We have added this island to make you aware that it is forbidden to go ashore, as it is a sanctuary and is administered by the Greek National Tourist Organization. You need a permit to disembark on the island and if caught by the port police you are likely to be arrested and fined. The island takes its name from the Italian word for a beggar. The island was used as a lazaret, a quarantine station for maritime travellers. The island has a mixed history, a leprosarium, a hospital and a concentration camp during world war two.