The Five Bulgarian Islands in the Black Sea
There are still many beautiful hidden locations on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, which are wild, without hotels and roaming tourists. Such are the beaches of the islands in the sea. Here are five islands in the Black Sea that bear saint names:
Island of St. Peter
The island of St. Peter is located near Sozopol. It has only 15 decares of area and its altitude reaches 9 meters. It is also known as "The Bird Island" because of the populations of seaguls that inhabit the place. Archaeological research on the island encounters ancient pottery and remains of a Renaissance chapel. It is believed that St. Peter was part of a larger island near St. Ivan, but it separated after a natural cataclysm.
Island of St. Cyricus
St. Cyricus island is the only Bulgarian island linked to the mainland by a breakwater but this is far from being the most interesting and significant about its history. It is believed that St. Cyricus was the most ancient city in the Bulgarian lands and that it was here the heart of Apollonia. After the First World War, the first Bulgarian fishing school was built on the island. But the real idea was a bit different. By virtue of the Neuilly Treaty, Bulgaria has no right to have a naval school, so the people from Varna move to Sozopol to be trained for fishermen, and in fact, they have military training. In 1965 the island was declared a cultural monument and was included in the boundaries of the Sozopol Reserve.
Saint Anastasia Island
Anastasia Island is the only inhabited island in our ranking. It is located in the bay of Burgas and has an area of 10 000 square meters. The island has been inhabited since the 5th century, and the only island monastery "St. Anastasia - The Healer "is here. Data about its existence date back to the 15th century. In 1923 the island turned into the Bulgarian Alcatraz, because the monastery was turned into a prison but due to the difficult maintenance it did not last long. There is also a lighthouse, church, restaurant and rooms for sleeping on the island.
Island of St. Ivan
Saint Ivan is the largest island on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast with an area of 660,000 square meters. It has been declared a protected area because of the rare animal species inhabiting the island. The ancient Thracians considered the site sacred and made a sanctuary here in the 7th century before the New Age. On St. Ivan can find more traces of the ancient Greeks and Byzantines. In the 14th century King Todor Svetoslav Terter marries on the island, for Theodora Palaiologina, the place to this day is known as the "King's Island".
Saint Thomas Island
St. Thomas is more widely known as "The Snake Island". It is located in close proximity to Sozopol, north of Arkutino Lagoon. Since 1962, St Thomas has been part of the Ropotamo Reserve, and the name "Snake" comes from the vast populations of water snakes living there. It is also one of the few places in Bulgaria where you can see wild cacti that have spread to almost half of the island's territory and make it difficult to pass through.