A natural spring 25 kilometres east of Saranda where water pushes up through an apparently bottomless hole. The inner circle is a deep sapphire, the outer rim turquoise — hence the name. Divers have reached 50 metres without touching the bottom. Small entry fee; swimming is not permitted. Best visited on the way to or from Gjirokastër.
The spring is the source of the Bistrica River, which flows west to the sea. The volume of water emerging from the vent is enormous — thousands of litres per second — which accounts for the extraordinary clarity. The surrounding forest is also attractive, and the short walk from the car park to the spring through tall plane trees gives the place a more serene approach than the popular sites on the coast. The spring is visited year-round but gets busiest in July and August when it can be combined with the coast in a day trip.