Trip to the mountain lake Syri I Kalter - the Blue Eye
- Written by Portal Editor
Our current location, Saranda, is also the perfect starting point for trips in the surrounding area, including to the most famous sight in Albania, the mountain lake Syri I Kalter, generally better known as "The Blue Eye of Albania".
As we have been travelling in Albania for many years, we hardly had to think about how to get there. We still remember one of the first trips from Skodra to Teth, which at the time could only be managed with a four-wheel drive.
Arriving by car - do you need an off-road vehicle?
Today, almost all roads are at least one-lane asphalt, so getting around is no longer a problem. The important sights in particular are now easy to reach by road, including the Blue Eye Syri I Kalter, even as a day tourist coming from Corfu. Since there is no bus on the route, you should hire a car or take a taxi for around €10 each way. From Saranda, you can reach the Blue Eye in half an hour, which is on a somewhat bumpy road. The path to the mountain lake is well signposted, and at the barrier to the park-like area you have to pay 100 Lek per person - which is around €0.75.
If you are a little nervous or unsure, you can alternatively book a guided tour for €20 - €50 from a tour operator in Corfu (with refreshments on the way) or cheaper in Saranda. Many of the day tours offered can also be combined with a trip to the impressive city of Gjirokaster, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage city and is definitely worth a visit. However, we only want to visit Gjirokaster as we continue our journey.
Shimmering shades of blue - then from turquoise to green - the Blue Eye
After parking the vehicle, a short walk is necessary to the spring, which is only about 12° degrees warm. And what can we say? The colour of the water alone is a dream, which only justifies the name. No wonder, then, that the Syri I Kalter is so impressive with its initially deep blue at its ever-bubbling spring, with the water changing into shimmering turquoise and green tones as it continues along the lake. A fantastically picturesque sight that makes you want to jump straight into the spring.
In order to be able to see the spring in all its glory even better, there is now a small viewing platform from which you have a good view directly of and even into the Blue Eye. During our stay, there was a daring visitor who used this platform to jump into the spring, which is very dangerous and therefore of course prohibited. Syri I Kalter has so far been little explored, so it is suspected that there is an underground cave system of as yet unknown size.
When temperatures are high in Albania in summer, there are a few brave bathers who use the Blue Eye for a swim, despite the constant water temperature of only 12°. As an alternative, we preferred to visit the small restaurant so that we could eat something before our return journey and enjoy the picturesque scenery for a while. Clear water through which you can see right to the bottom, shimmering shades of blue, a gentle rippling and a blossoming nature simply create such a harmonious picture that you would also wish for elsewhere.
In 2005, to the horror of visitors, the spring suddenly and briefly stopped bubbling. Why this happened has not been clarified to this day.
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