St. Anastasia Island

Saint Anastasia is a small island of volcanic rock in Burgas bay, the only inhabited Bulgarian Black Sea island, with a monastery recorded from the medieval period, a lighthouse, and a set of buildings that served as a political prison in the 1920s, from which a group of prisoners escaped by boat in 1925, an episode that made the island a socialist-era symbol and gave it the name Bolshevik for several decades. It was restored and opened to visitors in 2014 with a small museum, a restaurant, a chapel and four guest rooms, so it is possible to stay the night after the last boat leaves, which is the reason to go. The island is about one hectare and is walked in twenty minutes.

What you actually see

• The monastery and chapel - the religious buildings at the centre.
• The 1925 prison escape story - covered in the small museum.
• The lighthouse - the working light on the rock.
• Staying after the last boat - four guest rooms on the island.

When to go

May to September, when the boats run; crossings are cancelled in wind. Half a day, or overnight in one of the four rooms, which must be booked well ahead. Mornings are calmest.

Honest expectations

The island is tiny and twenty minutes covers it; the visit is the boat and the setting. Crossings cancel frequently for weather. Rooms are four and book out months ahead. The restaurant is the only food.

Nearby

Burgas is on the mainland; Sozopol lies south along the coast.