St. Ivan's Island

St. Ivan Island is the largest Black Sea island in Bulgaria. Its area is 66 hectares, and the highest point is at an altitude of 33 m above sea level. The island is a kilometer from Sozopol.

The island is a natural and archaeological reserve, placed under state protection.

There is a lighthouse on the island that directs ships to the Bay of Burgas.

The island was a holy place for the ancient Thracians, who created their sanctuary there in the fifth century BC. In the early Middle Ages, a large monastery was built here, which in 1308 received the status of a royal monastery. In the middle of the XV century the monastery was destroyed, and only a few years later it was restored again. In 1629, the Ottomans destroyed it again, so that it did not serve as a refuge for pirates ruling in the waters of the Black Sea.

St. Ivan Island is an object of constant archaeological research. In 2010, the relics of St. John the Baptist were found here, which are now exhibited for worship in the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Sozopol.

There are no organized tourist visits to the island. But it's accessible to tourists. It can be reached by boat from the port of Sozopol.

The island is also home to many birds. On the island of St. Ivan and on the nearby island of St. Peter recorded more than 70 species of birds. Here is the largest colony of silver gulls in Bulgaria (Larus argentatus).