The emerald oasis of Herzegovina – an adventure into the wild canyon of the most beautiful tributary of the Drezanka River

The emerald oasis of Herzegovina tour is designed only for true adventurers and passionate wildlife lovers!

Is there a better place to escape from the great heat and city bustle than an untouched nature where you will be immersed in a world of harmony, where all your senses will enjoy the tranquility and beauty of crystal clear rivers that you can taste straight from the source?
We keep places like that for you and create exclusive tours to the wild canyon of the tributary of the river Drežanka, very few people have heard of, and only a few have seen.
Discover with us places that you will remember for a lifetime and experience the wild beauty of Herzegovina interwoven with the scents of the Mediterranean.
The hidden canyons of Herzegovina are on the border of two climates. They are exotic, unique and unreal.

When you find yourself in Mostar or southern Herzegovina in the summer, the first thing that comes to mind is how to spend that hottest part of the day somewhere next to refreshing water of our beautiful wild mountain rivers and lakes. At the peak of the summer season, the temperature in Mostar often rises to 45 degrees Celsius.
Given such fierce summers in Herzegovina, the real geomorphologic and hydrological phenomenon is the temperature of our ice-cold rivers, some of which, like Neretva and Buna, have been officially declared the coldest rivers in the world.
The mountains of the central massif of the Dinaric Alps, located in the wider zone of Mostar to the north, form a natural high barrier, a huge stone wall, which represents the boundary between two climates, the Mediterranean from the south and the Continental from the north.

This position makes Herzegovina one of the most beautiful and interesting regions of Europe, full of biodiversity and in scientific circles rated as a reservoir of Balkan endemics. The central massif of the Dinarides is high enough to keep snow remnants throughout the year, even in the hottest summer months, in some places.
That fact, as well as the composition of the local karst terrain, is the answer to why our rivers are so cold despite the Saharan temperatures during the summer.
Of course, these waters are ideal for drinks and refreshments, and Neretva, Buna, Bregava, Trebizat are natural air conditioners for settlements and cities located on their shores. Without them, life in this part of southern Europe would be almost impossible.

On our specialized tours that we carefully designed and prepared for you, we take you to the hidden gems of Herzegovina – to the tributaries of large rivers. Due to extremely high summer temperatures and hot rocks of karst terrain, the waters of these smaller rivers reach the ideal swimming temperatures.
The water temperature on these rivers is so pleasurable that the locals consider it more appropriate and desirable than the temperature of the Adriatic Sea in the summer. The Adriatic can sometimes be uncomfortably warm and not good enough for refreshing.
The emerald oasis of Herzegovina adventure leads us to such a canyon. The canyon of one of the hidden tributaries of the healing river Drezanka, is so unique and exotic that whenever we visit it, it always leaves us breathless. Join us!

The emerald oasis of Herzegovina hiking and canyoning 

The place we take you on this adventure is in the same incredible network of canyons formed by the river Drezanka, flowing together with its many tributaries into the Nile of Herzegovina, the mighty river Neretva.
READ HERE about how we will reach this hidden tributary of the Drezanka River and what we will see and learn along the way.

After about an hour of driving, including all the stops along the way, we arrive at the starting point of our hiking – canyoning adventure.
We leave the vehicle at the very entrance to the hidden canyon of the Drezanka tributary. As soon as we enter this canyon, a completely new, fairy-tale world of unique nature opens up. We enter slowly, in silence and with a certain awe and admiration for this monument of nature. It is a place where falcons nest and hide, and with a little luck we will be able to see some of them. We were privileged to admire them many times. Nature is indescribably beautiful, the color of the water is turquoise blue and completely transparent, and under the rocks we will see how specimens of endemic brown trout and other fish species are trying to hide from our shadows.
The breath of the Mediterranean is predominant with all its unique features. The scent of aromatic herbs is everywhere.

This canyon is special because it is very narrow in one part, and in some parts we pass through a narrow and deep tunnel, not wider than two meters.
On one of the extensions, amongst the rocks, where the sun warms us up again with all its ferocity, (and we’ll need it because we’d cool down quite a bit in fresh water), we are lucky and grateful to find flowers of edelweiss, endemic and a distinctive symbol of alpinists and high mountains. It is this edelweiss that was found, as far as we know, at the lowest altitude in our country so far, less than 500 meters above sea level.
At this point prepare your cameras, we will show you that beauty.

For the most part trail leads through the water itself, which gives this tour the atmosphere of an expedition of some sort. At every corner you will find a new revelation that is more beautiful than the previous one.
And The emerald oasis of Herzegovina tour continues, over the rocks, through narrow natural canals, through rocky pools, all the way to the final destination – a beautiful waterfall that appears between high rocks, almost out of nowhere, crashing loudly into a wide blue-green pool. It is a scene that evokes admiration, invites meditation and complete merging with nature. Drinking, in that place, ice-cold water directly from the waterfall is an invaluable experience. Everyone wants to stay in that place as long as possible before we decide to return.

These specific activities, which we have been preparing for years, are based on easy and careful hiking and a special type of canyoning, which we called “free style canyoning”. In this canyon we move in both directions, both upstream and downstream, and this tour is not a circular type. We are not constrained by any water suits, which we don’t even need here because the water temperature is not icy.
On the contrary, this type of equipment would only restrict us in swimming and enjoying refreshments. At all times we feel an absolute freedom of movement and we enjoy all the senses.
Equipment includes a protective helmet and waterproof backpacks.

Please note : Non-slip closed shoes adapted to walking in the water are mandatory ( if you don’t have shoes for walking in water and on slippery rocks, it’s best to use your everyday walking or running shoes that have a good, unworn sole)

The experience and the atmosphere are unforgettable.

This part of the tour is rated as moderately demanding and does not require special physical fitness. It is enough to follow the guidance and advice of your experienced guides, to take advantage of our professional assistance and indulge in your own enjoyment.
This stage is not long but we go slowly, relaxed and careful, we enjoy every meter spent in the canyon. The total length of the tour in both directions is less than 3 kilometers and the total stay in the canyon is between 3 and 4 hours.
In this canyon, in most cases we will not meet anyone, except on a rare occasion a lonely local. This is still our best kept secret.

After this stage of The emerald oasis of Herzegovina tour, we return to the vehicle and drive the same way through the Drezanka canyon to the lookout point which is the starting position of the second stage of this tour.
You can read more about this second part of our adventure, which is a circular hiking-canyoning tour in the central part of the Drezanka canyon, in the description here!!!
This stage is a combination of different activities such as hiking, canyoning, jumping, swimming, meditation – all in one. The duration of this part of the tour is about 3 hours.
After 3 more beautiful hours spent in the enchanting nature we return to the same road and arrive in the village of Donja Dreznica where we will have the opportunity to swim on the local beach with a waterfall and enjoy local delicacies.
After each of our tours the day can be completed with local gastronomic delicacies that we always carefully choose for you. This time we would recommend fresh river trout or organically raised veal in one of the best local restaurants overlooking the waterfall and the local beach.

Endemic species

• LEONTOPODIUM NIVALE

  We had the special honor of finding this beautiful specimen of edelweiss on a rock in the middle of this canyon. We were lucky and grateful to find this endemic and a distinctive symbol of alpinists and high mountains. It is this edelweiss that was found, as far as we know, at the lowest altitude in our country so far, less than 500 meters above sea level

• Edelweiss - nobel white

  Edelweiss usually could only be found at very high altitudes, up in the Alps where it survived the harshest of winters. We found this specimen very low, in a sub-Mediterranean climate. Prepare your cameras, we will show you this beauty.

The idea that guided us in designing The emerald oasis of Herzegovina tour was, as well as all our other tours, to always be a mixture of different aspects of tourism.
Our tours are carefully planned combining activities and education, with the ultimate emphasis on sustainable tourism and nature protection, with the intention that within the limited time we have, we provide our esteemed guests as much as possible.
Our primary goal has always been to provide our clients an experience they will never forget in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, thus in this way, gaining new friends, we get new ambassadors of our beloved country at the same time.
We will always do our best, so that in the end, your personal feeling is nothing more than satisfaction, and your final assessment is that you received more than you invested and expected.

The emerald oasis of Herzegovina tour is available from June to October
Grade of Difficulty: Medium moderate (suitable for children over 12 yrs of age)
Total Walking Hours: 4 – 5 hours

TOUR PRICE:
2-3 persons – 65 eur/person
4-8 persons – 50 eur/person

PLEASE NOTE: Our tours are private tours for independent visitors and for pre-formed groups.We pick you up from your accommodation at any time, and the tour is fully flexible and customizable. The difference with our private tours is that you will get a unique experience and you will feel like a local. Our private tours take the unique concept one notch further by tailoring your touring experience to each and every one of your particular needs and desires. Your needs and comfort are paramount to our success, so rest assured there is no compromise on quality. If you have any questions or concerns about joining one of our trips as a solo traveler please Contact us. A personal touch​ is our trademark: we tailor each tour to your ​specific interests​. Just let us know!

Departure Place: Mostar (or from any other location if requested)
Duration: Full – Day tour ( 8 hours)
What to Bring: Loose and light hiking wear; ensure you have some layers of clothing, sports shoes, non-slip closed shoes adapted to walking in the water

non-slip closed shoes adapted to walking in the water ( if you don’t have shoes for walking in water and on slippery rocks, it’s best to use your everyday walking or running shoes that have a good, unworn sole), hat, sun block, swim gear, towel, water bottle (1 litre min), hiking food.

What is Included:
• Pick up and comfortable drive in a fully equipped air con vehicle to the starting point and return to your place
• A fully guided hiking tour (English speaking certified mountain guide offering a comprehensive account of an amazing variety of endemic flora and fauna through the magnificent wild canyon
• All precautionary measures in regard to weather conditions and first aid equipment
•We provide basic protective equipment, hiking helmets, waterproof backpacks or cases for your cameras, cell phones, etc.
• Please contact us beforehand if you need any additional equipment.