Mesopotam Traditional Restaurant & Agroturizem on the way to Blue Eye

MESOPOTAM TRADITIONAL RESTAURANT & AGROTURIZEM offers a unique eco-tourism experience in the mesmerizing region of Mesopotam. Located by the scenic Blue Eye river, our riverside restaurant is your gateway to the unspoiled beauty of nature. With easy access from Saranda and a variety of activities such as biking and exploring the local flora and fauna, you can immerse yourself in the charms of agroturizem while savoring delicious, locally sourced cuisine. Come, discover the magic of Mesopotam and create unforgettable memories in every season.

How to start an eco-tourism business?

First get land in the right location and plant trees.

And bushes.

And flowers.

Clean the riverside. Keep nature alive.

Make a network with your locals.

Wait a couple of years for things to take root and keep busy planning.

To have a unique kitchen concept is as important as finding a talented chef who understands the history and the taste of the seasons. They must know how to pair their food with Albanian wines, too.

Add the right staff.

The pool and eco cabins and the bikes are a match made in eco heaven.

Mesopotam is a village between the old and new Bistrice, located  ca 10 km from Saranda, on the SH78 toward Blue Eye and Gjiokastra. There,  a new door has opened for eco-conscious visitors and tourists. Since June,  Mesopotam Traditional Restaurant & Agroturizem is open for business with a new landscape adapted to eco-friendly practices. Their mission is to share with visitors what is unique in our region: virgin, untouched, undiscovered nature alongside high-quality food and service.

Rivers are quite significant due to their changing nature. They have meant a great deal to people throughout the years. They provide a source of food and also represent fertility and the ever-flowing nature of life and time.

Nowadays,  we are witnessing a change in  the Albanian vacation. As we’ve said many times, our southern region is not only for summer. Beaches with umbrellas are no longer  unique for tourists. Activities like cycling, hill-walking, and fishing could make  the Saranda region with its picturesque villages as famous as the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Butrint and Gjirokastër or the beaches on the Ionian coastline have done for other parts of Albania .

The surge in visitors in recent years has brought with it environmental and cultural challenges. To combat these issues, some stakeholders in Albania have embarked on a journey towards sustainable tourism. This travel culture transformation by responsible business owners aims to preserve the country’s natural beauty and unique cultural heritage for generations to come.

It is promising that  business owners in Saranda and its neighborhoods of Finiq, Mesopotam, Delvine, Mursi, and Konispol are recasting themselves as destinations for alternative travel, with spectacular inland landscapes and friendly farm or taverna stays on the hill tops or in the valleys.

Mesopotam Traditional Restaurant & Agroturizem  knocked on the door of this niche market  in 2024 when their kitchen and cabins opened. Focusing specifically on biodiversity, they  share their passion and taste for food with their customers and support producers within their local food community.

Their vegetables are  from  Shian.

Their plaka cheese (a white cheese made from goat and lamb milk) is from Mursi.

They get their get their lamb, goat, and beef from the Konispol hills.

Duran, their talented and experienced chef, is from Turkey. He is the rock star in his kitchen. It’s amazing how he emphasizes food diversity and holds on to specific flavors that will never be recovered if we don’t safeguard the plants and animal species that provide them.

He wants to shift away from the traditional Albanian meat-based dish model. Mesopotam Traditional Restaurant & Agroturizem  also offers Turkish mezzes and vegetarian options; they  want to rebrand the southern Albania food map as a high-end eco destination  whose cultural heritage is influenced by its Mediterranean neighbors.

In some cultures, where the river meets the sea is  considered the point where the soul meets a new body or ascends to heaven.  Bistrice and Mesopotam are symbols of the ever-flowing nature of rivers connected with the positive energy that flows through our life and is a symbol of vitality.

Saranda is developing year by year. Developers are noticing the villages around it. Tourism is putting forgotten historical names on the map, as visitors search for the treasures of the new era.

Mesopotam Traditional Restaurant & Agroturizem is one of those treasures.

Opening hours

Every day 07.30-23.00

Mesopotam Traditional Restaurant & Agroturizem
http://www.mesopotam.com
info@mesopotam.com
+355692962292
Adresa:
Fshati Mesopotam , Finiq, 9717
Vlore