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Half a day tour from Saranda!
Escape from Saranda
After spending many days in the beautiful beaches of the Albanian coast (Saranda, Lukova, Himara, Ksamil, etc) and experiencing all that they have to offer, we decided we wanted to take a little break from sitting by the shore and driving through crowded roads filled with tourists. So the question arose, what should we do? We discussed with some locals in Delvina and they recommended a few locations nearby. However, one of them really piqued our interest. Tatzat waterfall. A hidden gem of Albania, by the feet of the Wide Mountain (Mali i Gjere). So we said OK, let’s try it. Little did we know of the adventure that laid ahead of us.
Our first stop
Our journey began in Saranda city center, where all the buses leave to different cities around Albania. We went on the main road from Saranda to Tirana and 15 minutes later we took a left to an unpaved gravel road, with the amazing scenery of mountains all around us, and a river which branched off into the distance. After a few minutes, we stopped in a local bar near the village of Kalase (Castle), and asked for directions. While we were there, we spotted an old arched stone bridge 50m away from the gravel path, with the beautiful river flowing under it.
Every stone on the bridge had a story to tell about its travelers through the centuries. As we stood there observing it, we could imagine all the different chariots and caravans that would have passed through it, maybe making their way to the sea, and then proceeding to Italy or Greece by ship. It would be no surprise if some bold English traveler of the 18th century even passed through it. But then the barking of a dog from a nearby house made us snap back into reality; the bridge, as interesting as it was, was not our final destination. It was time for us to continue our journey to the waterfall.
Towards our destination
We hopped back in the car and followed the gravel road. Eventually, we reached a sign that said Tatzati Waterfall and headed in that direction. As we advanced, the mountain was getting closer, and the river was getting louder. This is when we realized that we were close to our destination. After a few more minutes, we spotted a white van in the distance. It seemed to be blocking the road, but as we got closer to it we could see that the road actually ended there. Hidden under the shades of big trees was a family run restaurant, with the wild river flowing under it. Finally we felt the cool breeze of nature on a hot Albanian summer day.
We were welcomed by the owner, Edi, who offered to guide us to the waterfall. He told us that there was ONLY a 15 minute hike to the waterfall, but that he could do it in 10. The man and the mountain had made peace a long time ago, and he knew exactly where to set his foot in order not to fall down into the gushing river, which was 30 meters below us. The path was very narrow and steep, but thanks to an old aqueduct, which once fed the village of Kalase with water, we were able to advance.
Edi told us he was walking ahead of us to scare off any possible snakes which could be making their way down to the river to quench their thirst. As we raised our head to the mountain side, we spotted two watchman caves, so we asked our guide about their purpose.
And then he started explaining the story of the waterfall mill of Tatzat. Centuries ago, there was a mill right by the river. This water mill was of great importance, as it was the only food source for the whole area, this is why it had to be guarded. The legend says, one day, just like today, as the miller’s wife was working in the mill, the mountain trembled, and a large rock rolled down on the mill. The unbearable pain of the miller losing his beloved wife caused him to abandon the mill and leave the village, and the villagers followed after him. Nature had taken back what was stolen from it. However, the curse of the mill remained among the whispers of the wind, as we almost slipped off the mountain a few times, just like the rock. By the end of the story, we found ourselves only a few steps above the waterfall. WOW, it was one of the most beautiful scenes that we had ever witnessed.
I will let the pictures speak for themselves, however, I cannot describe the cool breeze that we felt as we went closer to it, nor the atmosphere that immediately brought smiles to our faces. The sounds that it made were so loud we could barely hear each other speak, yet so calming that you could easily fall asleep right beside it. If we could, we would set camp for a few hours and enjoy the alluring scenery, but Edi reminded us of the food awaiting us.
We headed back to the restaurant, and the way felt much shorter as we had already experienced it. When we arrived there, our lunch was ready. Edi’s wife and daughter served us the fresh food that they had prepared, and it was some of the best we have tried. Everything was 100% bio, you couldn’t get anything that wasn’t even if you wanted to.
Warm burek made with cottage cheese and fresh butter, salad made from wild green plants, feta cheese, and fresh goat meat straight from the spit. And in the end, the Albanian delight. Traditional Albanian dessert made with walnuts and cornstarch (hasude), improved by the owner’s wife, who didn’t want to share her secret ingredients. After drinking a second jar of fresh water from the waterfall, we knew it was time to head back, with the desire to one day return again.
