How To Visit The Blue Eye in Albania (and Avoid The Crowds) — ALONG DUSTY ROADS

Drive & Park

This is the quickest and most convenient way, especially if you have your own wheels. Distances and travel times are:

· From Sarandë / 22km – 40 minutes
· From Ksamil / 34km – 1 hour
· From Gjirokaster / 37km – 1 hour

We did a road trip in Albania, and highly recommend it as a way for slow travellers to really get to know more of the country and go off-the-beaten-track – check out our route here.

If a full road trip doesn’t fit with your travel style, budget, or holiday plans, then consider renting a car for the day from your coastal base to visit the Blue Eye and one or two other stops.

It’s a straightforward drive, and you’ll arrive at the surprisingly big and busy paved Blue Eye car park (here on Google Maps). It’s cash only, paid at the portakabin, and the recently increased prices are:

· 0-3 hours | 300 LEK (€3)

· 3-4 hours | 400 LEK (€4)

· 5-8 hours | 600 LEK (€6)

The vast majority of visitors will only need up to 3 hours, but if you expect to walk the trails around the Blue Eye and have a slow lunch on the site, perhaps opt for 4. Whilst the car park is much larger and better than we expected, it does get full in the summer season, so you may have to wait for a space of really squeeze in to whatever’s available.

Note there are some small areas close to the ticket entrance where you can park for free with no trouble in low season but, at the start of summer 2024, there were various reports from travellers of intimidation and a fake policeman getting very aggressive toward them, including a couple of instances where he hit their rental car.

We’re all for saving a few quid but, for peace of mind, just go to the big car park.

Plan | Our Essential Guide To Driving in Albania

Book | Check prices and availability on Rentalcars.com or AutoEurope

Travel Tip / If you are travelling to or from Gjirokaster and the coast, make sure to set your Google Maps or GPS to go via the Blue Eye, as it will usually sends you via a different, quicker road.