The "Blue Eye" () is a water
spring and
natural phenomenon
A natural phenomenon is an observable event which is not man-made. Examples include: sunrise, weather, fog, thunder, tornadoes; biological processes, decomposition, germination; physical processes, wave propagation, erosion; tidal flow, and na ...
occurring in the village of
Muzinë
Muzinë ( sq-definite, Muzina, ), is a village of the administrative unit of Mesopotam, Finiq, southern Albania. The village is known for its proximity to the water spring known as the Blue Eye, Albania, Blue Eye, a popular tourist attraction.
Th ...
in
Finiq
Finiq (, sq-definite, Finiqi, ) is a settlement, considered a town or village, and municipality in Vlorë County, in southern Albania located 8 km from the Ionian Sea and 20 km north of the Greek border. It was formed at the 2015 local g ...
municipality, southern
Albania
Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
. A popular
tourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement.
Types
Places of natural beaut ...
, the clear blue water of the river can be seen from a depth of more than fifty metres. Divers have descended to fifty metres, but it is still unclear what the actual depth of the
karst
Karst () is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and Dolomite (rock), dolomite. It is characterized by features like poljes above and drainage systems with sinkholes and caves underground. Ther ...
hole is.
This phenomenon is also known as "springs of Bistricë" as it is the initial water source of
Bistricë river, 25 km long, which ends in the
Ionian Sea
The Ionian Sea (, ; or , ; , ) is an elongated bay of the Mediterranean Sea. It is connected to the Adriatic Sea to the north, and is bounded by Southern Italy, including Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily, and the Salento peninsula to the west, ...
south of
Sarandë
Sarandë (; sq-definite, Saranda; ) is a List of cities and towns in Albania, city in the Republic of Albania and the seat of Sarandë Municipality. Geographically, the city is located on an open sea gulf of the Ionian Sea within the Mediterrane ...
.
The source stands at an altitude of 152 m and has a discharge rate of 18400 L/s.
The immediate area is a
Nature Monument and is characterized by oak and sycamore trees. In summer 2004, the source was temporarily dried up.
In the summer of 2017 part of the location was burnt by wildfire.
The protected area of Blue Eye has been designated as a natural monument which covers an area of 180 ha.
The Blue Eye is located slightly west of the village of
Muzinë
Muzinë ( sq-definite, Muzina, ), is a village of the administrative unit of Mesopotam, Finiq, southern Albania. The village is known for its proximity to the water spring known as the Blue Eye, Albania, Blue Eye, a popular tourist attraction.
Th ...
, but it can be reached by car reaching the Saranda-Gjirokaster road from the village of
Krongj.
See also
*
Protected areas of Albania
Despite being a relatively small country, Albania is exceedingly rich in biodiversity. Its ecosystems and habitats support over 5,550 species of vascular and non-vascular plants and more than 15,600 species of coniferous and non-coniferous ev ...
*
Geography of Albania
*
Tourism in Albania
Tourism in Albania has been a key element of the country's economic activity and is constantly developing. Albania is characterized by its rich archaeological and cultural heritage dating back to the classical period when Illyrians and Ancie ...
References
{{Portal bar, Environment
Nature parks in Albania
Springs of Albania
Vlorë County
Tourist attractions in Vlorë County
Tourist attractions in Sarandë
Karst springs