Canyoning in Montenegro, from Nevidio to the canyons of Bar

Montenegro is canyon country, and not just because of the Tara. The national tourist board splits canyoning into two kinds, the demanding descents with vertical drops and ropes, and the gentler ones with natural slides and pools. Some canyons have roads running through them and are well known, such as the Morača, Cijevna, Piva and Ibar. Others, like the Tara and the Lim, only reveal themselves from a raft or a kayak. For canyoning proper, the names to know are Nevidio, Grlja and the canyons around Bar.

Nevidio, the classic

Nevidio is on the Komarnica river near Šavnik, and its name means something like “unseen”. It’s 3,500 m long, its highest drop is 10 m and it takes about four hours, according to the national tourist board, which notes it was first conquered in 1965. Expect waterfalls, narrows, rapids and stone labyrinths, with lots of jumping, scrambling and swimming, and you’ll need a wetsuit. The name comes from the way the Komarnica suddenly vanishes into a gorge cut between Durmitor and Vojnik, and the same source calls it the last canyon in Europe to be conquered. Even so, it bills it as beginner-friendly and mentions a group aged from 10 to 80 getting through. What you mustn’t forget is its most serious warning, that once you’re in there’s no turning back, and the only way out is at the far end. The crux is the Kamikaze Gate, an 80 m passage that’s only 25 cm wide in places. The tourist board advertised the 2026 agency season from 15 June to 30 September, from €130 per person.

Grlja, for the well prepared

Grlja begins at Vusanje below Prokletije, where the Skakavica joins the Vusanje stream. It was discovered in 1982 and the tourist board describes it as the country’s coldest and darkest canyon, with water below 5°C. It’s about 500 m long and takes about five hours. At the entrance a 15 m waterfall drops into a huge natural cauldron with a pool 4 m deep, followed by a five-part chain of waterfalls, pools and siphons. Some sections get no daylight, so you’ll need a torch. Early autumn is the time to go, when the water is lowest.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Žabljak before prices climb.

Škurda, right by Kotor’s walls

Škurda is the canyon for anyone staying in Kotor. It’s formed by an underground river that rises on Lovćen and drops to the bay, starting 200 m below the Krstac pass, with the entrance at 900 m, and finishing beside the old town walls, just under the old Austro-Hungarian dam. It’s only 1.2 km long, but don’t be fooled, because it strings together 26 waterfalls of 3 to 42 m, and the national tourist board reckons on 6 to 7 hours on average, depending on the size and skill of the group. It’s technical, with anchors already in place for the rope, and it has one oddity, in that the water and air stay mild even in winter, so it can be done almost all year except after heavy rain. There are several early exits if your legs give out. For me nothing beats it for a day off the beach on the bay, always with a guide.

Bar’s five canyons

The Bar tourist board lists five. Rikavac sits beside Stari Bar, ten minutes on foot from where you park, and is 1 km long with six drops. Međureč is 17 km from Bar, about 2 km long with 12 drops, the highest 32 m, and a group of up to five takes around three and a half hours. Vruća rijeka, about 30 km away, is another matter, at 7 km with more than 30 drops, the highest 22 m, and around ten hours, and it’s only recommended for experienced canyoners. The national tourist board gives slightly different figures, about 6 km and 6 to 8 hours, and adds that it starts in the village of Veliki Mikulići, by the mosque, where you can park, and comes out beside the walls of Stari Bar; along the way are old moss-covered stone dams and a chain of lakes it suggests as a lunch stop. Suva rijeka and Nikezića potok are for professionals only. The same source says Vruća rijeka, Suva rijeka and Nikezića potok can only be done when the water is high, and Rikavac and Međureč in summer.

If you would rather have a local show you round, book a guided tour in Žabljak and choose by the reviews.

Other canyons

The national tourist board also mentions Trebješica and Bogutovski potok, which flows into the Morača. Among the most popular it lists Cijevna in Tuzi, Drenovštica in Budva and Sopot in Herceg Novi. The Tara canyon is one for rafting, which I cover in Tara rafting. If you’d rather look down on it, the ziplines in Montenegro cross it about 150 m up, right beside the great concrete bridge.

Safety

The national tourist board asks you to follow the advice of Montenegro’s Mountain Rescue Service and get informed before setting off; in an emergency, dial 112. I wouldn’t do any of these canyons without a guide and without checking the water level on the day, because a mountain storm can change a canyon within the hour. Check too that your travel insurance covers adventure sports and rescue, as Montenegro isn’t in the EU and a GHIC only covers public treatment once you’ve got the Montenegrin health fund’s certificate.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Žabljak before prices climb.