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Saranda ATV: Blue Eye & Secret Trails

Would rather see the spring without the dust? See the Blue Eye sunset trip →

5.063 Google reviewsDeparts from Saranda or Ksamil

The Blue Eye is forty minutes from Saranda by road. This takes the long way: up through the olive groves behind the town, along farm tracks in the Bistrica valley, and through the river itself at a ford that is shallow enough in summer to drive across and deep enough to soak you if you go at it fast.

Itinerary

For reference only. Itineraries are subject to change.

  1. 08:30

    Pickup in Saranda or Ksamil

    Collected from your hotel and taken to the base on the edge of town.

  2. 09:00

    Kit and lesson

    Helmet, goggles and a practice loop on the flat before we leave the tarmac.

  3. 09:30

    Olive groves and farm tracks

    Inland through the hills behind Saranda, then down into the Bistrica valley.

  4. 10:15

    The river crossing

    Through the ford. Slowly if you want to stay dry, less slowly if you do not.

  5. 10:45

    The Blue Eye

    Quads parked at the edge of the woods, then a short walk in to the spring. Forty-five minutes there.

  6. 12:00

    Back by the hill route

    A different track home with the coast in front of you. At your hotel by about 12:45.

Experience & Highlights

  • Off-road through olive groves to the Blue Eye
  • A river crossing through the Bistrica ford
  • The spring itself, reached by the back route
  • Coast and Corfu views on the ride back
  • Your own quad, lesson first

Full Description

We ride into the park by the back way and leave the quads at the edge of the woods for the short walk to the spring. It is a karst vent pushing water up from a shaft nobody has found the bottom of, so blue it looks edited, and colder than you expect.

The ride back takes a different line through the hills with the coast and Corfu in front of you. You drive your own machine after a lesson on the flat, or ride pillion if you would rather not.

What's included

  • Hotel pickup and drop-off in Saranda and Ksamil
  • Your own quad for the ride (or a pillion seat)
  • Helmet, goggles and safety briefing
  • English-speaking riding guide
  • Blue Eye park entry and bottled water

Not included

  • Second rider on your quad (€25)
  • Drinks at the Blue Eye kiosk

Good to know

  • Drivers must be 18 or over. Passengers from age 8 can ride pillion.
  • The river crossing is a real ford. Your feet will likely get wet, so wear shoes that can take it.
  • Swimming in the Blue Eye is prohibited.
  • Runs April through October. The ford is too deep to cross after heavy rain, in which case we take the road bridge.

Good questions, honest answers

Can you ride an ATV to the Blue Eye?

To the edge of the park, yes, by the back tracks through the Bistrica valley. The last few hundred metres to the spring are on foot, because vehicles are not allowed on the paths around the water.

How deep is the river crossing?

Around shin height in summer, which the quads handle easily. After heavy rain it can be too deep to cross safely, and on those days we use the road bridge instead and lose nothing but the splash.

Do I need experience to drive an ATV?

No. You get a lesson on the flat before leaving the base, and the guide sets the pace to the slowest rider. Drivers must be 18 or over.

Plan the rest of your trip

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