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Wildlife Safaris in UvacRS
The entrenched emerald meanders of southwest Serbia, home to the Balkans' largest griffon vulture colony, entered only by boat.
Why here
The Uvac Special Nature Reserve holds the Balkans' largest nesting colony of griffon vultures, birds with three-meter wingspans riding thermals off limestone cliffs above the most photographed karst view in Serbia: the emerald S-curves of the entrenched Uvac meanders. The conservation story earns the row: the colony was brought back from near-extirpation by a feeding and protection program, and boat access runs only through sanctioned operators, including the reserve manager itself. Cruises thread sixteen kilometers of canyon with a stop at the Ledena ice cave and the short, steep trail to the Molitva viewpoint where the meander photograph everyone carries is actually taken.
Best months
Boats run roughly April to October; May to September is the reliable window and weekends are busiest. Vultures fly year-round, with mornings best for thermals. A boat seat runs about 3,000 dinars and the Molitva trail adds an optional steep half hour.
Getting there & around
Three and a half to four hours from Belgrade; base in Nova Varos or Zlatibor. Reserve boat seats ahead on summer weekends; the cruises run around four and a half hours.
Skill levels: beginner
Schools & guides (2)
Rezervat Uvac
OrganizerThe official reserve manager, running sanctioned gorge cruises through the meanders from Nova Varos.
Uvac Krstarenje
OutfitterRuns the four-and-a-half-hour, sixteen-kilometer canyon cruise with the Ledena ice cave stop and the trail to the Molitva meander viewpoint, by reservation.