If you had your heart set on swimming in the electric blue waters of Southern Albania’s famous Blue Eye, you’ll probably be disappointed to hear swimming is now strictly prohibited - and it’s enforced. But what if I were to tell you there is another blue karst spring that is completely off the tourist radar and just a short drive from the popular town of Shkodër? No fences, no crowds, just pure cold water therapy!
Here you can channel your inner Wim Hof and swim uninterrupted in the vivid blue spring without another soul in sight.
Here’s how to find it and what to expect when you do.
How to find Shkodër’s Blue Eye (Syri i Sheganit)
Where to park
Shkodër’s Blue Eye is located around a 40 minute drive from the city. The last 800m of the road to the parking area is unsealed but suitable for any car at time of writing. There are a few bumps but nothing challenging and even small cars will be fine unless it deteriorates significantly.
There are two possible parking points: the closest is beside the sign for the wetlands, you can see the exact spot on Google maps here. Although this is the closest parking area to the eye, there is only room for a couple of cars.
This was no problem on our visit as there was no one else around, but people do visit the area to go birding and to boat on the nearby lake, so if you were to find it full you need to continue for another two minutes further down the road.
You will find additional parking beside the restaurant and it’s less than a five minute walk back to the wetlands sign.
Incidentally, we didn’t try the food, but the restaurant has a gorgeous view, so it’s worth popping in for a drink at least before heading off again after your swim at the eye.
The walk to the Blue Eye
It’s a bit of a stretch to call it a walk, as it’s a mere 120m from the car park to the eye! Less even, if you enter on the eastern side (the side nearest the road), but entry to the water here was more slippery.
I recommend walking for 120m to reach the tiered rocks on the western side (the further side from the road) as this made for much easier access.
The walk is mainly flat and easy but does have a little bit of gravel and one rather rustic stile to climb over. I did it in flip flops but it would be better in trainers. Either way it takes just a few minutes.
Access to the water via the western side involves climbing down a couple of large but flat tiered rocks, which I found easier than the slippery sloped mud bank on the other side.
Go carefully on the rocks though as the wet ones were a touch slippery.
Swimming at the Blue Eye
The spectacular blue karst pool is a gorgeous place for a swim. The pool is large, deep and unobstructed, so you can swim for as long as your body can tolerate the cold water!
The fact there was no one else around was a rare treat in Albanian summer. It was pure peace and serenity.
However, when I say cold I really mean it, as with many of Albania’s spring fed pools, the water is exceptionally cool. We estimated it was around 4C, perhaps even slightly lower.
If you aren’t used to very cold water swimming, you should lower yourself in gently and give your body a bit of time to adjust so that you minimise the risk of cold water shock.
I swim in cold water often and found it very cold, but doable, however, it was even colder than the Blue Eye in Theth which many people couldn’t tolerate for more than 30 seconds, so definitely be prepared for a cold plunge experience!
I also want to highlight that though the water is beautiful, it isn’t as wildly blue as the famous Blue Eye in Southern Albania which you can no longer swim in. It’s very blue, but it does look better from above.
If you have a drone you can really capture the full spectacle but at eye level it’s not as impressive.
It’s still very pretty but I wouldn’t want anyone to visit expecting to see the exact same intensity of colour as at the original Blue Eye. That said, the benefit to this one is not only that you can swim there, but that you will be there without the crowds, and in my opinion that’s priceless!
If you’re looking for other fun ideas for things to do when visiting Shkodër, check out this guide.
Keep them wild
Please remember to take all rubbish with you and keep these places wild and pristine - as with anywhere in the outdoors. It’s important to leave them exactly as you found them so they will remain beautiful for generations to come.
Litter tends to breed litter, so if you do spot any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the area, it will go a long way to keeping the area clean.
Please remember to wear reef safe sunscreen to protect the marine life inside the pool.
Where to stay near Shkodër
We stayed at the Montflux Hotel, around a 15 minute drive from the city centre. By this point in our trip we were really over how noisy Albanian towns and cities are. We checked into an apartment in the city centre and immediately checked out again when we saw how noisy it was.
The Montflux Hotel is the polar opposite, it’s in a peaceful location by the beautiful Mesi Bridge and set back from the quiet road. The rooms are spacious, modern and very comfortable- it’s worth splurging a little extra on the deluxe rooms which are much larger.
The bathroom is small with the typical wet room style set up, but it’s so hot in Shkodër that it dries very quickly. The wifi is also lightning fast.
We ended up feeling so at home here we extended our stay which resulted in us exploring a lot more of Shkodër than we’d planned which was an unexpected treat!
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