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Blue Eye & Lekursi Castle Sunset Tour

5.063 Google reviewsHalf day from Saranda or Ksamil

Everybody goes to the Blue Eye at eleven in the morning, which is the worst time: the car park is full, the boardwalk is shoulder to shoulder, and the light comes straight down. We go at four, when the day trips from Tirana have turned for home and the place empties out.

Itinerary

For reference only. Itineraries are subject to change.

  1. 15:30

    Pickup in Saranda or Ksamil

    Collected from your hotel and inland up the Bistrica valley, about forty minutes.

  2. 16:15

    The Blue Eye

    In through the plane trees to the viewing deck. An hour and a half, which is enough to walk the loop, sit with it and drink something at the kiosk.

  3. 18:00

    Back towards the coast

    Down the valley past Muzina with the light going long across the olive terraces.

  4. 18:45

    Lekursi Castle

    Up the ridge to the fort. Corfu on the horizon, the bay below, and the sun going into the sea behind it.

  5. 20:15

    Back to your hotel

    Dropped in Saranda or Ksamil, or left at the castle restaurant if you have booked dinner.

Experience & Highlights

  • The Blue Eye after the tour buses leave
  • Lekursi Castle for sunset over the Saranda bay
  • Corfu across the channel in the evening light
  • Half a day, so the rest of yours stays free
  • Option to stay for dinner at the castle

Full Description

The spring itself is a karst vent pushing cold water up through a shaft that divers have followed past 50 metres without finding the bottom. The colour changes as the sun drops, from that hard poster blue to something deeper and greener, and you can hear the water instead of the crowd.

Then back towards Saranda and up to Lekursi Castle, a small 16th-century Ottoman fort on the ridge above the town. The terrace looks west over the whole bay to Corfu, and there is a restaurant up there if you want to stay for dinner. We can leave you and collect you later.

What's included

  • Hotel pickup and drop-off in Saranda and Ksamil
  • Air-conditioned transport
  • English-speaking guide
  • Blue Eye park entry
  • Bottled water

Not included

  • Dinner at Lekursi Castle (we can book it, about €15 to €20)
  • Drinks at the Blue Eye kiosk

Good to know

  • Swimming in the Blue Eye is prohibited and the rule is enforced. The water is around 10 degrees year-round regardless.
  • The walk in from the car park is about 15 minutes on a flat gravel track, or you can take the shuttle for €1.
  • Departure time shifts through the season to keep the castle stop at sunset. In June we leave at 16:30, in September at 15:00.
  • If you want dinner at the castle, tell us when you book and we will hold a table on the terrace.

Good questions, honest answers

What is the best time of day to visit the Blue Eye?

Late afternoon. The coach trips from Tirana and the cruise groups from Saranda arrive between ten and one, and the boardwalk is crowded then. After four it empties, the light is better on the water, and you can hear the spring.

How deep is the Blue Eye?

Nobody knows. Divers have gone past 50 metres down the shaft without reaching the bottom, and the water pressure coming up makes going further difficult. That, plus the cold, is where the local stories about it come from.

Can you eat at Lekursi Castle?

Yes, there is a restaurant in the fort with a terrace facing west over the bay. It is the best sunset table in Saranda and it fills up, so tell us when you book and we will hold one and collect you afterwards.

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