Blue Eye Albania, is it worth it? Getting there, tickets, swimming

If you are thinking of visiting the Blue Eye spring in Albania, this blog post is for you. In this blog, I will discuss if it is worth visiting the Blue Eye, swimming, location, entrance fee, opening hours and how to get to the Blue Eye.

• Is the Blue Eye Albania worth visiting? The Blue Eye spring is worth visiting. It is a magical and breathtaking spring. You will have the best experience in the early morning, before any crowds arrive.
• Can you swim at the Blue Eye in Albania? You are not allowed to jump into the Blue Eye spring from the platform above the Blue Eye spring, and signage is present. 
• Where is the Blue Eye Albania on a map? The Blue Eye spring in Albania is located in the Muzine village in between Saranda and Gjirokaster in the South of Albania.
• What is the Blue Eye of Albania entrance fee? The entrance fee for the Blue Eye Albania is 50 LEK (0.50 EUR), car parking 300 LEK (3 EUR), optional electric scooter 5 EUR, optional road train 3 EUR.
• What are the Blue Eye of Albania opening hours? The Blue Eye of Albania is open from 8 AM until 8 PM every day. 
• What time to visit the Blue Eye? The best time to visit the Blue Eye in Albania is between May and September and in the early morning. 
• How do you get to the Blue Eye in Albania? You can get to the Blue Eye spring by bus, by taxi or by car. Buses drive between Saranda-Blue Eye-Gjirokaster (and reversed) and can drop you off at the Blue Eye spring. A taxi driver will charge you around 50-60 EUR for a round trip from Sarande/Gjirokaster to the Blue Eye.

In this blog post, I will outline all you need to know before visiting the Blue Eye spring in the South of Albania. To avoid confusion, there are 2 x Blue Eye springs in Albania. One is the Blue Eye spring in the South of Albania near Saranda and Gjirokaster. And the other Blue Eye is near Theth in the Mountains in the North of Albania. This blog post focuses on the Blue Eye spring near Saranda and Gjirokaster in the South of Albania.

Is the Blue Eye in Albania worth visiting?

The Blue Eye in Albania is definitely worth visiting. However, I highly recommend you go in the early morning, before it gets crowded and hot. So that you can enjoy the spring when it is quiet, serene and peaceful.

The Blue Eye spring in Albania is a natural wonder. The spring is a karst spring which means there is a deep cave underneath the water surface level. The cave is more than 50 metres deep. Divers have tried to dive down against the high water pressure to get to the source of the spring, but nobody has been able to reach the bottom. As the water pressure is enormous and it is a very dangerous pursuit for divers. That is why we know it is more than 50 metres deep, but not exactly how much deeper.

The cave pushes water to the surface level with enormous speed. This is bright blue and very clear water. Therefore, the spring is very beautiful. 

The Blue Eye spring is called the “blue eye”, because it looks like a human eye. The bright blue water looks like the iris of a human eye. And the dark underwater cave resembles the pupil of a human eye. 

Geographically, the Blue Eye of Albania is located between the old city of Gjirokaster and the coastal city of Saranda. You can take a bus, a taxi or a car from either Saranda, Gjirokaster or Ksamil to get to the Blue Eye spring in the early morning. 

Going to the Blue Eye spring in the early morning is important, so that you will have the best experience. The Blue Eye spring is beautiful, but it is small in size. Therefore, it can feel crowded very quickly. So go there in the early morning, before anyone else arrives. To enjoy this spring when it is quiet and you can hear the rushing water instead of other people talking.

You will only need about 1-2 hours to visit the Blue Eye spring. Upon arrival, you pay for the parking area (if by car) and your entrance ticket. Then there is a 20-25 minute walk from the ticket office to the Blue Eye spring along a new boulevard that runs by the river. You can choose to hire an electric scooter or take the road train instead of walking. You need maybe 15-20 minutes to look at the spring and take some pictures. Then there is a little coffee house with terraces by the water, where you can enjoy a morning coffee before walking back to the parking area. 

After visiting the Blue Eye spring, it makes sense to travel onwards to Gjirokaster, if you were travelling from Saranda. Gjirokaster is a beautiful historical UNESCO city and it is en route from Saranda to the Blue Eye spring to Gjirokaster. 

If you were coming from Gjirokaster, you may want to continue onwards to Saranda, Ksamil or Butrint, as you will still have time remaining in your day.

Can you swim at the Blue Eye in Albania?

You will see people swimming and jumping into the Blue Eye in Albania. However, it is actually not allowed to jump into the Blue Eye spring. 

Basically, the Blue Eye spring is a deep underwater cave. The cave is more than 50 meters deep underneath the surface level of the water. Above the Blue Eye spring, there is a viewing plateau from where you can look into the spring from above. 

For years, it has been popular to climb in the viewing plateau and jump into the spring from above. The spring is ice cold and the water pressure is very high, so whoever jumps into the spring is immediately pushed back up to the surface.

However, there is a sign at the Blue Eye spring that says that jumping into the Blue Eye spring is not allowed. Even though that signage has been present for years, there are always people jumping into the Blue Eye spring and essentially ignoring the signage.

Of course, you are allowed to wade into the river a bit further down from the spring. But the Blue Eye spring does not offer a beach type of location, where you can sunbathe and shower. If you want to go for a swim you are better off going to one of the beaches along the coastline near Ksamil or Saranda. 

Is it allowed to swim in the Blue Eye Albania?

There is signage at the Blue Eye spring that shows that you are not allowed to jump into the Blue Eye spring. Even though this signage says it is not allowed to jump into the spring, there are always people jumping in regardless. 

The Blue Eye spring is a small round natural pool. Underneath the surface of the water there is a cave that is more than 50 metres deep. People climb up the viewing plateau above the spring and jump over the edge into the spring’s underwater cave. However, there is signage showing that this is not allowed. You are not allowed to jump into the Blue Eye spring from above for safety reasons.

The Blue Eye spring has a very high water pressure. So anyone jumping into the spring will immediately be pushed back up to the surface level and pushed along the river with the stream. 

Where is the Blue Eye Albania on a map?

The Blue Eye spring in Albania is located in the Muzine village in between Saranda and Gjirokaster. So you can get to the Blue Eye spring by taxi, bus or car from either Saranda or Gjirokaster. 

You can see the location of the Blue Eye Albania on Google Maps here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/2tCyWFe1cPM3wzvq7 

When you arrive at the Blue Eye of Albania, you will be dropped off at the parking area near the national road. You can see the location of the Blue Eye Parking on Google Maps here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/3uEVQLWn8WPMp6E29 

From the parking area, there is a 20 minute walk to the Blue Eye spring. If you do not want to walk, you can rent a little electric scooter at the entrance. Or sometimes there is a road train going along the road that will take you to the Blue Eye spring. The road train does not always run, so that is simply dependent on when you arrive and whether the train is ready and waiting or not.

What is the Blue Eye of Albania entrance fee?

The entrance fee for the Blue Eye of Albania is 50 Lek (0.50 euro cents) per person. If you have a car with you, the car park costs 300 Lek (3 euros) for 3 hours of parking. You can walk to the Blue Eye or you can rent an optional electric scooter for 5 euros per hour or take the road train which costs 3 euros one-way. 

• Entrance fee for the Blue Eye spring is 50 LEK (0.50 EUR) per person
• Car parking at the Blue Eye 300 LEK (3 EUR) for 3 hours of parking, which is plenty of time.
• OPTIONAL: Rent an electric scooter to get to the Blue Eye spring from the ticket office. An electric scooter costs 5 EUR per hour.
• OPTIONAL: Take the road train from the ticket office to the Blue Eye spring. A train ticket costs 300 LEK (3 EUR) per person. 
• If you do not hire the electric scooter or buy a train ticket, you must walk from the ticket office to the Blue Eye for about 20-25 minutes. 
• OPTIONAL: Go kayaking on the lake near the ticket office, a kayak costs 10 EUR for unlimited time.

There is a 20-25 minute walk from the ticket office to the Blue Eye spring. It is not a challenging walk. It basically is a paved boulevard that turns and twists along the river. That being said, if you are going in the summer months, like July and August, it may be 30-35 degrees Celsius in Albania. So a high temperature could make the walk hard. 

Therefore, I always recommend you go to the Blue Eye spring as early as possible. Wake up early and get to the Blue Eye spring, before the crowds arrive. If you get there early, you can also avoid the afternoon heat in the sun in the summer months.

What are the Blue Eye of Albania opening hours?

The Blue Eye of Albania is open from 8 AM until 8 PM every day. I recommend getting to the Blue Eye spring in the early morning to avoid any crowds in the summer months. Because the spring is not that large, it can feel crowded quickly and this will take away from your experience. As this spring is best visited when it is quiet and serene nature, rather than busy.

What time to visit the Blue Eye?

The best time to visit the Blue Eye in Albania is between May and September and in the early morning. 

The weather is the nicest in the South of Albania in the spring and summer months. Between May and September, you will have the loveliest weather with sunshine and less rain. 

To visit the Blue Eye spring, I always recommend you go there in the early morning. Get to the Blue Eye spring before it gets crowded. The point is that the Blue Eye spring is a small natural pool. It is beautiful, but the spring itself is not very large. So therefore, it can feel crowded quickly. 

The Blue Eye spring is also a popular place to visit for tourists visiting cities like Saranda and Gjirokaster, so it does get crowded in the summer months. 

Therefore, if you really want to enjoy the Blue Eye spring and experience it at its best, go there very early. Visit the spring, before other people arrive. So that you can experience it as a calm, serene and relaxing place, not a crowded one.

How do you get to the Blue Eye in Albania?

You can get to the Blue Eye in Albania by bus, by taxi or by car. The nearest cities where you could book a hotel the previous night are Saranda and Gjirokaster. There is a bus from Saranda to Gjirokaster (and reversed) that drives by the Blue Eye spring and it can drop you off. Taxi drivers in Saranda and Gjirokaster are used to offering trips to the Blue Eye spring and can offer to wait 1-2 hours at the spring, whilst you visit and then drive you back to Sarande/Gjirokaster.

Let me answer this question in more detail below:

• How to get from Saranda to the Blue Eye?
• How to get from Ksamil to the Blue Eye?
• How to get from Gjirokaster to the Blue Eye?

How to get from Saranda to the Blue Eye?

You can get from Saranda to the Blue Eye spring by bus, by taxi or by car. 

To get from Saranda to the Blue Eye by bus, you must take a bus from Saranda via the Blue Eye spring to Gjirokaster. And you must ask the bus driver to drop you off at the Blue Eye spring along the journey. I always recommend you check with the bus driver if he will drive via the Blue Eye spring before you board the bus, because there is also a newer road that does not lead by the Blue Eye spring.

Buses from Saranda via the Blue Eye spring to Gjirokaster depart at 8:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 11:30 AM, 13:00, 14:00 and 17:00. A bus ticket from Saranda via the Blue Eye to Gjirokaster will cost you 400 Leke (approximately 4 euros) per person. You are expected to pay cash to the bus driver when boarding the bus. 

Buses from Saranda via the Blue Eye spring to Gjirokaster depart from the Trans Butrinti Bus Agency in the city centre of Saranda. You can see the location of the bus stop on Google Maps here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/sfC19hQkfnrqKstD7 

The alternative is taking a taxi from Saranda to the Blue Eye spring. Taxi drivers in Saranda offer a trip to the Blue Eye spring and will wait for 1-2 hours at the Blue Eye parking area, whilst you visit the spring. A round trip from Saranda to the Blue Eye spring and back will cost you around 50-60 euros. 

If you have a rental car, then you can drive from Saranda to the Blue Eye spring independently. The drive from Saranda to the Blue Eye spring will take you approximately 40 minutes. In Saranda, there is signage everywhere indicating the direction to the Blue Eye spring as this is a popular destination. Upon arrival, you will pay 300 Leke (3 euros) for parking your car at the Blue Eye spring for 3 hours. After visiting the Blue Eye spring for 1-2 hours, you may consider driving onwards to Gjirokaster as this is en route.

How far is the Blue Eye from Sarande?

The Blue Eye is about 21 kilometres from Saranda. It will take you approximately 40 minutes by bus, by car or by taxi to get from Saranda to the Blue Eye. Because the road to the Blue Eye spring is an older national road that turns and twists through the landscape. 

How to get from Ksamil to the Blue Eye?

You can get from Ksamil to the Blue Eye by bus (via Saranda), by taxi or by car. 

There is no direct bus from Ksamil to the Blue Eye spring. So you can take a bus from Ksamil to Saranda and then transfer onto a bus from Saranda via the Blue Eye spring towards Gjirokaster. Buses depart from Ksamil every 30-60 minutes during day time hours, a ticket from Ksamil to Saranda costs 150 LEK (1.50 Euros). You must get off the bus near SOS Bar and the Friendship Park. From that location you can walk to Trans Butrinti Bus Agency in the centre of Saranda, where buses depart to the Blue Eye and Gjirokaster.

Taxi drivers in Ksamil are likely to charge you 50-60 euros for a taxi round trip from Ksamil to Gjirokaster, similar to taxi prices in Saranda.

How to get from Gjirokaster to the Blue Eye?

You can get from Gjirokaster to the Blue Eye spring by bus, by taxi or by car. 

To get to the Blue Eye spring by bus, you must take a bus from Gjirokaster via the Blue Eye spring to Saranda. Before you get on the bus, please ask if the bus driver will be driving via the Blue Eye spring, because there is also a newer road to Saranda that does not pass by the Blue Eye spring. 

Buses depart from Gjirokaster via the Blue Eye to Saranda at 7:00 AM, 8:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 9:30 AM, 10:00 AM, 10:15 AM, 11:15 AM, 12:00 PM, 13:00, 14:00, 14:30, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00 and 19:30. A bus ticket from Gjirokaster to Saranda costs 500 Leke (5 euros) per person. You must pay cash for your bus ticket at the Gjirokaster Bus Terminal. 

If you take a taxi from Gjirokaster to the Blue Eye spring and back, that will cost you approximately 50 euros.

Related Questions

How do I get from the Blue Eye to Saranda? You can get from the Blue Eye spring to Saranda by stopping the local bus along the street or by making a deal with a taxi driver. Local buses drive from Gjirokaster via the Blue Eye spring to Saranda. You can stop the bus along the road to get to Saranda and pay cash for a bus ticket. If you are going to the Blue Eye by taxi, ask the taxi driver to wait for you 1-2 hours and drop you off in Saranda afterwards.

How do I get from the Blue Eye to Gjirokaster? You can get from the Blue Eye spring to Gjirokaster by bus or by taxi. Bus drivers from Saranda drive via the Blue Eye to Gjirokaster. Stand alongside the national road to stop the bus to Gjirokaster and pay cash for your bus ticket with the bus driver. If you are getting to the Blue Eye by taxi, it is best to make a deal with the taxi driver for him to wait 1-2 hours whilst you visit the Blue Eye and ask for a drop off in Gjirokaster afterwards.

How do I get from the Blue Eye to Ksamil? You can get from the Blue Eye to Ksamil by taking a bus or a taxi. Once you finish your visit to the Blue Eye, walk to the parking area and wait alongside the road to stop the local bus in the direction of Saranda. Buses to Saranda will drop you in the city centre. Walk to SOS Bar near Friendship Park and get on the bus from Saranda to Ksamil. If you are going to the Blue Eye by taxi, ask the taxi driver to wait 1-2 hours whilst you visit, so that you can drive back to Ksamil with the taxi driver.

Welcome to Albania!

I am a Tour Guide in Albania

I am an Albania Tour Guide, who organizes 1-day, 2-day or multiple day private tours in Albania.