Camp on the Drina near Perućac: cold water and rafts
The water under the dam is eight degrees even in August. A guide to camping, swimming and soup on a raft near Perućac — no surprises on the skin.
You step on your knees and your breath stops. Drina below the dam in Perućac does not care about August — the water comes out from the bottom of the reservoir, from the depths where the sun does not reach, and keeps8 to 12°Cand when the air is at 35. That's not an inconvenience, that's the point. After an hour in the sun and a plate of soup, this cold blast is the only reason people come back here and not to any warm river.
Perućac lies under Tara, about thirty kilometers from Bajina Bašta, where the lake flows into the dam and the river moves downstream towards the canyon. What a tourist sees as a postcard — a house on a rock, emerald water — we see as logistics: where to park, where to sleep, on which raft to eat and at which place to lower the body into the water without risk.
Where you really bathe, and where you just look
Swimming on the Drina near Perućac has two faces.Lake Perućacupstream of the dam it's warmer, calmer and shallower along the coast — you take the kids there, you stay there for more than five minutes. The surface layer in July and August can pass22°C, while the river below the dam remains frozen.
Downstream, in the river itself, the current is stronger and the bottom deepens quickly. Don't go in there headlong: the cold shock at 8°C tightens the muscles, and the strong nut is unforgiving. Rule from the field — you enter gradually, do not jump, and do not swim alone across the current. The rafts have fenced areas and ladders, and it's the safest place for a real, short, sharp dive.
It is also within reachVrelo river, only about 365 meters long from the source to the mouth of the Drina — the locals call it Godina. Icy, clear, with a waterfall at the end. Not for bathing, but for walking along the water and cooling the bottle.
Perućac lies under Tara, about thirty kilometers from Bajina Bašta, where the lake flows into the dam and the river moves downstream towards the canyon.
Raft, soup and calculation of the day
Rafts on the Drina are not decor — they are floating restaurants tied to the shore, with a terrace over the water and a kitchen that does one dish better than all the others:fish soup. The real one is cooked from river fish (catfish, perch, pike), long, with a lot of red pepper and without a splash — clear and thick from the fish, not from flour. It can be ordered hot or mild; you ask for it to be freshly cooked, not reheated from yesterday.
Fried river fish and homemade bread go with the soup, and after all, a cold dip from the rafting ladder. For those who like fish from the fire, we have broken down the technique in the guidegrilled fish from counter to plate. If you are planning a wider tour of western Serbia, Perućac combines nicely with a day onUvac and its meandersor by climbing onThe old mountain.
What to bring so that your day doesn't go to waste
The water is cold, the sun is strong, there are few shadows on the open coast. The list is short but relentless:
- Water slippers— the bottom is rocky and slippery, barefoot you lose your toes on the sharp gravel.
- Microfiber towel plus one thick— after 8°C you need a real wipe, not a damp cloth.
- Refrigerator-bag with ice— rafts work, but for the shore and picnic you bring your own; cold beer and watermelon are a must.
- Protection 50+ and cap— the reflection from the water is double, the burn arrives faster than on the beach.
For camping: a tent with a good base (the coast is rocky), rubber boots for the morning fog and something warm for the evening — the canyon cools down as soon as the sun sets behind Tara, and the temperature drops ten degrees without warning.
Questions & answers
short and to the point- What is the water temperature in the Drina near Perućac in summer?
- The river below the dam maintains 8 to 12°C even in August because the water comes out from the bottom of the reservoir. The lake upstream is warmer, around 22°C in the surface layer.
- Is it possible to swim in the Drina at Perućac?
- You can, but be careful. It is safest from the fenced rafts and their ladders or on the shallow shore of the lake upstream; in the river below the dam, the current is strong and the water is icy.
- What do you eat on rafts on the Drina?
- The main dish is fish soup made from river fish (catfish, perch, pike), clear and spicy, with fried fish and homemade bread. It asks for it to be freshly cooked, not reheated.
