Canadian Geographic describes the Vjosa as a river unlike any other. An important river not only for Albania, but also for Europe, flowing freely through impressive landscapes full of life and diverse traditions of local communities that attract curious visitors from all over the planet.
Beginning in the Pindus Mountains of northern Greece, where it is called Aoös, the Vjosa flows northwest for 272 kilometers before emptying into the Adriatic Sea near the tourist city of Vlora.
The river is a chameleon, turning from turquoise to shimmering chocolate brown within hours of a rainstorm. Its personality changes too. In its upper reaches, the Vjosa is known for its narrow canyons and foamy, fast-flowing water. In its middle reaches, the river widens and constricts, forming complex braids and depositing heavy white sediment as it meanders lazily from one side of its wide bed to the other.
Operators like Vjosa Explorer local on the thrill of potential rafting seekers on Class III rapids and near-meter high waves. In return, adventure tourism provides jobs for locals who migrate in search of work.
But the one thing about the Vjosa is that it is wild, its ecosystem flowing freely and untouched from source to sea – something unheard of in Europe, where most rivers were dammed, canalized and diverted decades ago. . Consequently, the Vjosa supports a complex web of life. More than 1100 different species are present to date, with 15 on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, including the Egyptian vulture, the Eurasian otter and the critically endangered European eel.
