Blue Eye, Protected karst spring in Vlorë County, Albania
The Blue Eye is a karst spring in Vlorë County that forms a circular pool where the water appears in shades ranging from pale turquoise to deep indigo. The pool measures roughly 164 feet (50 meters) across, and the depth has not yet been fully measured.
The government declared the area a Natural Monument in 1996 to protect the spring and the surrounding forest from development. Since then, rules have governed access and use of the site.
The name Syri i Kaltër, meaning Blue Eye, comes from the way the water appears dark in the center and lighter toward the edges. Locals use the area for walking and day trips, especially during warmer months.
The spring lies off the main road between Saranda and Gjirokastra, accessible via a turnoff near Muzinë. A path leads through the forest to the pool, and the terrain is generally easy to walk.
The spring discharges about 18.4 cubic meters per second, making it one of Albania's largest karst springs. Its underground catchment in the Mali i Gjerë massif is larger than the surface basin above it. In summer 2004 the spring temporarily dried up.
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