Syri i Kaltër - Blue Eye is a natural phenomenon in the form of a water source located 22 km from Saranda. An incredibly beautiful place that is today a popular tourist attraction. A visit well worth making.
Syri i Kaltër or Blue Eye, as it is called in English, is a cold water source located 22 km from Saranda. A car trip here takes about 30 minutes. Guided tours are also arranged here and we can recommend you to contact LEKA TOURS in Saranda if you wish to book one or rent a car for the tour.
If you have planned a trip to Gjirokastër, you actually pass the Blue Eye and if you have time to make a stop here on the way, it is worth it.
A source of unknown depth
The underwater source has a temperature of 12.75°C, with a maximum deviation of only 0.15°C, which alone is incredible. So far, divers have succeeded in diving down to a depth of 50 meters, but they have not yet been able to find out the full depth of the source. Diving in the source is incredibly difficult and dangerous due to the enormous water pressure. Blue Eye is one of the most powerful springs in south-eastern Europe. There is a cave very deep in the water that constantly pumps out fresh water to the surface. The spring has an average discharge of 6,000 liters/second and at high water the spring has a power of 18,400 liters/second. The Blue Eye is the source of the Bistrice River which then flows into the Ionian Sea.
Syri i Kaltër means Blue Eye in Albanian
Blue eye looks like a human eye.
In the center of the source you can see the dark underwater cave and from above it looks like the pupil of a human eye. The bright blue water in the spring looks like an iris around the dark cave. Hence it got its name Blue Eye.
"The water in Syri in Kaltër is so clear that it resembles a giant aquarium"
Can you go for a swim in Syri in Kaltër
You can swim in the spring, but the water is very cold, so you probably don't want to stay for long. There is a staircase that leads to a balcony intended for looking down on the spring and from there you can see people jumping in even though there are signs saying that diving and swimming in the spring is prohibited. If you are brave enough to jump in, the spring will push you to the surface immediately due to the high water pressure.
Find Syri i Kaltër
The road is clearly signposted and when you turn off the main road you follow a 2 km long gravel road. Once there, there is a small office that takes payment for the attraction. The price per person is 50 LEK (€0.40) and 100 LEK (€0.80) for car parking. From the parking lot, a footpath of 2-3 km leads you to a small bridge over the river to The blue eye source. You can also buy something to drink here and just relax after your stroll to the spring.
Worth a visit
The powerful water source with its beautiful appearance is well worth a visit if you like nature and nature's phenomena and forces. The surrounding nature is also worth experiencing. Blue eye is a well-visited natural phenomenon and sometimes there can be a lot of visitors there. A tip is to go there directly when it opens around 10 o'clock. You can get here by bus, taxi or car. You can also book guided tours here.
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