The Blue Eye —
a colour you have to see to believe
Our guide to Syri i Kaltër — a natural spring in the forest near Sarandë.
If someone showed you a photo of the Blue Eye you'd probably assume it had been edited. It hasn't — the water really is that colour. We visited on our 2018 guided day trip out of Sarandë and it was one of the most memorable stops of the whole day. This is our guide to what it is, how to get there and what to know before you go.
The one that had us wondering if our eyes were working properly
The Blue Eye was the afternoon stop on our 2018 guided day trip from Sarandë. Our tour had taken us to Butrint in the morning; after lunch, we drove inland toward the mountains, turning off the main Sarandë–Gjirokastër road onto a smaller access route that led to the spring.
The walk in from the car park is short and easy through a shaded forest. Then, quite suddenly, the pool appears — small, deep, and an almost unreal colour. A vivid turquoise ring around the edges, dropping into a startling deep blue at the centre where the spring rises. It genuinely stops you in your tracks.
We spent a good while just standing on the platform above the water, watching. Practical advice from our visit: the crowd factor is real. Even in 2018, we had company. Everything we've read since suggests the site has become much busier as Albania's tourism has grown — going early in the morning or later in the afternoon is much calmer.
We didn't swim on our visit. The rules on that seem to have changed at various points, so if swimming matters to you, check current signage and instructions on site — see the note further down.
A very deep natural spring — with a colour to match
The Blue Eye — Syri i Kaltër in Albanian, which literally translates as "the blue eye" — is a karst spring in southern Albania. Water rises up from deep underground, filling a roughly circular pool with a remarkable colour gradient: a deep, almost saturated blue at the centre where the spring emerges, ringed by turquoise around the edges. That combination is where the "eye" in the name comes from.
The site sits within a small protected natural area of forest and small watercourses, and the spring itself feeds a stream that eventually joins the Bistricë river system, flowing down toward the Ionian coast. From the viewing platform, you can watch the water bubbling gently up from the depths.
Two things combine to give the Blue Eye its extraordinary colour:
- The depth of the spring. The Blue Eye is famously deep — divers have explored it to significant depths, but its full depth is still uncertain. The dark centre contrasts dramatically with the shallower water around the edges.
- Exceptionally clear water. The spring water is remarkably transparent, which lets you see the colour contrast between the deep centre and the shallower edges particularly clearly.
- The turquoise ring. Around the edges the water is shallower and the pale bed is more visible, creating the vivid turquoise ring around the darker centre.
Put simply: it's not a filter. It's physics.
Four ways to do it
Guided tour: Almost certainly the easiest option, especially if you're already on a day trip out of Sarandë or Corfu. Blue Eye + Butrint (often + Ksamil) is a very common combined itinerary — this is what we did.
Hire car: Gives you complete flexibility on timing and lets you go early or late to avoid the busiest window.
Taxi: Fine for a small group. Agree the price and any return/wait arrangement upfront before you get in the car.
Public bus: Buses running between Sarandë and Gjirokastër pass the turn-off for the Blue Eye. You'll need to cover the last stretch from the main road to the spring — walking, hitching, or a shuttle depending on what's running when you visit. Doable but the least predictable option.
💡 Nicola & Podge's Timing Tip
Try to arrive early in the morning or in the late afternoon to avoid the peak busy window. The Blue Eye is small — even a modest crowd can turn it into a queue at the viewing platform. Softer light at either end of the day also brings the colour of the water out beautifully in photos.
The basic shape of a visit is straightforward:
- Arrive at the site entrance: Park at the car park and pay the small entry/access fee on the way in.
- Short walk through the forest: A shaded path leads from the entrance area to the spring itself. Comfortable shoes are all you need; it's not a serious hike.
- The viewing platform: A small wooden platform gives you a view down over the spring. This is the classic Blue Eye photo spot.
- Take it in: Give yourself time. The colour is more remarkable the longer you look at it, and the light shifts through the day.
- Café / rest area: There are typically some small refreshment options in the wider area around the spring — good for a coffee or a snack before heading back to the car.
⚠️ Please verify on the day
Access arrangements, entry fees, opening hours and swimming rules at the Blue Eye have changed at various points over the years to protect the site. Always check current signage on arrival and any recent visitor information before travelling — don't assume older blog posts (including ours) reflect the current situation exactly.
Our shot from the platform above the spring — the colour has not been enhanced.
Book a Blue Eye tour with GetYourGuide
Combined Blue Eye + Butrint + Ksamil day trips from Sarandë, and full Albania day trips from Corfu that take in the spring:
Disclosure: If you book through these links we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Short forest walk, small site, cold water. Simple kit:
Forest paths
Sunny in gaps
Bring plenty
The colour deserves it
Entry & snacks
Take a virtual drive through Albania
The Blue Eye showed us one extraordinary corner of southern Albania. Through our collaboration with Drive From Home, you can also virtually explore Tirana, Durrës and Korçë — three Albanian cities that are still on our own travel list.
These are virtual city experiences from Drive From Home. We have not personally visited Tirana, Durrës or Korçë yet.
Our southern Albania hub — the ferry from Corfu and the day that changed how we felt about the country.
Read the Albania hub →The coastal city that's your base for the Blue Eye and everything else in southern Albania.
Read the Sarandë guide →The layered ancient city south of Sarandë — the natural pairing with the Blue Eye on a full day trip.
Read the Butrint guide →Planning your Blue Eye visit?
Pair it with Butrint from a Sarandë base, go early or late to avoid the crowds, wear something comfortable and give yourself a bit of time on the platform. Whatever you've seen in photos, the real thing is better.