Blue Eye of Theth

Do not walk the full 18km round trip from Theth village unless you are an endurance hiker, it’s mostly a dusty road walk. Drive to Nderlysaj or pay a local driver for about €5–€10. From there, the hike is only about 45 minutes. The path from Nderlysaj is "moderate" but involves steep, rocky scrambles. If you are wearing flip-flops, you are asking for a twisted ankle

Be at the trailhead in Nderlysaj by 8:30 AM. By 11:30 AM, the tour groups from Shkodër arrive, and the "magical" atmosphere evaporates instantly. In August, there is literally a line of people waiting to stand on the rock in front of the waterfall. It feels more like a theme park than a wilderness experience during peak hours.

Do not let the swimming photos fool you, the water is absolutely freezing and it's physically painful for most people to stay in for more than 10 seconds

There is a makeshift wooden bar/restaurant built on stilts directly over the rushing river just before you reach the eye. It’s a great spot for a very expensive beer with an unbeatable view

Unlike the Blue Eye in the south of Albania (which is a spring bubbling up), this one is fed by a small, powerful waterfall that looks like it belongs in a tropical rainforest