Vidronisi, a tiny lake island in northern Greece, may not be widely known but, even so, is relatively easy to reach yet out of bounds. Situated on the Greek side of the Small Prespa Lake between Greece and Albania, the islet, occasionally referred to as Vidrinetsi by locals, is under the administrative control of the Florina regional unit in northern Greece.
The Lesser Prespa Lake, the smaller of the two Prespa lakes, hosts two islets, Vidronisi and Agios Achilleios, the latter usually being the main attraction for visitors, probably because Vidronisi is uninhabited. Vidronisi is full of protected bird species activity, offering a very picturesque setting. Besides the fact that any human attempt for settlement on this islet, measuring less than one square kilometre, would prove difficult, Vidronisi has officially been declared a protected habitat, serving as a sanctuary for rare fauna. The islet is not just uninhabited, but all forms of human activity are forbidden on the islet and its surrounding waters.
Rare bird species and a heritage listed chapel
Vidronisi’s name is derived from vidres, the Greek work for otters, small mammals living at the banks of rivers and lakes and ranked among Europe’s rarest and most endangered mammal species. In the past, many otters lived in the Prespes area. More recently, it was feared they had vanished. However, a relatively recent study conducted by Greek environmental centre Arcturos showed that otters continue to exist in the area, but only in very small numbers.
For quite a number of years, Vidronisi has become a sanctuary for cormorants and silver pelicans, the latter being particularly important for the ecosystem as they are an endangered bird species.
The two bird species peacefully co-exist on the islet as, on the one hand, it offers abundant food covering the needs of both and, on the other, the two species have different habits.
Cormorants, maintaining, on Vidronisi, one of their largest colonies on Greek territory, make nests at the top of trees, whereas silver pelicans prefer rocks and reeds, nesting next to each other to ensure the best possible protection for their young, both during breeding season, from January to July, when female birds each lay just two eggs, and during the critical stage of development, as the young birds are completely dependent on their parents for survival during the first two-and-a-half months of life.
The chapel on Vidronisi, nowadays heritage listed, stands as proof that the islet was not always completely free of people. Though it is referred to as Ai-Giogis, the chapel’s official name, as well as its period of its construction, remain unknown.
How to get to Vidronisi
Stepping foot on Vidronisi is strictly forbidden as the islet has been declared a protected wildlife sanctuary. No exceptions are made, which explains why church service no longer takes place at the chapel, a status that runs contrary to the Greek Orthodox Church’s policy of also keeping active the most remote places of worship all over the country, even if just for specific periods.
Despite the ban, interested parties may quietly approach this islet’s shores after having made arrangements with officials at the Small Prespa Lake, where local fishing boats are available for rent. Visitors need to be well informed about the islet’s particularities and remain as quite as possible. Otherwise, pelican populations are put at risk as pelicans tend to accidentally crush their eggs if they try to fly away in terror, while, in addition, sense of fear may prevent them from returning to their nests, leaving all chicks under two-and-a-half months old completely unprotected.
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