Sotira Waterfall

The Sotira falls drop about thirty metres over a mossy rock step in beech forest on the flank of the Gramoz mountains near Erseke, in the far south-east of Albania close to the Greek border, at around fourteen hundred metres. The setting is what distinguishes it: this is high forest country with beech and fir rather than the Mediterranean scrub of most Albanian waterfalls, and the stream runs cold and green through moss and rock. A short walk from the parking area reaches the base. The wider Gramoz range is one of the less visited parts of the country, with high pasture, shepherds' summer settlements and walking routes, and Erseke is the base for it. Snowmelt in late spring gives the strongest flow.

What you actually see

• A thirty-metre mossy fall - water over rock in high beech forest.
• Beech and fir at altitude - forest unlike most of Albania.
• The Gramoz range - high pasture and summer shepherd settlements.
• Snowmelt flow in late spring - the water at its strongest.

When to go

May to September; snow closes the roads outside that. Half a day from Erseke. Flow drops considerably by late summer. Weekends bring local visitors and picnickers.

Honest expectations

Flow is much reduced by August and can be a trickle. The road in is rough. There are no facilities. Litter from picnickers is a problem at the parking area. It is a long drive from anywhere except Erseke.

Nearby

Erseke is north; the Greek border lies south along the range.