Saint Mark’s Island is located near the city of Tivat, about 25 minutes by boat from the main waterfront. The old name of this island is St Gabriel, and the locals call it STRADIOTI. There was a church on the island dedicated to St Gabriel. The coast of this island is 4 kilometers long. The island is abundant in pine trees and olive groves. It was owned by the French club MEDITERANEE for decades. The island itself is mysterious and interesting because it has been completely abandoned for the past 20 years. The island was once flooded with tourists who used to stay in bungalows.
Legends make this place even more interesting - so one of the legend of this island says that Greek gods sent their best soldiers here to rest. The soldiers were walking around the island, staying there, living and socializing. There was no war for a long period - the soldiers found peace at this place and prayed that it would remain so. Among other things, they prayed that this island remainspeaceful forever.
In return, they promised never to go to war again. As a symbol of legacy, they planted an olive tree on the island, which expanded into a large olive grove.
Still, the restless spirit did not give them peace, and the soldiers would go to war anyway. Breaking the promise angered the gods, who in return sent strong winds to the island, destroying the ships and killing all the soldiers. The island remained deserted, with only olive groves left as a memory of the event. In memory of the soldiers, the island was called “Stradioti”, which in Greek means "soldiers".
Today it is possible to visit the island of St Mark, sunbathe on its shores, have a walk and visit the old bungalows. Just be sure to be very careful with every step of the way, because today the island is in fact one large jungle.
Author of the text:
Marijana Niković licensed tourist guide for Montenegro.
If you are interested in guided tours in English, please contact me at:
(Viber) 00382 68 230 241
