The Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër) is a 50-metre-deep karst spring 25km inland from Saranda, famous for the eye-shaped burst of turquoise where the water erupts from underground. We visited on a combined half-day with Butrint. Bottom line: it’s genuinely beautiful and costs under €1 to enter — but it’s a short stop, so the smart play is pairing it with Butrint rather than making a special trip.
Fast Facts & Review Scorecard
- Our Final Rating: 4 / 5
- Duration: 30–45 min on site; half-day as a combined tour
- Base Cost: 50 lek (<€1) entry; €20–40 guided from Saranda
- Departs: Saranda by car, taxi or guided tour
👉 Check Blue Eye tour prices on Viator
What Exactly Happens On This Tour?
From the car park it’s a 10-minute walk (or a short shuttle) through shaded woodland to the viewing platform over the spring. The colour is the draw — a vivid blue-into-black eye that genuinely looks unreal in the right light. You’ll spend 30–45 minutes here: photos, the platform, maybe a cold-water dip if you’re brave and the wardens allow it. Because the stop is short, almost everyone visits it as part of a combined day — most commonly with Butrint to the south, which makes a natural half-day-plus-half-day pairing out of Saranda.
Honest Breakdown: The Pros & Cons
The Good Stuff
- Under €1 to enter — extraordinary value
- The colour really does live up to the photos in good light
- Pairs perfectly with Butrint for a full southern day
The Bad Stuff
- On its own it’s a brief stop, not a day out
- Gets busy and the platform bottlenecks midday
- No real swimming — cold and increasingly restricted
Final Verdict: Should You Book It?
Don’t make a dedicated trip — combine it. As half of a Butrint-plus-Blue-Eye day out of Saranda it’s a clear yes, and the guided combos handle the driving and timing for you. If you’ve got a rental car, DIY it for the price of parking. See the full tours hub for combined day-trip options.