Agios Achilleios
Laimos, Greece
A small island in Lake Small Prespa reached on foot by a long floating footbridge, with the ruined 10th-century basilica of St Achilleios. The Prespa area is a nature reserve rich in birdlife.
Agios Achilleios is an island of about one square kilometre in Lesser Prespa Lake in the Florina region of Western Macedonia, Greece, within the Greek part of Prespa National Park. A pedestrian bridge connects it to the shore. Towards the end of the 10th century (around 986 to 990), Tsar Samuel had a basilica built here and moved the relics of Saint Achilleios from Larissa into it.
Of the basilica, the stepped synthronon in the apse, a cist tomb in the diaconicon attributed to the saint, and fragments of 11th- and 12th-century frescoes survive. Under Tsar Samuel the island and the town of Prespa were for a time the capital of the First Bulgarian Empire. After the defeat at Kleidion in 1014 Samuel died and was buried in the basilica.
Samuel's remains, identified in the 1960s, were transferred to Bulgaria in October 2026 and received in Sofia (as of October 2026).
- Nearest town
- Laimos, Greece
- Category
- History & culture
- GPS
- 40.7883, 21.0789
Hours, fees and access change. Confirm with the operator or park before you go.
Good to know
Best time to go
The most pleasant months are usually April–May and September–October. Still fine, with some compromises, in June and November. Hot in July. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)
Getting there
- Greece: Motorway tolls. Motorway limit for cars: 130 km/h.
Featured in these trip guides
Nearby
Campsites nearby
- Motorhome stopover · KastoriaMotorhome stopover16 km from Agios AchilleiosMotorhomes
All campsites in Greece · Campsite data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0 · Updated October 3, 2026
FAQs
Where is Agios Achilleios?
Agios Achilleios is in Laimos, Greece, at GPS 40.7883, 21.0789. It is about 23 km from Stenje.
Can you camp near Agios Achilleios?
Yes. Within 25 km there are 1 campsites and motorhome stopovers listed in OpenStreetMap; the nearest is about 16 km away.
Which road trips pass Agios Achilleios?
Agios Achilleios is a stop on these CampingSpirit trip guides: Greek Macedonia: Vergina, Edessa and the Prespa lakes.
What is there to see near Agios Achilleios?
Places worth a stop nearby: Prespa Lakes and Agios Achilleios area (Mikrolimni, Psarades) (6 km), Pozar Thermal Baths (74 km), Edessa Waterfalls (82 km) and Konitsa Bridge (87 km).
When is the best time to visit Agios Achilleios?
The most pleasant months are usually April–May and September–October. Still fine, with some compromises, in June and November. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)