Just a stone's throw from Budva lies Sveti Stefan: An island that captivates with its appearance and its unusual story

(Patria) - Along the Montenegrin coast, just a stone's throw from Budva, lies the picturesque islet of Sveti Stefan, which captivates with its appearance and its unusual story.

Today it is known as an exclusive and inaccessible place, but its history is much more complex, writes Punkufer.

It went from being a lively fishing village, through a socialist tourism project, to a global luxury brand, and finally to a closed, locked island around which disputes continue.

Sveti Stefan was once an important defense point. A fortress was built on the small island to protect the coast from attacks, and over time, as it usually happens, a settlement developed around it.

At one point, about 400 inhabitants lived there.

Houses were built on every available piece of rock and to this day form a unique vista - as if they only briefly emerge from the Adriatic blue to breathe, and will disappear into its depths the next moment.

After World War II, the Yugoslav state decided to turn the islet into a high-class tourist complex.

The inhabitants were forced to pack everything they owned and move to the mainland, and so that those who would stay there could do so, Sveti Stefan was connected to the mainland by a narrow causeway.

According to a visionary business concept, all houses were converted into hotel units, thus creating a unique "hotel-town".

In the decades that followed, Sveti Stefan was synonymous with luxury. World stars, politicians, and European aristocracy visited it... And then came the nineties.

The complex fell into disrepair, and it got a new life in 2007 when the luxury hotel chain Aman Resorts took it over.

After extensive renovation, Sveti Stefan once again became a five-star destination. But, unlike even in socialism, access to the island became strictly controlled - and reserved almost exclusively for hotel guests.

A new crisis came in 2020 with COVID, and problems for Sveti Stefan continued even after the pandemic. A dispute arose between locals and hotel owners over access to beaches, especially Queen's Beach - and as it has not yet been resolved - the hotel, or the entire island, remains closed.

The forbidden island could open - at least for some - this summer, but only if "legal and operational conditions are met".

Until then, we are left to reflect on heritage and commercialism, tourism and its price... and a Mediterranean postcard - fenced off with chains.