It is located in the Gulf of Burgas, 1.5 km off the coast near Chernomorets, at 12 metres above sea level, and covers a territory of one hectare.

[citation needed] In 1925, a group of 43 political prisoners (communists and anti-fascists), led by Teohar Bakardzhiev, revolted and escaped from the island, subsequently fleeing to the Soviet Union.

[citation needed] A Bulgarian Burgas-based weekly newspaper, Factor, reported in 2006 that the Movement for Rights and Freedoms leader, Ahmed Dogan, visited the island and expressed desire to privatize it.

[citation needed] Today, in addition to the monastery with its church, there is a lighthouse situated on the island, as well as a museum, a restaurant, a small quay, a conference hall and two guesthouses with a total of five rooms available to tourists.

In the summer, the island is accessible from Burgas via boat services running back and forth multiple times a day.