TRAVEL | NORTH MACEDONIA | EXPLORING NATURE

Chasing the Sun at Matka Canyon, North Macedonia

Chris was optimistic that we would find the sun; I wasn’t

Looking back on the entrance of Matka Canyon, Skopjë, North Macedonia. January 2025. Photo Credit: Jillian Amatt - Artistic Voyages

We had checked the forecast earlier in the week and determined that Friday was the day. The sun was going to be shining bright, and the temperature was predicted to be 13ºC (55F). Many had told us that a visit to Matka Canyon was a must, and since this was not only our second visit to Skopjë, we had already been here for over two weeks this time around. We were due for a visit to this famed location.

We visited the bus station earlier in the week to figure out the schedule and fill up our bus cards with the appropriate amount of money. The lady behind the ticket counter didn’t speak much English, but she was able to explain that the amount she was charging us was enough to go there and back. We were shocked when we learned that it was less than $2.00 each to take a 40–50 minute bus ride two ways.

We are not early risers; as it was, we had been getting up early for dental appointments all week, so we didn’t want to head up to the canyon too early that day. The bus time that we liked on the schedule left at 12:10 pm, so we figured we would have plenty of time to explore and still be able to get the 4:20 pm bus back. There…