Montenegro kayaking

The beautiful natural scenery of Lake Skadar lends itself to wilderness camping: paddling from one point to the next and camping in view of island monasteries, abandoned fishing villages and deserted freshwater beaches. By kayak, you can explore places that are too out of the way to reach by any other mode of transport, and without leaving any trace of your visit.

Kayaking trips based at Lake Skadar are suitable for most levels of fitness, but bear in mind that you will be paddling 6-18km over five days. Groups are small and friendly, with no more than 10 people – all the better for enjoying your peaceful surroundings and ensuring your guides have the opportunity for some one-to-one tips on technique.

Kayaking isn’t that popular in Montenegro; the rivers mostly attract fishermen, thirsty bears and a few tourists tempted by white water rafting. But Gigo, one of a handful of local guides that works for Undiscovered Montenegro, is trying to change all that.

An overall outdoor enthusiast and nature lover, Gigo began his career as a rafting guide before discovering his passion for paddling the white waters of the French Alps in a kayak. After returning to Montenegro, he launched the Tara Kayak Fest on the Tara River, which now attracts championship-winning kayakers from across the world.

He hopes that the festival will attract a fresh young audience of Montenegrins to the sport, as well as drawing attention to the threat posed by development, particularly the proposed construction of over 2,700 hydro-electric power dams across the whole Balkan area.

The planned dams, which have come under fire from international conservation groups, would have a disastrous environmental impact. But, by choosing to book with one of our responsible travel specialists like Undiscovered Montenegro, who support the locals fighting to prevent the dams, you’re helping to provide an alternative source of income to these little visited places, and to convince the Montenegrin government that the rivers and lakes are best kept wild.