3 day cruise around the island of Vis, which ended on the island of Svetac. I visited the last settlers on this island and the atmosphere on the island can be summed up in two words "calm and peace"
The island of Sveti Andrija, or the island of Svetac, is often referred to as Teuta’s Island. According to some legends, this powerful Illyrian queen built a tower here (its ruins are still there) which may have served as a stronghold for her pirateering exploits or as a refuge.
What we do know for sure is that the island of Svetac was inhabited in the ancient times, and quite possibly during the Neolithic age, too. Although this is difficult to prove, parts of Greek or Roman anchors found on the north eastern side of the island point to the fact that it was inhabited or at least often visited by seafarers of the ancient times.
Various Roman artefacts have been found on the island, as well, including ceramic pottery and bricks.
If the Romans had a settlement here we can’t tell since a church (pre-Romanesque) and a Benedictine monastery (with the church of St. Andrew) were built on the same location in later centuries.
The remote location of this island is probably the reason why the Mediterranean seal monk used to be a frequent visitor here. It remains the home of another endemic species, Eleonora's falcon, as well as the Eurasian eagle owl.
Although the island is uninhabited, it is privately owned and can be visited, which makes it a nice location for a field trip. You won’t find a port here; instead, larger boats and sail boats anchor near the island, and dinghies go to Pavlov bok, where they are pulled on shore. In addition to that, it might be important to remember that the island of Svetac is open to all winds from all sides.
