Duration: 4 hours
Driving Distance: 1 hour
Highlights: Panoramic view of Saranda from Lekursi Castle, Visit of the Mesopotam Monastery, one of the most beautiful places in Albania – Blue Eye Spring & its surroundings

Meet with your guide at the port of Saranda and start the tour driving towards Lekursi Castle.
With a panoramic view all over the city, the guide will present you the first introduction of Saranda, main facts and information’s about the city and its history. After the panoramic stop, we drive toward the Blue Eye Spring.

Along the way stop at the Monastery Church of St. Mary in Mesopotam. The Monastery is located a few kilometres away along the road linking Saranda with the Bistrica hydro-power station. It was built in the 11th century by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Monomac. It is one of the rarest Byzantine monuments of the 11th-14th centuries. Ruins of the circuit-walls and a tower in the western part are all that has survived to date from the old monastery. The Monastery has almost entirely been razed to the ground. The church reveals a combination of the old Byzantine and Roman styles. It was built in the 12th century, when this territory was under the Angevins’ rule.

In a couple of kilometres, reach the Blue Eye spring, known as one of the most beautiful places in Albania. This is the source of the Bistrica River. It has a main six-metre diameter source of crystal-clear water that never runs dry, and a large number of water sources on the sides. Syri i Kaltër is declared a Rare Natural Treasure, and is protected by the Albanian Government. The water source is surrounded by virgin forests.

After the visit, return to the port of Saranda.