineers from Nikšić first reached this canyon in 1965.
Then there is the Grlje canyon near Gusinje, very much worth exploring and touring, featuring smooth cliffs up to twenty metres high that are very close together.
The Cijevna canyon near Podgorica was discovered in 1886 and popularized after exploration by Italian botanist Antonio Baldacci. There are also many other smaller canyons in Montenegro that attract adventurers, such as the Škudra River canyon near Kotor and the Bogutovski Potok stream that flows into the Morača River.
Canyons in Montenegro are mostly found in remote locations, and to explore some of them you will certainly need guides with navigation and wilderness survival skills and knowledge of the route.
Practical notes for canyoning in Montenegro
Where it happens. The commercial canyons are mostly in the north and centre: Nevidio in the Komarnica gorge is the famous one, and there are shorter, gentler options around the Mrtvica and Medjurjecje canyons. Nevidio is genuinely demanding and not a first-timer's outing dressed up as one.
Season. Nevidio only opens once snowmelt drops the water to a safe level, which in practice means roughly late June to late September. Nothing about that is fixed — a wet spring pushes the opening back, and operators cancel on flow rather than on the calendar.
What is provided. Reputable operators supply wetsuit, helmet, harness and shoes, and you go with a guide; nobody should be entering these canyons unaccompanied. Expect to swim, jump and abseil, and expect the water to be cold whatever the air temperature is doing.
Who it suits. You need to be a confident swimmer and reasonably fit. Most operators set a minimum age and will turn people away on the day if conditions change — take that as a sign of a serious outfit rather than an inconvenience.
