Blue Eye ATV Quad Adventure with River Crossing Saranda

Mesopotam and the Monastery of Saint Nicholas

The adventure begins in Mesopotam, an old village in the Bistrica valley about 15 minutes by car from Saranda. Here stands the Monastery of Saint Nicholas, a massive Byzantine church from the 13th century with an unusual double nave and walls of stone and brick, built on a site that was sacred long before.

After the safety briefing you have a moment to admire the monastery before setting off. Free, secure parking at the base makes this an easy start if you drive from Saranda, and the guide explains how the quad works if you have never ridden one before. The base sits right by the river, so you can see where the ride will finish before it even starts.

The Bistrica River and Justinian's Bridge

The first leg follows the banks of the Bistrica River along an old dirt road that has linked the valleys of this region for centuries. It is an easy, scenic ride to warm up, with the river on one side and olive groves and hills on the other.

The group then parks at the stone bridge known as Justinian's Bridge, named after the Byzantine emperor, a fine piece of old stone engineering hidden in the landscape. It is a short stop to stretch your legs and take photos before the climb begins. Riders of all levels quickly gain confidence on this stretch before the trail becomes more demanding.

The mountain pass, the hidden cave and Muzinë

Now the quads earn their keep. You leave the flat trails and climb a steep, rocky off-road pass, with a stop to explore a small cave carved into the cliffs. At the top you roll into Muzinë, where the quads line up at the edge of the viewpoint for group photos over the wide valleys below.

The Muzinë pass sits on the old road between Saranda and Gjirokastër, and the view from here takes in layers of mountains, villages and the green valley of the Bistrica. The guide keeps the group together on the climb and stops whenever someone needs a moment.

The Blue Eye spring

From Muzinë the route descends to the Blue Eye, known in Albanian as Syri i Kaltër, the most famous natural spring in the country. Cold, crystal-clear water wells up from a karst shaft more than 50 metres deep, creating a pool of intense blue ringed with turquoise, surrounded by oak and plane trees. It is the source of the Bistrica River.

In the morning option you have about an hour here to walk down to the spring and enjoy the colours. If you are asking whether the Blue Eye is worth visiting, the combination with an off-road ride makes this one of the most memorable ways to see it. The water stays very cold all year, so enjoy it from the edge and follow the rules of the protected area.

The forests of Brailat and the river finale

Back on the quads, the most adrenaline-filled leg heads towards Brailat through dense, wild forest, where you ride right through the flowing river and will probably get muddy. It is the part of the tour that riders talk about most.

The ride ends back at the base by the Bistrica River in Mesopotam, where you can cool off with a swim in the cold river water before heading back to Saranda. The full morning tour takes about three hours. Bring swimwear and a towel for this final dip, and clothes you do not mind getting dirty for the forest leg.