Had we only visited the hot springs (which turned out to be giant bath tubs) I probably wouldn’t have even written about this adventure. However, far more exciting than the tubs was the incredible gorge and hidden sulphur cave. The fact you are all but guaranteed to be there alone is also a refreshing bonus in Albania’s busy peak season.
The springs and water inside the cave was only luke warm at best, but it was fun to visit what felt like a proper local’s spot. The rustic nature of it all was a far cry from some of Albania’s more well known and built up natural attractions.
Here’s what to expect on the trail.
The walk to the Sarandoporo Hot Springs, Leskovik
The stats
Distance: 1.3km each way
Elevation gain: 50m
Difficulty: Easy, but includes creek crossings
Trailhead: End of the dirt road by eroded bridge
Summary: The walk to reach the thermal cave spring is pretty much entirely flat but you will be walking on some rocky terrain.
There are also multiple shallow creek crossings (and if they aren’t shallow when you visit then you might not want to proceed with the walk!).
When heading up to the offical thermal baths you have one very short but steep hill to climb which looks slippery from below but is actually ok, both on the ascent and descent.
The access road
The last 3.9km of the road to the parking point is single track, but as this is a very quiet walk you are highly unlikely to need to pass anyone.
The final 700m of the road is either stony or gravel but nothing that a small car couldn’t manage when dry unless it deteriorates significantly.
You used to be able to drive much closer to the springs than you could on our visit but there has been a big wash out and you definitely can’t get past the parking area we used unless it gets fixed.
Starting the trail to the hot springs
From the parking area you pass over the creek directly ahead which has rocks to use as stepping stones.
From here we initially followed the river but on the way back we found an old vehicle track which was easier to walk on.
To follow the road you just head straight/slightly left, away from the river which is to your right. You’ll see the remains of some old vehicle tracks which is much kinder to your feet than the stones that you have to walk on if you follow the river directly.
You will still need to cross a few creeks to keep going forwards but they are shallow. If the water is really low or you are particularly adept at rock hopping you can probably keep dry shoes throughout. We did manage to skirt one of the larger crossings on the left bank but it’s really muddy and not worth it, going through the water is much easier.
The last vehicle tracks ended about 650m from the parking area and 110m further on you will see a picnic bench under some trees on the left side of the creek (the creeks are the smaller tributaries, you are still away from the main river).
You will need to cross another small tributary to reach the side of the water the picnic bench is located on. Some planks of wood have been put down to help but they are very wobbly, so it’s probably easier to use the rocks as stepping stones instead, or just walk through if you don’t mind flooding your shoes.
Reaching the trough hot springs
The trough hot springs are only 135m away at this point, but completely hidden and you’d never know they were there. We only found them because Joe went to check out the small ruins you can see on the hillside above the river.
There is a clear trodden path leading uphill to reach them, though it’s a bit stony and loose, it was far less slippery coming back down than I was expecting.
The path leading uphill to the thermal baths
Vegetation is slowly beginning to reclaim the path so it’s more pleasant in trousers than shorts or it gets a bit scratchy.
Follow the worn path uphill for 135m and you’ll find the two thermal baths, or troughs as I like to call them hiding just behind the stone walls (ruins).
The two baths are huge and very deep, though the water is quite shallow. It appears very blue but did suffer from a bit of algae on our visit and the water was only tepid. They were definitely not hot springs! The view over the mountains and river from above the pools is stunning and worth the brief hill climb alone.
If the baths are looking good on your visit you can access the first one very easily as there are steps leading down into it. The second bath has a rickety looking wooden ladder which is certainly a bit more on the dodgy side….
When you’re ready to leave the baths you head back down the same path (there are two paths so make sure to choose the one that leads left immediately which is less steep) and start making your way to the gorge and sulphur cave springs.
The view from the thermal baths
To the gorge and sulphur cave
The next stretch of the walk is slightly more challenging and does involve a bit of skirting along narrow paths above the river. It’s only around 360m to the cave though and much more interesting than the thermal baths in my opinion.
You’ll keep heading upstream and soon pass a information board about the springs. From here you head onto a dirt path above the river.
It’s rocky and muddy in places and a touch eroded but not awful. You’ll have to navigate a few rocky bits and hop over tiny streams (which may be dry further into the summer) as you go. The last 100m is on a slanted rock wall which looks very smooth.
It was a bit disconcerting as it slopes down to the river and looked like it would be very slippery. It is actually grippy (when dry) so it’s in fact more pleasant than the muddy dirt track that preceded it.
As you near the end of the wall you can see a shallow way to climb down to the river bed. I just sat on my bum and scooted down, but there are footholds and it’s not far.
The cave is only 30m away, but it’s worth continuing a few minutes further along the riverbank for a terrific view of the gorge.
The water was running fast and milky on our visit following a lot of rain, but I imagine it might be a nice dip spot if you find it clear and less powerful.
The gorge walls are very impressive either way and there’s also a small cave high up on the cliffside above the river, though you could never access it without ropes.
Inside the sulphur cave spring
You’ll probably smell the cave before you see it as the sulphur aroma is very strong. Water flows from the mouth of the cave over some tiered rock and down into the river.
As with the baths the water was cool here, maybe due to the recent rain, or maybe it’s never hot? There’s next to no information anywhere about these springs and no one in our hotel knew either so we really couldn’t say.
Anyway, back to the cave and in an effort to see whether the water was warmer closer to the source, we decided to climb into the cave. The water is very blue and it was easy to get inside.
You just need to hunch over and climb in and then there’s a rock lip to climb over which leads into a pool. The water was about thigh deep and very blue which made the cave both pretty and very atmospheric.
That was until I noticed a somewhat alarming number of spiders and webs. As a lifelong arachnophobe I had a mild panic and tried to beat a hasty retreat, at which point I slipped, fell into the pool, struggled to get back up off the slippery rocks and basically took three times as long to exit as I had to get in!
I wish we’d filmed it because it was a comedy of errors! Joe who was unperturbed by the spiders had a little look round and photographed the cave so don’t be put off by me, but if you are afraid of spiders, you have been warned!
After vistiting the cave you simply retrace your steps back to the car park.
Getting to the trailhead for the Sarandoporo (Leskovik) Hot Springs
The trail for the hot springs begins from a small ‘car park’, basically room for a handful of cars to pull off the road at this wild camping spot on Google maps.
We’ve detailed the road conditions at the top of the post, but it should be fine for any car unless it’s been really wet, though you must be comfortable driving on stones for some distance.
It’s around a 15km drive from the remote mountain town of Leskovik (30 mins) and around 42km drive from Permet (allow over an hour).
Where to stay in Leskovik
Melesin Distillery
We stayed at the Melesin Distillery which is one of our favourite hotels in Albania. This review sounds a bit like it’s sponsored so to be clear we paid full price for the hotel (as with every recommenation in Albania!) : )
It’s located at a gin and whiskey distillery with an fantastic restaurant onsite. There’s a gorgeous lounge and fireplace which is the perfect spot for a cosy evening drink.
The rooms are really comfy with big beds and very good powerful showers. In a rarity for Albania it’s not a wet room so you don’t have to contend with flooded bathroom floors. Additonally, it is one of the only places we stayed in Albania which was actually quiet at night.
We went with my mum who was visiting and we all loved the experience. I wouldn’t say the walk is necessarily worth driving from Permet for, but the walk and the hotel combined is definitely worth venturing out to. You’ll also get to experience a mountain town which is not yet touristy.
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