Sveti Marko Island (Montenegrin: Острво Свети Марко, romanized: Ostrvo Sveti Marko, lit. ‘Saint Markos Island’) is an island in the Adriatic Sea in the Tivat municipality of Montenegro, historically known as Stradioti (Страдиоти).
History
According to an ancient Greek legend, the island was a gift from the gods to Greek soldiers who were recovering from their wounds after battles on the island. In gratitude, they swore never to wage war on their own again, but only to defend themselves if necessary. Ultimately, they broke their oath, and the enraged gods sent a deadly storm that killed everyone on the island, leaving only the beautiful old olive trees behind. In the Middle Ages, during the rule of the Serbian rulers, the island’s original name was Sveti Gavrilo, and another legend states that a monastery dedicated to the saint was located on the island. Together with Sveti Mihailo Island, it formed the Holy Archangel Archipelago. After the Republic of Venice conquered the Montenegrin coast, the island became known as Stradioti, in memory of the Venetian cavalry, mostly Albanian, who built a fortress and barracks on the island in 1499. Towards the end of the 16th century, the military units were disbanded, and the island was renamed after Sveti Marko, the protector of Venice.
About the Island
Sveti Marko Island is located near the town of Tivat in the Bay of Kotor. It is located adjacent to Tivat’s other island, Prevlaka Island (Flower Island).
The island is completely covered in greenery. In 1962, a tourist settlement of 500 Tahitian-style houses, lacking running water and electricity, was built. Managed by Club Med, the island was a popular tourist destination until the Yugoslav wars. Today, it is largely abandoned, making it an exotic and mysterious place. OSTRVO SVETI MARKO DOO is the legal owner of Sveti Marko Island (formerly Stradioti). With its pristine nature and stunning location, this beautiful island offers unique perspectives and development opportunities.
The island with a nice beach is situated west from the Tivat peninsula Prevlaka (Coating). To the island you can come by a tourist taxi boats or barges, which are usually anchored in the Tivat harbor. The Island Sveti Marko, today is a mysterious green island, on which in 1962, a tourist lodgment with 500 Tahiti houses with no electricity and water were built. The Island Sveti Marko for decades was an exclusive facility under the lease of the French club “Mediterranee”.
Until the war in the area of SFRJ, (until 1991.) the guests of the island were mostly young people – adventurers, who along with the sun bathing and swimming spent their vacation enjoying in various water sports, while the numerous animator cheered them up with cultural – entertaining shows and spectacles. There used to be a hundred visitors a day on the Island Sveti Marko. Today it is a completely different story. It is abandoned, and the tourist facilities, which were built on it, are overgrown with weed and grass. The island is entirely left to the ravages of time and it waits to be bought.
Still, if you have adventurer’s ambitions, go to this island, at least because of the beach, which will enchant you with its look.
The Island Sveti Marko is differently called Stradioti, because according a legend on the island there used to be a camp of the Venetian soldiers of Greek origins, and from there stems that name (Stradiotes – soldier).