Golem Grad, Better Known as Snake Island

The only island in Macedonia is completely uninhabited… at least by humans. Found in the south of Lake Prespa, near the Albanian border, Golem Grad is most frequently referred to as “Snake Island”.

Our excursion to Snake Island did not get off to a promising start. The boats which take tourists out are rickety old things, and even the slightest waves upon the lake will render the journey impossible. We had planned on leaving from the village of Stenje, but the boatman shivered as he looked out over the waters of Prespa. I would have described these waves as “gently lapping”, but he said it was too dangerous to even consider. He suggested we try Konjsko, the next town over. “The boat ride from there is a lot shorter.”

Sounded like a plan, but there was just one problem. The only road to Konjsko is an unpaved, potholed mess, for which our tiny rental car was totally insufficient. So we parked at the bottom of the hill, and began to walk. The hike was awful, almost entirely uphill for seven kilometers. Trees blocked our view of the lake, and we were pestered along the way by an indefatigable cloud of flies intent on tasting our eye-juice.

We needed two hours to reach Konjsko and, by then our optimism had totally evaporated. There was no guarantee that a boat would leave from here, and we were prepared for defeat. But as soon as we entered town, a jolly-looking guy yelled to us from his porch. He knew why we were in Konjsko, of course, and after introducing himself as Nane, he offered to take us out. His son-in-law Nikola was recruited to act as translator, and our assembled party clambered into the boat. Next stop: Snake Island.

As we puttered across the lake, Nane explained that they’ve been trying to rebrand Golem Grad as “Pelican Island”. We must have looked skeptical, because he was insistent. “Really, there are almost no snakes anymore. I promise!”

In the not-so-distant past, Golem Grad was swarming with snakes, many of them poisonous. But according to Nane, they began to disappear five years ago for some unknown reason, and very few remain today. He wasn’t lying. We saw a grand total of two harmless water snakes while on the island, and at least fifty times that many pelicans. Two thousand times that many cormorants.

We had expected to see snakes, but weren’t at all disappointed by their scarcity. On the other hand, wehadn’t expected the island to be so absolutely blanketed in ancient ruins. Golem Grad is deserted now, but that clearly hasn’t always been the case. Nane has spent years assisting archaeological teams with excavations, and was able to provide an excellent, detailed tour of the island.

There were Roman residences and churches, such as the fourteenth-century Church of St. Demetrius, unique for the frescoes found on its exterior. Nane’s favorite building was an old Roman cistern along the cliffs, dating from the fourth century, which had been converted into a Christian basilica a thousand years later. Almost more impressive than the ruins is the island’s nature, which is pristine and far more varied than you’d expect for such a small place.

After getting back into the boat, Nane and Nikola took us all the way around the island, where we could see the fetid kingdom of the cormorants. The trees in which these seabirds nest are white, completely covered in excrement. If that weren’t gross enough, the cormorants are also known for chucking up the fish parts they can’t digest; anyone walking underneath their nests is in danger of getting hit by a flying fish head.

Once we had arrived back in Konjsko, Nane invited us to sit down with him and his family, for a fresh salad and rakija: everything homemade, of course. We stayed on his porch for a couple hours, enjoying the view and company, before Nikola offered to drive us back to our car, gloriously sparing us the return hike.

Snake Island is definitely not easy to reach, but this keeps it quiet, solitary and untouched; definitely part of its charm. Our adventure on the island, along with the unexpected and enjoyable afternoon hanging out with Nane, made this one of the very best days we had in Macedonia.

Locations on our Map: Konjsko | Snake Island
Get in touch with Nane: (+389) 7772-4144

http://youtu.be/qeLNhZ4okpw

Извор: “For 91 days“