How do I get to Saranda blue eyes? Taxi, bus, car, prices

If you are planning to travel to the Blue Eye of Saranda, this blog post is for you. I will describe how to get to the Blue Eye of Saranda by taxi, by car, by bus and the prices.

How do I get to Saranda blue eyes? You can get to the Saranda Blue Eye by taxi, organized tour or by car. A taxi costs around 40 euros for a return trip from Saranda, and the driver will wait for you. You can rent a car and drive for about 30 min along the SH99 road. There is no bus, no train and no railway.

In this blog post, I will explain the best ways of getting from Saranda to the Blue Eye spring. I will give an update on bus travel, compare taxi rates and describe the driving route. I will also answer common questions about the Blue Eye, like if is it worth visiting, the time required, water temperature, the depth of the Blue Eye, swimming in the Blue Eye and drinking from the Blue Eye.

How to get to the Blue Eye of Saranda?

In this blog post, I will discuss how to get to the Blue Eye of Saranda in detail, this is the information you will find below:

• How much does it cost to get to the Blue Eye of Saranda by taxi?
• How to get to the Blue Eye of Saranda by bus?
• How to get to the Blue Eye of Saranda by car?
• How much does a taxi from Gjirokaster to the Blue Eye cost?
• How much does it cost to get to the Blue Eye?
• What is the price of a ticket for the Blue Eye of Saranda?
• Is the Blue Eye of Saranda worth visiting?
• How much time do I need to visit the Blue Eye of Saranda?
• How deep is the Blue Eye of Saranda?
• How cold is the Blue Eye of Saranda?
• Can you drink from the Blue Eye of Saranda?
• Can you swim in the Blue Eye of Saranda?

How much does it cost to get to the Blue Eye of Saranda by taxi?

It does cost 35-40 euros to hire a taxi from Saranda to the Blue Eye and back. Some rates that I was offered were 50 or 60 euros. However, most taxi drivers offer this trip for around 40 euros.

One of the best ways to get to the Blue Eye of Saranda is to hire a taxi driver and ask him to wait for you for 1 hour. You will have 1 hour to visit the Blue Eye, take your pictures and have coffee. Before you return back to the taxi driver, who is waiting for you at the parking near the entrance. 

To give you a good overview of the taxi rates, I did reach out to several taxi companies in Saranda and asked them for their rates. 

• Taxi in Saranda charges 4000 Leke (35 euros) for a taxi from Saranda to the Blue Eye spring and back to Saranda. The driver will wait for you.
• Taxi Saranda charges 40 euros for a taxi from Saranda to the Blue Eye spring. The driver will wait for you and bring you back to Saranda after 1 hour.
• Taxi driver Blerim charges 40 euros for a ride from Saranda to the Blue Eye. He will wait for you for 2 hours and bring you back to Saranda afterwards.
• Taxi Sarande-Igumenice charges 40 euros for a one-way ride to the Blue Eye or 60 euros for a return trip from Saranda to the Blue Eye and back.
• Taxi Service 24H charges 50 euros for a return trip from Saranda to the Blue Eye.

How to get to the Blue Eye of Saranda by bus?

You cannot get to the Blue Eye of Saranda by bus or public transportation anymore. Let me explain.

There was never a direct bus from Saranda with the Blue Eye spring as a destination. However, in the past, you could take a bus from Saranda to Gjirokaster or a bus from Saranda to Tirana, since these busses would pass by the Blue Eye spring and they could drop you off on their route. 

However, a new road was constructed from Saranda via Kardhiq in the direction of Gjirokaster. Since this new road is quicker, the busses from Saranda to Gjirokaster/Tirana, now all take the road via Kardhiq. And as a result, these buses don’t pass by the Blue Eye spring anymore. 

So if you want to get to the Blue Eye Spring, you can either book an organized tour, hire a rental car or ask your hotel to call a taxi. 

How to get to the Blue Eye of Saranda by car?

You can get to the Blue Eye of Saranda by car. To get to the Blue Eye of Saranda, you must take the SH99 road. This road leads through the mountain pass and it passed by the Blue Eye Spring. 

You can see the location of the Blue Eye entrance on a Google Map here -> https://goo.gl/maps/VBW5bAyRpynEotJQ8 There is a new parking place at the entrance of the Blue Eye because it is such a popular destination for tourists in the summer months. From the entrance, you will take a small train that brings you to the Blue Eye spring. 

From Saranda, it will take you approximately 30 minutes to drive to the Blue Eye spring. It is a beautiful route that leads through the mountains, and forest and you are surrounded by nature. The road is in a good condition, you do not need a 4 x 4 car on this route.

Important! You must be an experienced, confident and alert driver to drive in Albania. Because Albanian drivers have a chaotic and aggressive style of driving. Of course, there are rules on the road, but these rules are often not followed. Although, the Albanian government has employed a large number of traffic policemen, driving in Albania is something to be hesitant about. If you can avoid it, please book a taxi with a local driver who is experienced with the traffic and routes.

How much does a taxi from Gjirokaster to the Blue Eye cost?

A taxi from Gjirokaster to the Blue Eye costs 30-50 euros. The Blue Eye spring is located between Saranda and Gjirokaster. So if you are staying in Gjirokaster, it is also easy to visit the Blue Eye spring starting from Gjirokaster.

To give you a good insight into the rates for a taxi from Gjirokaster to the Blue Eye spring, I reached out to several taxi drivers in Gjirokaster. Here are their quotes.

• Taxi Alket Gjirokaster charges 5000 Leke (42 euros) for a taxi from Gjirokaster to the Blue Eye. The driver will wait for you whilst you visit the Blue Eye and drive you back to Gjirokaster afterwards.
• Taksi Gjirokaster Elmas charges 35 euros for a taxi from Gjirokaster to the Blue Eye.
• Taxi Krenari Gjirokaster charges 30 euros for a taxi from Gjirokaster to the Blue Eye spring.
• Taxi Imer Babaramo charges 50 euros for a taxi from Gjirokaster to the Blue Eye. And the driver will wait for you and bring you back to Gjirokaster afterwards.

It is always best to book a driver, who will wait for you at the Blue Eye spring and bring you back to Gjirokaster afterwards. Because there is no public transportation to bring you back your visit.

How much does it cost to get to the Blue Eye?

The easiest way to get to the Blue Eye spring is by taking a taxi from either Saranda or Gjirokaster. A taxi from Saranda to the Blue Eye spring costs 35-40 euros. A taxi from Gjirokaster to the Blue Eye Spring costs 30-50 euros. 

What is the price of a ticket for the Blue Eye of Saranda?

A ticket for the Blue Eye of Saranda costs 50 Leke per person (0.40 euro). That includes the parking at the entrance of the Blue Eye. 

Is the Blue Eye of Saranda worth visiting?

The Blue Eye of Saranda is absolutely worth visiting. The Blue Eye spring is the most unique sightseeing spot in Albania. 

In essence, the Blue Eye of Saranda is a water spring. And of course, there are many water springs and water sources around the world. 

However, the Blue Eye is special and unique in the way it looks. The Blue Eye spring resembles a human eye. The water is pumped up to the surface level by an underwater cave. This underwater cave is more than 50 meters underneath the ground and water level. This dark underwater cave looks like the pupil of a human eye. The bright blue water and the waving underwater plants that grow in the spring, form the iris of a human eye. 

A viewing plateau was built above the Blue Eye spring. So that you can look into the eye from above and take pictures. Although I must say that the pictures you can find online, do not do the beauty of this magical place justice. This is something you have to see with your own eyes in person.

Visiting the Blue Eye spring is calming and relaxing. The spring is surrounded by lush green nature, it feels almost tropical. The water spring runs away in a rushing and wild river. 

There is a lovely cafe on the shore of the river. With a little wooden terrace on the river. The Blue Eye feels so natural and it air is so refreshing even in the hot months, like July or August.

Insider Tip! Get to the Blue Eye in the early morning. Especially if you are travelling in July and August, it is best to wake up early and get there when it is still quiet and relaxing. Because this is a popular sightseeing location and many tourists staying in Saranda in the summer will visit this spot.

How much time do I need to visit the Blue Eye of Saranda?

You will need around 1 hour to visit the Blue Eye of Saranda. It takes approximately 30 minutes to drive from Saranda to the Blue Eye spring by car or taxi. Then you will need around 1 hour at the site to visit the spring and enjoy a coffee near the river afterwards.

How deep is the Blue Eye of Saranda?

The Blue Eye of Saranda is more than 50 meters deep, but nobody knows how deep it is exactly. 

The Blue Eye is a spring that pumps water to the surface from a deep cave. The deep cave is called a karst hole and thus the Blue Eye is a karst spring. 

Divers have doven into the Blue Eye spring to find out how deep it actually is. However, no diver in the world has ever gotten to the bottom of the cave. This is due to the fact that the water pressure of the Blue Eye spring is so incredibly high. 

A diver must push against the water pressure and dive up against the water that is being pushed upwards to the surface level. As a result of this high water pressure, we don’t know how deep the Blue Eye of Saranda actually is, so it remains a mystery.

How cold is the Blue Eye of Saranda?

The Blue Eye of Saranda is about 10 degrees celsius all year round. So even in the summer, the water from the spring remains at 10 degrees. Whereas the seawater of the Ionian Sea does warm up, the water from the Blue Eye of Saranda is always cold. 

When you visit the Blue Eye of Saranda, you will see some people jumping into the Blue Eye. This is actually not allowed, as there are signages that state jumping into the spring is not permitted. However, some people always jump into the spring anyways. 

Of course, you can also wade into the Blue Eye or the river that leads away from the spring. This water is equally cold, but it is less of a shock to your system than jumping in from above!

Can you drink from the Blue Eye of Saranda?

You can drink from the Blue Eye of Saranda. Because the water is spring water. Spring water in Albania is drinking water. The Blue Eye of Saranda is very clean because the spring pumps up water from the underwater cave with enormous pressure.

The Blue Eye of Saranda discharges 18400 Liters of water per second. So the water pressure is enormous. So the spring is very clean and suitable for drinking water.

Can you swim in the Blue Eye of Saranda?

You can swim in the Blue Eye of Saranda, although it is ice-cold water. That being said, there are signs that show you are not allowed to jump into the Blue Eye of Saranda. 

Basically, there is a viewing plateau above the Blue Eye of Saranda. This plateau was made so that you can look into the Blue Eye spring from above. Because the spring resembles a human eye and this is best seen from above. 

However, there are signs that show you are not allowed to jump from the plateau into the Blue Eye spring. Even though these signs have always been in place, many young people from Albania and abroad, still like to jump into the Blue Eye spring from above. 

Of course, you can take a swim in the river that leads away from the Blue Eye spring. In some places, the water is rushing heavily. But there are some quieter spots where the water is calmer and you can swim. 

That being said, the Blue Eye of Saranda is intended as a place to admire nature. To come and visit, take some photos, enjoy a coffee and travel back after 1 hour or so. The best places to swim near Saranda, are beaches, like Mirror beach, Ksamil beach and Monastry beach.

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