Agia Kyriaki monastery at Varypetro

Agia Kyriaki Monastery, situated 12km south of Chania near Varypetro, was once a collection of ruins in 1992 but has since been restored into a picturesque monastery on the island of Crete.

The monastery is a dependency of the female monastery of Chrysopigi near Chania and is nestled in a stunning area featuring a protected grove, a small canyon with a river, and several cavernous churches that can be reached via stone-paved trails.

The monastery’s church is dedicated to the Transfiguration (celebrated on 6 August) and also commemorates Agia Kyriaki fest (7 July). The temple is situated in the heart of the monastic enclosure, surrounded by nuns’ cells and other structures. Cavernous chapels of St. Anthony (17 January), the Holy Seven Children (4 August), Saint Silouan the Athonite (24 September), and the Martyrs of Crete (23 June) can be found around the monastery.

The Center of Orthodoxy and Ecology, managed by Chrysopigi Monastery, is housed within the monastery and offers educational environmental programs. Additionally, the restored 16th-century olive mill, now serving as the nuns’ dining room, is worth a visit.

During the Turkish occupation, the monastery served as a refuge for rebels. In 1866, the first Pancretian Meeting took place here, during which representatives from all provinces drafted a memorandum for the Sultan and the Great Powers (Russia, Britain, France). A subsequent meeting was held at the monastery, where the Union of Crete with Greece was requested.