The Blue Eye is a very popular tourist attraction near Sarande that attracts many people. It is located just 25 kilometres from Sarande, in the “Syri i kaltër” Landscape Park. Undoubtedly, it can be said that, together with the Butrint Archaeological Park, it is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the southern part of Albania.
This is all due to the beautiful colours that the Blue Eye possesses, as the shades of blue and turquoise make the photos from this place wonderful souvenirs that you are sure to share with your friends. The Blue Eye is appreciated by many tourists and sometimes acts as a showcase for the whole of Albania.
In this post, we provide you with useful information on visiting this beautiful place and how to organise such a trip on your own.

he easiest way to get to the Blue Eye from Sarande is to use your own means of transport. By car from Sarande, the Blue Eye can be reached in less than 30 minutes via the SH99 asphalt road. The route is not demanding and even cars with a small engine capacity will do just fine. If you are curious about renting a car in Albania, please see our dedicated post on the subject: Renting a car in Albania – child seat, insurance and tips.
The second way is to use public transport. There are buses from Sarande to the Blue Eye, which leave from the main junction located in the city centre (39.875852580357034, 20.006371625334033). In this case, it is advisable to find out in advance what the situation is, as bus and bus schedules depend on the season. The day before your planned excursion, you can approach the venue and ask what the timetables for the Blue Eye are like.
The third way is to buy a tour at one of the local tourist offices. You certainly won’t have a problem finding an offer, as probably every office has it on their daily schedule. So if you are interested in taking such an organised tour, you are sure to find offers on the town promenade, right next to the beach.
If you are travelling by your own car, you will definitely find it useful to know about parking. There is a large paid car park at the Blue Eye, which cost 200 LEK for two hours parking. The ticket is payable at a booth, cash only. To our eye, two hours should definitely be enough to get to the Blue Eye and explore it. However, if you are planning a leisurely tour and a stop for a coffee at a nearby restaurant then it is worth buying three hours for peace of mind. You have to walk 400 metres up a tarmac road to the entrance from the car park to the park.
Alternatively, you can try to park in the free car park in the form of a bay just off the exit to the car park (we have marked these on the map). It is likely that the car park will be full during the tourist season, but it is worth bearing in mind. The second option is to drive up to the park entrance itself at the dam. There is a bay there for several cars and during our stay in the low season (October), it was easy to find a free spot there.

Blue Eye / "Syri i kaltër"- entrance tickets and the road to the spring
Admission to the Syri i kaltër Park is charged at LEK 50 per adult. Children under 12 years of age are usually exempt or a 50% discount is applied. Tickets must be paid for in cash as online payments are not supported here.
The road to the Blue Eye is straightforward and follows a pavement with a separate section for bicycles. Next to it is the carriageway. In our opinion, it is a great disadvantage that the park has been developed in this way, as it is not as much fun to walk. There is not enough shade here in summer, so the walk itself is really strenuous and monotonous. You have to walk 1.5 kilometres this way, so it should take about 20 minutes, and with children this time can extend to 30 minutes. It would definitely be better to have an alternative route through the park so that you can experience nature a bit more.
On the other hand, such a state of affairs is conducive to sightseeing for those who have problems with unevenness. You can definitely take a pushchair on this path, as only the end leading to the Blue Eye leads over an unpaved road.
Many people use electric scooters or scooters hired at the entrance to the park. This way you can quickly get to the Blue Eye in a few minutes. This kind of tour can also be an attraction, because really walking 20 minutes on asphalt (in the heat) is not the best form of entertainment.
A guided tour to the Blue Eye - you pay and drive like a king....
Quite likely you want to get to the Blue Eye, but don’t have your own car / want to relax comfortably and without combinations and visit the attractions as you like best during your holiday. Many travel agencies offer tours to Blue Eye, but it’s worth using the GetYourGuide website, where you comfortably book your tour online and pay for it online.
So you’re sure of the price and there’s no hassle of paying in cash / currency conversion.
Check out the offers for organised tours at your fingertips and travel comfortably, just the way you like it.

Crystal clear Blue Eye water - where does the water in the blue spring come from?
It is believed that the water seeps from the karst rocks of the Drinos Valley. This type of spring is called the ‘Spring of the Vaucluse’ because of its origin from the karst rocks and is one of the largest in southern Europe. Many divers have tried to reach the bottom, but due to the pressure they only managed to reach a depth of 45 metres, so its depth is unknown (it is estimated to be more than 50 metres).
The water flow is 18 400 litres per second and the water temperature varies between 10 and 13 degrees Celsius. Although on hot days the water is tempting for swimming, swimming in the river is prohibited (as indicated by signs). Unfortunately, this prohibition is often broken and many visitors enter the water. Mass tourism, which is the case with the Blue Eye, and breaking the ban on entering the water can have very negative effects on the delicate ecosystem that has formed around the source. So if you are reading this post then we would very much ask you to respect the bans and not enter the water.
There is also an interesting phenomenon linked to the high pressure of the outflowing water. Well, visitors often drop a stone into the middle of this spring, and after a while they see the same stone rise to the surface again.
Visitors can catch a glimpse of the blue spring from a specially prepared platform above it. It is glazed, but there is little hope of this as it is usually muddy.
There is a small shop at the Blue Eye where you can buy souvenirs and snacks. Payment, as in many places in Albania, is with cash only. During our tour, it was also possible to encounter two large stray dogs here. They are harmless and do not bother people. However, they were interested with our Loki, so we had to chase them away several times. When travelling with a dog, it is worth paying attention to that.

Summary and interactive map of how to get to the Blue Eye
The Blue Eye is an attraction that is undoubtedly worth visiting while being in Albania. In our opinion, however, some tourists may be a little disappointed when visiting the popular Blue Eye. This is because there is a lot of talk about it and it is a beautiful natural phenomenon. Because of this, tourists often hope that the whole trip will be full of spectacular views. So, it’s worth being honest – the Blue Eye, as a pond itself and the river it forms, looks really phenomenal, but the road leading up to it is itself monotonous and boring.
Overall, do we recommend going to the Blue Eye? Definitely yes, but approach this trip with caution and be prepared for crowds.
Useful information about a trip to the Blue Eye:
- Have cash with you, as contactless payments are hard to come by – as they are all over Albania.
- Although you may be able to find free parking, the safer option is to opt for paid parking.
- You may come across stray dogs in the car park, as well as near the Blue Eye. In general, there is quite a problem with stray dogs in Albania, so if you are afraid of dogs then you may feel uncomfortable. However, dogs are harmless and usually avoid people. The exceptions are if you have a dog with you or are eating something. Tourists often feed the dogs and that is why they approach.
- You can walk to the Blue Eye with a pram. A wide road with no potholes leads to it. Hired electric scooters or scooters are also a popular means of transport.
- The trail to the Blue Eye is 1.5 kilometres one way. On a hot day, it is worth remembering to take enough water and a hat with you.
- Swimming near the Blue Eye is prohibited.
At the end of the post we also add an interactive map of how to get from Sarande to the Blue Eye. It will give you an idea of the route to take and the location of this popular tourist attraction.