Theth and Valbona Pass Travel: Hiking the Albanian Alps from Himare to Shkodra

After having a great last night in Himare, I got up at 4:30 to catch the bus at 5 but just missed it as the bus actually came and left before time. The next bus was at 7 so for the next 2 hour , me and the people I was travelling with slept on the road waiting for the bus. A totally different experience. The bus finally came, we paid 1300 Lek and hopped on the bus. A few minutes into the journey, everyone passed out and the next thing we knew, we were approaching Tirana. We reached around noon and the bus to Shkodra was at 1. The next part of the journey was quick and by 3 we were at our Hostel – Mi casa es Tu casa in Shkodra for the night. You have to inform the hostel that you want to go to Theth/Valbone and the next morning around 7 a van will be waiting outside the hostel to take you to the mountains. After some relaxation in Shkodra, the next morning I left for Theth at 7. Theth isn’t that far from Shkodra and reached there pretty quickly. A few things to keep in mind before leaving for the mountains, there are no ATMs so have enough cash with you as cards aren’t accepted everywhere, there are hardly any restaurants and supermarkets and they close very early so stock up some food if you are doing the hikes and as Theth is in the mountains, the reception will be less to none in most of the places. There are only hotels and guesthouses in Theth and I booked Guesthouse Rrashkadoli. Initially, I was going to stay in Shpella guesthouse recommended by people but due to change in plans I stayed here. It was a half an hour walk from the bus stop to the guesthouse. It was a beautiful guesthouse in midst of the mountains with a river running in front of it. An old Albanian couple’s house who treated me like their own son for the next 2 days. After having breakfast, I left to say the famous Blue Eye of Theth.

The Blue Eye of Theth

The Blue Eye is a small water spring which is turquoise in colour resembling a blue eye. The hike is just 3kms from the starting point but from the guesthouse it was a bizare 12kms. Till the starting point you have to follow the main road to reach. Walking along the river, between the mountains with the sun soaring, it took around 2 hours for me to reach the starting point. I tried hitchhiking but couldn’t find any vehicles. There is a cafe where you can have food before starting the trek. I had some heavy lunch and continued my adventure. It was an easy walk with proper signs to reach the blue eye and takes less than 30 minutes. When you are close to the Blue Eye, the surroundings get cold and the air becomes much cleaner. It was beautiful and very quiet. It is the melted snow that comes down so the water was ice cold. I tried taking a dip but couldn’t last long enough. The water is crystal clear and you can see everything. If it was peak summers, a longer swim would have been possible. I had to reach my Guesthouse before it gets dark so I quickly headed back. Luckily after walking on the road for sometime, I managed to hitchhike till the main bus stop, from there I walked again. A long day with lots of walking and hiking came to an end with a golden sunsets over the mountains. My legs were already crying but the next day was the main hike- Valbone Pass. A delicious mountain styled home-cooked dinner by the host charged me up for the hike. I was joining a lady from the guesthouse who was doing the same hike.

Valbona Pass Hike

With some good rest and an early start to the day, I was geared up. It was predicted that it might rain heavily which you don’t want while hiking in a place where people died recently. We started the hike at 5:30 from the guesthouse. There are again signboards to help you guide so you don’t get lost. The hike goes through dense forests (where one can get lost), steep climbs , small streams and narrow patches as well. Right after midway there is a cafe where you can get food and coffee. It was closed when we were climbing as we were very early but we had our own food and coffee so no problem. With no hurry or pressure to reach, we took many breaks, enjoyed the views and finally reached the summit. I forgot to mention that it wasn’t just me and the lady. We had a local guide with us too! A very cute and friendly dog who was at the guesthouse did the whole trek with us. He was our guide and hiking companion.

The Valbona pass is at 1800m and from the top on one side you can see Valbone and on the other side you can see Theth. As we were the first ones to arrive, it was empty and could feel the tranquility. We spent some good time on the top, had some food and just appreciated the view. The descend did not take a lot of time and I was quick with it as I could see dark clouds approaching and some rain at a distance. I did not wanted to drench myself nor slip while descending as the roads get slippery after rains. I managed to reach the restaurant at the main bus station area by noon and as I sat down for lunch, it started storming outside. I finally tried the national dish of Albania- Tave Kosi which is baked lamb and rice. It was just “wow” and made me obsessed with that dish. I had it later as well in Shkodra and Tirana before leaving. This amazing lunch made me drowsy. The rain stopped and I was able to go back to the guesthouse and doze off for a while. I was feeling really happy to have done the Valbona Pass and the Blue eye as well. The other things which you can see is the Grunas waterfall which I saw while going to the Blue Eye but didn’t take a proper break there. For the rest of the day I strolled around the guesthouse as it was raining on and off. Played with the dogs as well. It was very de-stressing just to walk on grass barefoot after a long hike, in the mountains where cell phones hardly work , reconnecting with mother nature.

Final Moments in Theth

A warm bonfire dinner with everyone in the guesthouse, stories and laughs exchanged. The hosts treated me like their own grandson throughout my stay. They did not speak English nor I spoke Albanian but somehow we connected well and laughed off each other’s jokes and had a really good time with them. They were very hospitable and even made me food for my journey back to Shkodra. I would highly recommend anyone travelling to Theth to stay here. I paid 3800 Lek (31 Pounds/ 3300 INR) for my stay.

Before leaving, they both hugged me tight as if their grandson was leaving them. I clicked a photo with them and ended my trip in the Alps with a big smile and achievements. I was going back to Shkodra which was my last destination of the trip. I was happy but a bit sad as I didn’t want this adventure to end 🙁