The Soca Valley (Slovenia) – Tips + Views of Emerald River

Let's discover the magnificent Soca Valley in Slovenia where the famous Emerald river runs. 
This area offers brilliant scenery with the Julian Alps and the incredible colors of the Soca River. It is also a great place for a little bit of adrenaline with Rafting, Kayaking and Canyoning.
Below is my guide to help you plan your trip with tips, photos and map.

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I can tell you that the name Emerald River is not overselling it. The colors are really unbelievable and make you think of jewels: sometimes Emerald, sometimes aquamarine but never boring!
So, to my opinion, it is one of the best things to do in Slovenia.

But you may wonder...

Why is the Soca River color emerald green?

From what I have read (but I am not expert):

The color comes from the small particles of bedrock suspended in the water (the rock flour) which reflect more green and blue when hit by the light.
Since the region is mainly limestone and marl deposits, the colors remains for the whole length.

Seeing those colors in mountain lakes and rivers is quite frequent. What makes the Soca River special is that it retains the color for a very very long time, throughout all its length!

Video - Virtual Tour

Below is a short video to see the waters of the Soca River flow, the change in shades of green and the magnificent mountains of the Soca Valley.

How to get to the Soca Valley - Map

• The region of the Soča Valley starts from the North of the Triglav National Park, just south of the Vrsic pass and goes all the way down to Nova Gorica where the river crosses the Border. In Italy the river is known as Isonzo (and on Google Maps too).
• Ljubljana to Soca Valley (Bovec): 2h30 (via VRSIC pass) or 2h via Italy
• Lake Bled to Soca valley (Bovec): 2h (via VRSIC pass) or 1h30 via Italy
• I recommend the drive via the Vrisc pass (closed in Winter) as it offers splendid views of the Julian Alps (see my article)
• If you don't want to drive, day trips from both bled and Ljubljana take you to some of the best views of the Soca valley - Check out program and book

Below is a map to give you a general idea of the course of the Soca River in the West of Slovenia. The Soca River is 136km long.

A detailed map of the West Region with all my favorite locations to stop by the river and capture its beauty is available in my Travel Guide eBook that helps you easily plan your Slovenia road trip. It also contains the GPS coordinates of each stop and a picture to help you decide if you want to stop.

Visiting the Soca Valley

• Plan at least a full day
• You can just drive through over a day or stay for several nights to enjoy all the activities and surrounding roads and mountains.
• Plan enough time to be able to stop everywhere and enjoy the views
• Get ready with my guide to driving in Slovenia.
• Want to spend a night or more - See suggestions at the end of the article - or check out the best rated accommodations around Bovec

From the Vrsic pass (see photos of the pass here) to down in the town of Bovec is, to my opinion, the best section of the Soca Valley. It starts with the Trenta Valley and flows down with wide and narrow sections. You can enjoy the high peaks of the Julian Alps.

However, it is not always that easy to capture the beauty because of the high summits

What's great is that you can frequently stop to walk on a small footbridge to enjoy views of the river and the water flowing. 

The road is in good condition, it is quite easy to drive once you have finished all the sharp bends. At the beginning, the valley is quite narrow with walls on each side.

And then it opens up. And the best part is to turn around to admire where you drove from!

Sometimes I just stop and simply looked at the water flowing, hitting the rocks. It is so transparent! Quite mesmerizing...

I have decided to create a separate section for my favorite stop along that river - This is where a big sign indicates TD Soca Lepena.
At this spot, the riverbed gets really narrow with beautiful white rocks on each side that have been sculpted by the flow.

The colors get quite intense, especially because of the contrast with the white rocks.

Plan a little time to explore the area and go down on the rocks to see how the water carved its way.

And then you arrive to an open flat area where you will find the town of Bovec. This is a great place to establish your base (see later in the article for accommodation suggestions if you decided to stay overnight).

But even if you are only passing through, you might want to enjoy one of the great experiences around the rivers : Kayaking, Rafting, Canyoning...
Bovec is the adrenaline capital of Slovenia.
This is the view towards the North where we drove from:

Soca Rafting

One of the top activities to enjoy near Bovec is rafting on the Soca River.
It is of course guided with a leader at the back.
It will take you through the rush of Class III rapids and enjoy the natural slalom areas created by the rocks.

You will spend 1h30 on the river admiring its beauty from up-close. If you love rafting, the Soca River is one of the most beautiful places to do it!

Possible mid-April to August - Book your Soca River Rafting experience

Soca River Kayaking

If you want to enjoy the river in a quieter environment, there is a possibility to climb in a Kayak and glide on the calmer section of the Soca River.
Possible April to September - Book your Experience of  Soca River Kayaking in a calm section

Soca Valley Canyoning

Want something with more movements? Why not enjoy some canyoning? There are several canyons to enjoy in the area including:

• Canyoning in the Susec Canyon - it offers the easiest canyoning experience - It is suitable for beginners and families - Book the experience
• Canyoning in the Fratarica Canyon - This is a more advanced trail with some sections requiring getting down by ropes and focus jumping. Concentration is required - Book the experience

Soca Valley fishing

The rivers in the Soca Valley are very diverse and offer a large variety of fishing experiences - check them out

The Soca Valley is also home to charming waterfalls. Here are 3 falls that are not far from the main road or require a short hike. You will see, they are very different:

Slap Virje Waterfall

Slap Virje was one of my favorite waterfalls in Slovenia. It is hidden not far from Bovec. A short walk downhill takes you to this enchanting cove where the water flows delicately on a rock wall covered with plants. At the bottom is an emerald pool.

I really thought I would see fairies flying around!!!!

Slap Boka Waterfall

Slap Boka is one of the most famous waterfalls in Slovenia because it can be seen from the road and it is an impressive drop against a vertical wall. The first drop is 106m high and the next one is 33 m high.
You can climb 15min to a platform to see it a bit better, but part of the view is still blocked. To really see its power, you need to hike further, and it is not an easy climb.
Learn more on my article about Slap Boka waterfall

Slap Kozjak Waterfall

The South section of the Soca river is not as famous, but it also offers splendid locations.

Famous Soca Valley Bridge - Napoleon Bridge

Near Kobarid is the famous Napoleon Bridge. At this spot, River Soca is quite narrow, so its color is more intense. I let the photo speak for itself:

Most na Soci

Further downstream the Soca River meets the Idrijca River. At this location is the town of Most na Soci and a beautiful green lake-looking section of the river. Quite different from what we have seen before. No more high peaks, we are South of the Triglav National Park.

Kanal ob Soci

As we drove towards the Brda region, I discover another stunning spot on the river: the small town of Kanal with colorful house, historical ruins, and multiple shades of green.

If you want to explore the Soca Valley and admire the Soca River, the best spot to stay nearby is definitively in Bovec.
It is very central with great views of the mountains and easy access to all the waterfalls, war historical buildings and Soca River activities.

Here is the center of Bovec:

• WHERE I STAYED

I opted to stay in an apartment. It was a little bit outside of Bovec but with a fantastic view from the windows (too bad we did not have a balcony).
The Apartment Wallas was beautifully decorated with lots of space and all the equipment you might need. Below is the picture I took from the window!

Check out availability and book Apartment Wallas

• LUXURY - Ideally located, Hotel Dobra Vila Bovec offers countryside decor, large rooms, and his home to an outstanding restaurant. People indicate that breakfast is 'to die for' - Check out photos and book
• CENTRAL HOTEL - Right in Bovec, the Garni Hotel offers modern, well equipped room. It has a family suite and some rooms have mountain views 🙂 - Check out photos and book
• CAMPING - want to get closer to nature, enjoy a camping stay with amazing views of the mountains - Check out photos and book
• BUDGET / HOSTEL - Thirsty River offers budget double rooms and dormitory only 15min walk from Bovec - Check out photos and book
• or:

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