Reka pools before Škocjan
The Reka, Slovenia's largest sinking river, runs through a narrow gorge before disappearing into the Škocjan Caves, and a series of weirs creates deep pools just upstream of the village. Locals have turned one of them into a bathing spot with a beach volleyball court and a jumping board; this pool, up to about 5.5 m, is the start and end of the dive. Upstream you can cross a shallow into a pool lined with old concrete weir remains, and downstream, past the former mill weir, a smaller pool by the ARSO gauging station often has a few more fish. The still water is poor in oxygen, so fish are scarce and visibility is low. The dive is only in these open-air river pools – never enter the Škocjan Caves, which are strictly protected.
Facts
- Region: Slovenia – Lakes, Rivers & Caves
- Area: Vipava valley & Karst (Škocjan)
- Depth: 0–5.5 m
- Level: beginner
- Current: low
- Type: channel, drift
- Coordinates: 45.6627, 14.001 (approximate)
- Highlights: large bathing pool with a jumping board, pool with remains of a concrete weir, weir of a former mill, small pool by the ARSO gauging station, steep rocky banks in a narrow gorge, low-oxygen pools with fish gasping at the surface
- Tips: From the Divača exit take the road towards the Vreme valley; just after the signed airfield turn-off a gravel road branches right towards Škocjan, and before the hamlet of Betanja a maintained gravel track descends to the Reka (or follow the Škocjan Caves signs through Matavun, Škocjan and Betanja to the same turn-off). Park at the small car park in front of the old mill ruins; walking in full kit past the volleyball court to the jumping board takes under five minutes. Entry and exit are possible anywhere on the right (north) bank between the ARSO station and the bathing pool; upstream the banks are very steep and exits are mostly impossible. At the old mill weir you must climb out and walk the shallows to the lower pool. All three pools take about an hour. Best at low or medium water; visibility can be under 1 m in warm water; water up to 25 °C in summer and it can freeze in winter. Bring a compass. The park restricts motor traffic in the Reka valley. Expect bathers in summer. The position here is approximate (the sheet's header with coordinates is missing); confirm the exact spot locally. The sheet dates from 2014; gravel and depths may have changed. The site lies inside or at the edge of Škocjan Caves Regional Park; the park act (ZRPŠJ) contains no rule on swimming or diving that we could find, but the caves are strictly protected and any entry into them is excluded – check current park rules with the park office.