Shpella e Valit

Useful Information

Location:	From Tirana follow SH54 40 km east, park at the turnoff of a single lane gravel road on the left. 1.8 km easy walk to the cave entrance, 20 minutes. (41.3470245, 20.1613601)
Open:	no restrictions. [2024]
Fee:	free. [2024]
Classification:	Losing Stream
Light:	n/a
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Shpella e Valit
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History

Description

Shpella e Valit (Cave of Waves) is a huge river sink, located only 30 km east of the capital Tirana. It's a bit trick, as there is a second cave of the same name in Albania. This one is a river sink, and while the main passage is explored for more than 250 m its actually not possible to enter the cave. The yearly flooding makes the floor quite a climb over huge boulders. Nevertheless, the site is quite interesting, with a massive river flowing down into the huge cave passage. The site is most impressive after snow melt in spring, or after heavy rains, but even during the dry summer it is worth a visit.

The cave is reached after a 40 km drive from Tiran across spectacular mountains and karst landscapes. The road is narrow and winding, and you should plan at least 1.5 hours for the drive. The cave is near the village Bizës, which actually does not exist any more. All the buildings are destroyed, and we can only guess that it was destroyed during the Balcan War. The river which flows through the former village and a tributary from the Biza lake in the south flows northwest and into a dry valley. The strange thing is, that the valley does not go downhill any more, and the river vanishes underground. The road follows the valley uphill to its end, connecting about a dozen small farms.