White water rafting in BiH
White water rafting is one of the most famous and best developed outdoor activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Four beautiful and powerful rivers (Neretva, Vrbas, Una and Tara) offer stunning and exciting rides through pristine wilderness and are considered some of the best in Europe. Since we were in Herzegovina for the weekend and spent a good part of our 4 day getaway chilling on Bregava and Buna Rivers, we decided to finish off with the favorite all day adventure in Herzegovina, rafting down the Neretva River. I’ve never been rafting in BiH before and I was excited about spending the day on the Green beauty.
Neretva River
Neretva (from Celtic ‘Nera -Etwa’ – ‘Divinity that flows’) is the largest river of the eastern part of the Adriatic basin and the most important Herzegovina river. Originating in the Dinaric Alps, under Lebršnik Mt. it flows 220 km through BiH and another 20 km through Croatia until it reaches the Adriatic Sea. I was surprised to find out that it is one of the coldest and cleanest rivers in the world. It is also notable for its diverse ecosystems and habitats, rich flora and fauna and interesting cultural and historic heritage.
When to go?
White water rafting which starts around Glavatičevo (a village close to Konjic) will, in the summer months take around 3,5 to 5 hours and you will enjoy 23 km of descent down the impossibly green waters of Neretva River. The best time to go is between May and October and it is suitable for all age and fitness levels. Just make sure you listen to your skipper and his instructions.
Raftingneretva.ba
There are plenty of rafting companies to choose from, but we were guests of raftingneretva.ba, a company who’s owner was one of the first skippers here in 1998. We came to Konjic by car and parked it there and they drove us with a minivan to the starting point some 40 minutes away. In case you are not coming by car, they can organize transport from Sarajevo. Another group of people joined us there and we were equipped with wetsuits, helmets, life jackets and shoes. We were all set and ready for our little adventure.
Relaxing and fun
Even though it was a cloudy day we really enjoyed the whole experience. Our skippers were fun and professional and we enjoyed the time spent with them. They organized a BBQ lunch at a nice beach on the way and we brought some wine to go along. But more than anything I enjoyed the truly stunning and dramatic landscapes on the way. Neretva Canyon is really breathtaking, the colors the of water impossible and swimming in it (in our wetsuits of course) was refreshing and exciting. There are a couple of adrenaline moments along the way but mostly it is a relaxing and fun experience for anyone.
Support local tourism
So in case you are wondering where to cool off this summer in Bosnia and Herzegovina don’t miss this full day adventure. Not only will you have a whole day of fun and healthy activities you will also be supporting our tourism industry which has been hit the most by the COVID-19 situation. Our country really has so much to offer in terms of nature, beauty and fun that I don’t feel in the least deprived by the current situation with the borders. Plenty to see and experience right here, in our own backyard.
We were guests of: http://raftingneretva.ba/index.php/ba/
