The blue Eye of Theth sits in Kaprre village approx 7 km from Theth. It is the most beautiful water spring we have ever been to and one of the most popular hiking trails in Theth. Underground sources feed the spring, and a small waterfall adds to it glacier water. Hard to leave such a magical place.
Getting to the Blue Eye of Theth with a Car
The road on the right-hand side of the river will be the road for you. It takes about 45 minutes of slow and difficult driving and another one hour of hiking to reach the Blue Eye. If you don’t have your own car, ask your host to arrange a ride for approx 10 euros per person.
Hiking to the Blue Eye (The Best way to do it)
- Distance: 16 Km, from the church of Theth village.
- Time: 6 hours.
- Route type: out & back.
- Difficulty: Moderate. The first two hours are easy, and the last hour is a steep, hot, sweaty climb.
The walking path is on the left-hand side of the river. Make sure you don’t take the path on the right-hand side, it’s made for vehicles, has no shade, and it’s not fun sharing it with the massive 4×4 driving next to you.
The rest of the path is marked with red and white colors. As long as you stick to the river, you’re safe. To be sure, you could use MAPS.ME app. After about one and a half hours, you’ll reach a bridge, cross it, and the path will lead you to the small village of Ndelysaj. We’re average hikers, carried a baby with us, and didn’t struggle with the trail. So, have no worries about difficulties along the way. Read more about Backpacking With a Baby.
Keep walking alongside the village for 20 min. You’ll reach a beautiful cafe in a perfect location. This will be a great place to take a break. Don’t miss an opportunity to fill your bottles with fresh river water from the tap. Expect a steep climb to the Blue Eye of one hour, mainly under the sun with few shady areas—only one hour to heaven.
JUMP JUMP JUMP
Congrats, you made it. Your sweat disappears immediately. The ambient changes, let the sound of water engulf you. Cliffs surround the spring and a wooden bridge is built beside to cross to the other side. Take a moment to admire the oh-so-accurate name of the place. Water sources push up while the waterfall pushes down, creating an ice-cold jacuzzi.
And now you have to jump.
Jumping inside the Blue Eye or any other water source may be obvious to some of you, as to me. But at the moment we arrived I got cold feet. Literally, the water hurts, I felt my bones immediately. Where I come from, these temperatures are found only in the freezer. So how does it feel like entering the freezer, you ask? Well, walk back with me in time. You’re drinking a slushy too fast as a kid and getting a brain freeze. It feels like you won’t survive this, and counting your last minutes. The same feeling will spread in your brains after jumping to the Blue Eye. I think the only brain freeze I ever enjoyed was when jumping to the Blue Eye. This place taught me to transform pain into enjoyment 🙂
Back to Theth village
We stayed two more hours by the riverside under the bridge, a few steps away from the Blue Eye on the way back. At 2 pm, we started descending, with the temperatures rising above 40C°. We lost hope at the end of the descent after the cafe because we reached a white gravel path that increased the sun radiation and had no shade. Luckily, a 4×4 crossed and offered us a ride back to Theth.
I felt like we got the best of all options.
The 4×4 ride is ecstatic. In some places, the road is as wide as the car itself. You could see the wheel on the edge of the cliff. I didn’t care about the cliff. I felt so blessed we didn’t have to walk back in the heat, and then another vehicle showed up in front. While the drivers maneuvered the vehicles, all I could see was the long, long way down. I would recommend trying to hitchhike your way back unless you’re not into near-death experiences.
Final Thoughts
Besides the Theth Valbona hike, the Blue Eye was our most memorable experience in Theth national park.
So, we recommend you not to miss this natural phenomenon.
