Young Local Heroes Bringing Freshness to Tourism in Ohrid

With the arrival of spring comes the need to take a walk along the shores of Lake Ohrid and meet new young people who are doing small things of great importance for the development of local tourism.

Ohrid is ideal for active tourism throughout the entire summer. From kayaking, SUP boards, boating, and sailing to paragliding over the lake.

Today, we introduce you to Boban and Krste. Young Ohrid residents with two different stories, but with the same significance. Both are meant to encourage the development of tourism.

Ohrid resident Boban Naumovski is known as the young "sailor." He has recently started organizing tours with his authentic Ohrid boat. The second story is about Krste Simonoski, who will begin the upcoming season by organizing SUP board tours. For Boban and Krste, the most important thing is for tourists to experience the lake the way they do.

Boban shares with Kajak.mk that it all started at the springs near St. Naum, where he worked for four consecutive years organizing boat tours. He is the first in his family to venture into the water business.

He fell in love with the boat from the very first day his grandfather took him fishing and swimming. To this day, Boban says that he has spent most of his time in the water.

Recently, he decided to buy his own boat and start organizing tours on Lake Ohrid. His tours are often filled with young people who enjoy good music and the beautiful view.

Boban is a licensed guide who also organizes city tours. He says that foreign tourists are impressed by the city and are most interested in traditional foods such as fish, ѓомлезе, kebabs, ajvar, garlic dip, beans, sarma, and more. They often ask about the production of Ohrid pearls and how they are made.

Boban created his Facebook page named "Blue Eye Crusing" where he shares information and photos from his tours.

The second person who holds equal importance for us is Krste Simonoski. This will be his first season organizing SUP board tours in Ohrid. His club is called Standuppaddlemk, which you can follow on social media, and with this club, he hopes to build great success.

According to him, there are many beauties that are unknown to tourists, which can only be captured from the lakeside. In order to show them the true side of the lake, Krste says they decided to acquire more SUP boards and offer tourists something that hasn't been attractive in Macedonia until now.

What interests tourists the most is the area around the Church of St. Naum, which was built around the beginning of the 13th century, as well as the Tušima spring that comes from Lake Prespa, he says.

Together with his team, they organize tours along the beautiful wild beaches near the settlement of Nadol, known as the Bay of Prchot, the large stone in the lake "Stog," the twin stones, and the bone inlet.

For Krste, alongside Lake Ohrid, ideal places for SUP adventures are Lake Prespa and Lake Dojran. However, he also highlights Lake Kozjak, Matka, and Lake Berovo as must-visit locations.