The year · August is underlined
| Region | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shala River |
Dated facts · every figure carries the day it was checked
| What | Value | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Ferry season | Berisha runs daily 15 April to 5 November; Koman 09:00, Fierza 13:00 | 2026-08-25 · Koman Lake Ferry (Berisha), operator timetable and prices |
| Foot passenger fare | EUR 9 booked online, EUR 10 or 1,000 lek cash at the port | 2026-08-25 · Koman Lake Ferry (Berisha), operator timetable and prices |
| Day boat from Fierzë | EUR 20 for adults 9 and over, EUR 10 ages 4 to 9, free under 4; departs Fierzë 09:30. A separate ticket from the Koman ferry | 2026-08-25 · Shala River Albania, Fierzë departure booking page |
Getting there
boat. There is no road. Day boats run up from Fierzë, almost always as an extension of a Koman ferry day, so the whole outing depends on the ferry season: nothing operates between 6 November and 14 April.
Photography
Best light: morning.
White limestone shingle and very clear water, which reads best with the sun high enough to reach the riverbed rather than in the golden hour. Check drone requirements with the AAC before travelling.
Drone: not confirmed. Albania's registration requirement is reported differently by every secondary source, so verify with the AAC before you fly.
The Shala is the water everyone photographs and few people place: a clear river running off the northern mountains into the top of the Koman reservoir, with white shingle beaches and no road to any of it.
You get there by boat from Fierzë, almost always as an extension of a Koman ferry day, which ties the river's season to the ferry's. Berisha runs from 15 April to 5 November and does not run in winter, so for five months of the year the honest answer is that this is not a place you can go.
In July and August the boats are full and everybody lands on the same shingle inside the same hour. May, June and September are the same river with room on it.
Nearby
AI imageLake KomanA reservoir through a karst gorge that doubles as the only sensible way into Valbonë. Transport and attraction in one, for seven months of the year.Fierzëno photograph yetThe upstream end of the Koman ferry: a dam, a landing and the road head for the Valbonë valley, and it works for about seven months of the year.