Permet and the Langarica Canyon blew us away. Honestly, this post could just be a gallery of photos—you’ll see why in a moment. But here’s the thing: we wouldn’t have these photos if we hadn’t followed our kids, quite literally.
O tym przeczytasz
Permet Hot Springs in Winter
Let’s be honest. You don’t have to twist our arms to visit hot springs—we even checked some out in Thailand. So, there was no way we were skipping this Albanian attraction. Driving from Lake Ohrid, we took the long way around to avoid the mountain passes on the SH75, eventually entering Permet from the west.
We arrived after dark, landing basically in the middle of a construction site. The whole area is currently undergoing a metamorphosis—transforming from a wild spot for locals into a full-blown tourist facility. A huge parking lot is being built, along with artificial pools waiting to be filled. It’s the classic story of popular hidden gems. You could say we were lucky to visit Permet and hike part of the Langarica Canyon before they start charging admission tickets.
A December Dip in Permet
That evening, we headed down to the famous stone bridge. We couldn’t resist a first dip under the starry sky. A slight surprise though—the water was maybe 25-27°C (77-80°F). Our expectations clashed hard with reality (you know, we were expecting Iceland-style hot springs). Getting out of the water into the cold night wasn’t exactly pleasant either. But we didn’t give up and went back first thing in the morning.
By day, it’s a whole different story. The attraction isn’t just the warm water; it’s the surroundings. The incredibly turquoise water of the Langarica River, the ancient stone bridge, and the view toward the Nemercka massif. Ab-so-lute-ly beautiful.
Of course, we had to jump in again. We managed to find a semi-natural pool right under the bridge, next to where the new pools are being built. The water temperature still didn’t knock us off our feet, but the sun and the scenery did most of the heavy lifting.
Following the Kids – Langarica Canyon
The hot springs aren’t the only show in town. The second attraction—and actually the main one for us—is the Langarica Canyon. Most info we found said that in winter, entering it is pointless or impossible—supposedly impassable. From others’ stories, we knew that in summer, this walk involves wading ankle-deep or sometimes waist-deep in water. In December, as you can guess, that sounded like questionable fun.
However, our kids decided there are no obstacles you can’t at least try to overcome. Instead of scolding them, we let them play freely and take a risk. What’s the worst that could happen? Wet shoes and clothes. Our campervan was a maximum of 20 minutes away. The Langarica River turned into a giant natural playground—just look at how cool it was.
The Prize at the End – Another Hot Spring
Walking like this—hopping from stones on the right bank to stones on the left—we spotted steam rising in the distance. Before we could even say anything, the kids had already locked onto the target. They were convinced the water there would be much warmer than what we found under the bridge earlier.
While the older kids had no trouble jumping between rocks, it was a challenge for Basia. Sometimes we realized a jump was just too wide. It ended with one of us wading barefoot through the water to help Basia reach this mysterious pool.
Just like before, we couldn’t resist a bath here. It didn’t matter that we had left our swimsuits drying by the bridge (we were only supposed to be gone for two minutes!).
We ended up staying for a good hour. We practically had to drag the kids out of the water by force—they didn’t mind that the water wasn’t much warmer than at the bridge. The joy quickly faded into thermal shock once they got out, especially for Basia.
Goodbye Permet Hot Springs and Langarica Canyon
We came here specifically for the hot springs but got a great bonus reward in the form of the canyon. But the adventure didn’t end there. Permet is a small town/village, and to get back to the main road to Gjirokastër, you have to drive through a very agricultural region. There is probably no landscape more Albanian than mountains, water, and sheep.
The drive back was no less spectacular, as you leave Permet following the beautiful bed of the Vjosa River (Europe’s only undammed river and a national park itself). But more on that in the next post about winter in Albania by campervan.
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