Located in Narta Lagoon, north of Vlora, 156 km away from Tirana, between the salt plains and the coastal dunes of the Adriatic coast, the small island can be reached through a newly renovated causeway. The island is covered with pine forest and it’s home to an old Byzantine monastery dedicated to Saint Mary. Historians say that it was built between the 10th and the 13th centuries. It is a peaceful and picturesque site, surrounded by stunning landscapes. Pilgrims and believers visit the island every August 15, when the feast of the Dormition of Theotokos is celebrated.
An important fact is that Marigo Pozio, the woman that embroidered the Albanian raised by Ismail Qemali in Vlora on November 28, 1912, is buried on the island at the cemetery of the Monastery.
