How to visit The Blue Eye Sarandë in Albania

Albania › How to visit The Blue Eye Sarandë in Albania

Discover the incredible Blue Eye Sarande just 30 minutes from Sarandë. Learn how to get here, when to visit, and what to expect!

The Syri i Kaltër or Blue Eye is probably one of the most famous sights in Albania and is relatively easy to reach from Sarandë and Gjirokaster. Situated in a 180-hectare nature reserve, the spring with the most water of the 18 springs that feed the nearby Bistrica reservoir and is also the spring with the most water in the entire country. The reservoir was created in the 1960s and is used to drive turbines to generate energy in the lower valley.

The Blue Eye is a karst spring meaning it drains a large underground karst system. Due to this drainage, a total of more than 5,000 litres of water per second leave the spring, making it the spring with the most water in the whole of Albania.

The exact depth of the spring is still unknown, but the spring deeper than 50 meters.

The name comes from the shimmering blue colours of the water, created by the combination of the light-coloured limestone and the sunlight.

After exploring and photographing this fascinating natural phenomenon in Albania, I’ve created this resource for other travellers and those interested in visiting the spring themselves.

Table Of Contents

My top tips for visiting the Blue Eye in Albania

I visited the Blue Eye for the first time in 2022 after paying a visit to Butrint in the morning, we were on the way to Gjirokaster and stopped there in the afternoon. It was early in the season and therefore not too hot.

To make your visit a pleasant experience, follow those tips:

• Visit the Syri i Kaltër early in the morning, especially if you come in summer during peak season. The temperatures are much more bearable and there aren’t so many tourists around.
• Wear sturdy shoes. You have to walk almost two kilometres to reach the spring. Although the path runs along a paved road, you will also cover a few meters in altitude on the way.
• Make sure you have adequate sun protection and enough water with you. Large parts of the trail are in the blazing sun.

Where is the Blue Eye Albania?

The Syri i Kaltër is about 20 kilometres to the east of Sarande. The spring is located on the road between Sarande and Gjirokastra. It is close to the Greek border and in the ultimate south of Albania.

• Location: The Blue Eye

It takes about 30 minutes to travel from Sarande to reach the natural phenomenon. From the main road, there is a clear signage indicating the way to the attraction.

How To Get To The Blue Eye Sarande?

For travellers in Albania, there are three primary ways to get to the Blue Eye Sarande. These include:

• Visiting The Blue Eye on an organized travel tour including Gjirokastra
• Booking a guided tour with transport from Sarande
• Driving yourself (rental car)

Below, I’ll go into more detail about each option, with suggestions to make your visit easier (and cheaper).

1. Visit The Blue Eye On A Travel Tour

Albania is a fascinating country where you’ll discover many impressive cultural sites, beautiful landscapes, rich cultural, and incredible hospitality.

In my opinion, the best way to see the cultural sights of southern Albania is on an organized tour that includes highlights like Gjirokastra, Butrint, Lekuresi Castle and Ksamil.

2. Book A Tour From Sarande

For travelers already in Sarande, the most cost-effective way to see the underground city is to book the Butrint, Ksamil, Blue Eye, Lekuresi Castle Day Trip. This is a full-day tour visiting The Blue Eye, as well as other regional highlights such as:

• The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Butrint Archeological Park
• The Beaches of Ksamil
• Lekursi Castle Sarande with beautiful views of the city and sea

This tour costs around 89 euros per person and includes all entry fees and transport. You’ll get a professional guide to walk you through and answer your questions.

3. Visiting Independently: Rent A Car In Sarande or Tirana

Independent travellers looking to explore the natural phenomenon on their own also have the option of renting a car in Sarande and driving the 30-minute journey themselves.

Driving a car in this region of Albania is quite manageable, and much easier than in Tirana. For rental cars in Albania, I highly recommend comparing prices in advance on DiscoverCars. This website compares car availability and pricing across dealerships by region, making sure you get the best price from a reputable provider.

The Blue Eye is located relatively centrally between the larger towns of Sarande on the coast and Gjirokastra inland.

From Sarande, the karst spring can be reached via the SH8 road and then the SH99, which is relatively easy and stress-free to drive. Turn left before the junction with SH78, which leads on to Gjirokastra. The journey should take around 30 minutes.

Coming from Gjirokastra, follow the SH4 southwards and turn onto the SH78 in Jorgucat. Drive over the pass and then take the junction onto the SH99 towards Sarande. It is important that you don’t miss this, as the SH78 quickly turns into a poor condition and becomes a so-called snake road as it progresses.

Visiting The Blue Eye

Blue Eye Sarande Map

Looking for a map to better understand the area around the magnificent blue carst spring? Below is a map of the site:

What To Expect

Let me tell you, reading about, and seeing photos of the Blue Eye is incomparable to actually seeing it yourself. So, if you find yourself in Albania, I highly recommend making a stop at this incredible site a top priority!

Below, I’ll do my best to provide a summary of what to expect at by walking you through some main highlights and visitor information.

Opening times: 7 am to 7 pm daily, all year round.

Best time to visit: All year round, but it’s best experienced in the early morning or late evening during summer.

Entrance Fee

Once you have turned onto the road to The Blue Eye, you cross a bridge and then pay the entrance fee at the dam wall of the Bistrica reservoir. Admission costs 100 lek per person (~ € 1.00). Parking is 300 lek per car for up to 3hrs (~ € 3.00).

After passing the dam wall, you have to walk another 1.5 km along a newly paved road to reach the actual Blue Eye.

A little bridge then crosses the light blue river. The path leads you to the beautiful blue spring. At the spring, you can climb up a small staircase to a balcony that overlooks the Blue Eye.

Some visitors use the balcony to jump into the water. Even if a refreshing dip seems tempting in the summer months, swimming is prohibited. With a water temperature of 12 to 13 degrees, swimming is not the best choice anyway. There are a few souvenir stores and a restaurant serving Albanian food in the national park.

Accommodation nearby

Although there is some accommodation right next to the Blue Eye, we have read negative reports about it. If you would like to stay nearby, we have selected the following two accommodations for you.

Margaret’s Guest House: Also located in the village of Mesopotam, this holiday flat can sleep up to five people. The huge flat has everything you need and is also wonderfully quiet. The Blue Eye is around 15 minutes away by car.

Botë Farms Agriturizem: Here you can find super beautiful holiday homes in an idyllic natural setting. The villas are stylishly decorated, there is a pool and plenty of community activities if you feel like it.

Where to eat?

Restaurant Sotiris

Sotiris is located in Mesopotam and is therefore a good stop for a bite to eat on the way back to Sarande. The quality of the local food is very good, the portions are huge and the prices are perfectly reasonable. I had grilled village pork with salad and it was delicious.

FAQs

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Even though this Blue Eye near Sarande is probably the most famous water spring in Albania, there is another similar spring in the north of the country.

The Blue Eye Theth is located around 11 km southwest of the mountain village of the same name. You can reach the blue eye near Theth on foot or by cab. In contrast to the blue eye near Sarande, the northern blue eye is much colder at five to seven degrees Celsius. So swimming is not the order of the day. However, you can cool your feet after a strenuous walk.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this quick guide! For more Albania travel inspiration, check out the list below!

• Albania Holiday: Guide To The Balkan Destination – Learn how to plan you Albania adventure.
• The 10 Best Things To Do In Sarande Albania – My travel guide with 10+ epic things to do & see.
• The 10 Most Beautiful Beaches In Albania – Discover the best beaches in Albania and find out how to get there and where to stay.