Tara (Drina)

The Tara River carves the deepest river canyon in Europe, a limestone chasm plunging more than 1,300 meters through the mountains of northern Montenegro. Protected within Durmitor National Park and a UNESCO biosphere reserve, the Tara Canyon is the country's premier whitewater and one of the Balkans' natural wonders.

The rafting is scenic Class II–III for most of the popular run, with a few livelier Class III–IV rapids at higher water, threading between towering cliffs and past waterfalls that spill from the walls. The water is astonishingly clear and cold, emerald and drinkable, and the sheer scale of the canyon dwarfs the rafts drifting through it. Spring snowmelt brings the biggest, fastest flows.

The setting is the star. Sheer forested walls, hanging side-canyons, cascades and the famous Đurđevića Tara road bridge arching high overhead frame a journey through pristine wilderness. Black pine forests, some of Europe's oldest, cling to the slopes, and the canyon shelters rich birdlife. Most trips are based at eco-camps near the confluence with the Piva, and shorter half-day runs suit families while the full canyon descent takes in the deepest reaches beneath the great road bridge.

The season runs from spring through early autumn. The most thrilling water comes in April and May with the melt, while the calmer, warmer flows of summer suit families and shorter trips. Outfitters based near Žabljak and along the canyon run half-day and full-day descents, often with riverside lodging. Deep, clean and majestic, the Tara pairs gentle-to-moderate whitewater with the most spectacular canyon scenery in Europe.