Agios Achillios

Agios Achillios is a small inhabited and archaeological island in the Small Prespa Lake in northern Greece, noted for its Byzantine and medieval remains.

On the island visitors find the stone foundations of a Byzantine basilica and the scattered remains of a medieval settlement and fortifications; the site is compact and typically examined on short visits from the lakeshore.

Archaeological evidence shows occupation in the Byzantine and medieval periods with church construction and defensive works concentrated on the island’s summit.

The island sits within Small Prespa Lake near the village of Psarades in Western Macedonia, close to the Greek border with what is now North Macedonia.

• Access: Located in Small Prespa Lake close to the Greek shore and the village of Psarades, the island is a compact archaeological site reachable by short boat trip from nearby villages.
• Significance: Significant for its visible Byzantine-period architecture, the site is of interest to visitors studying late antique and medieval northern Greece.

What to See #

• Byzantine basilica: Site contains the remains of a large Byzantine basilica with stone foundations and early-medieval masonry, visible among other domestic and defensive ruins.
• Fortified settlement: Remains of a fortified settlement and scattered archaeological layers span the Byzantine and medieval periods and are concentrated on the island's highest ground.