How have I never heard of this place before? This was the question that kept spinning in my mind as I overlooked the dramatic gorges of Matka Canyon. Steep cliffs, green tinged water, a sea of autumnal auburn leaves and a serene silence are all the reasons I think it is one of Europes best kept secrets. You won’t tell anyone else, will you?
Located just a few kilometres from Skopje, and easily reached by bus, Matka Canyon is a memorable day trip to take while in Skopje.
Manmade in 1938, Matka Canyon is home to ten caves, some of which can be explored (I explain how in this guide). Along with caves, an estimated 20% of insects in Matka are unique to the area, they cannot be found anywhere else in the world, pretty cool right? This complete guide covers everything from transportation and activities to where to stay and eat, based on my recent visit.
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Matka Canyon Tips
- Accommodation: Canyon Matka Hotel is the only hotel here. It has clean rooms and offers an excellent breakfast.
- Getting here: Bus number 60 from Skopje bus station is the easiest way.
- Cash is king in Macedonia, ensure you have some on you for your visit to Matka Canyon to pay for boats, kayaks and food.
- Best time to visit: late spring (May-June) and early autumn (September-October) offer the most comfortable temperatures for outdoor activities. Summer (July – August) can be very hot and busy while Winter (November-March) is cold with fewer visitors and reduced tour operations. We visited in Autumn and it was perfect.
- This full day tour from Skopje covers both Matka Canyon & Mount Vodno Cable Car.
Matka Canyon Entrance Fee
There is no entrance fee to Matka Canyon, it is completely free.
It’s worth noting that nearby restaurants are more expensive than you typically find in Macedonia, however they are still affordable when compared to the usual European prices.
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Getting To Matka Canyon From Skopje
Matka Canyon is located 15 kilometres from Skopje. You have 3 options, take a bus, a taxi or rent a car.
1. Bus To Matka Canyon
The number 60 bus takes you from Skopje to Matka. It is a 50 minute journey and leaves from Skopje bus station.
Getting a ticket is a little complicated so I will explain that now. As a tourist you need to get a Skopje bus card, the buses do not accept cash. You can buy this card from the bus station, the office is in a converted bus that I found really difficult to find. You then need to choose the number of journeys, each bus journey is 35MKD (€.50c / $.55c / £.41p) so you will have to consider how often you will be using the buses. I wrote in more detail how to purchase the Skopje bus card here.
On busy days the bus does not go all the way to Matka Canyon because there is not much space for the bus to turn around. It stops about a 20 – 30 minute walk away but its mostly flat and you have a view of fields, mosques and mountains so it is a pleasant walk. Many taxi’s will pass you as you, so you can always flag one down if you don’t want to walk the entire way.
Also remember on your journey back it would be much safer to just go back to where the bus dropped you off, just in case the bus doesn’t go all the way to the canyon.
2. Taxi To Matka Canyon
It can cost between 500 MKD (€8.12 / $9.20 / £7) to 700 MKD (€11.40 / $12.90 / £9.70) to get to Matka Canyon from Skopje, one way. The final price will depend on your haggling skills.
There are plenty of taxi’s that wait around Matka Canyon carpark therefore getting a taxi back to Skopje is no problem.
3. Car Rental
For those who feel comfortable driving aboard, your final option is to rent a car for the day. It should cost approximately 2,150 MKD (€35 / £30 / €40) for 24 hours. Booking.com offers competitive prices for car rental or you can enquire at the airport when you land.
Along with the entrance fee, parking is also free in Matka Canyon.
You can also join this full day tour from Skopje that includes not only Matka Canyon but also Mount Vodno Cable Car for sprawling views across the city.
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What To Do In Matka Canyon
1. Hike
There is a 6km round trip cliff edge walk you can do. It starts at the restaurant and you just follow the track around the cliff. It offers beautiful views and any “dangerous” parts have a sturdy rail. The path is quite thin so I can imagine it could get crowded on a busy day.
You can also do a 30 minute steep hike to St. Nikola Monastery if you feel up to the challenge.
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2. Boat Trip + Cave Exploring
I highly recommend a boat tour during your time in Matka Canyon. We went on the trip that includes a cave tour.
The boat journey took about 15 minutes to reach the cave, we walked up a few steep steps to the cave and had about 10 minutes exploring, The cave is called the bat cave and is home to a colony of bats. Although, I did not see any. The guide also pointed out Vrelo Cave, thought to be the deepest in the world with a depth of 330m. The boat trip costs 600 MKD per person.
The boat was so comfortable, it has cream leather seats, the driver had a really good playlist that lifted the mood. I don’t know about you but I have been on some really boring boat trips before where you feel sleepy afterwards. Not this one, the guy was so nice he even offered his jacket to my boyfriend Bobby who did not have one.
3. Kayaking
Kayaking is a fun way to explore Matka Canyon, allowing you to get closer and offering a different perspective than taking a boat ride.
You have the option of getting an individual kayak or a 2 seater, both are self guided. The duration is either 30 or 60 minutes. Renting a kayak at Matka Canyon will cost up to 500 MKD.
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Where To Stay In Matka Canyon
There is only one hotel on the canyon Canyon Matka Hotel, we booked it last minute for €50 per night, this included a bottle of wine and breakfast the next morning.
The room was spacious, clean and had a view of the lake. The bed was large and comfortable, and the area was quiet all night long, we had no noise disturbances.
The hotel also has a restaurant over looking the canyon, they serve a variety of food and is delicious. It is on the expensive side for Macedonia but it is truly worth it.
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Where To Eat In Matka Canyon
There are a number of restaurants and stalls to grab a bite to eat when in Matka Canyon. A cool place to eat is the Monastery Cave Restaurant, the interior is so nice you are literally dining in a cave. I ordered the chicken earthen pot, which was lacking some flavour but was overall satisfying. There are also many cute cats roaming around.
The best restaurant in the area is the one on Canyon Matka Hotel, the food is delicious. We ordered pork with pepper sauce and chicken in a curry/ pistachio sauce which were faultless. We also ordered dessert, a peanut moose on a biscuit base and a tiramisu, again these were very good. The next morning we also had breakfast there, I got the vegetarian and that was grilled aubergine, egg, mushrooms, peppers, cheese and bread. The breakfast was filling, fresh and tasty.
Matka Canyon FAQ
Yes! It is such a beautiful place to visit, you can spend a full day here hiking, kayaking and exploring caves. It’s an easy day trip from Skopje and should be a must-visit.
Things to do in Matka Canyon include hiking, kayaking, boating and cave exploration. You can also just come relax at Canyon Matka Hotel restaurant overlooking the dramatic landscape.
The easiest is the number 60 bus but you can also get a taxi or, rent a car and drive yourself.
Matka Canyon is manmade, and was formed in 1938 when a dam was built on the Treska River.
Matka Canyon reaches 30 meters (98 feet) in some areas. However, it is home to Vrelo Cave, which is considered one of the deepest underwater caves in the world with an explored depth of 212 meters (696 feet) but it is believed to extend further to 330 meters (1,083 feet), although this maximum depth is yet to be unconfirmed.
