Katholiko Monastery

Katholiko Monastery is a ruined monastery in the Arkoudovounia mountains of the Akrotiri peninsula, 20 km east of Chania. Katholiko stands above a gorge near the northern shores of Cape Akrotiri, also called Meleha, and it can only be reached on foot, down a stepped cobblestone path.

The monastery is abandoned today, so what a visitor sees is a ruin in a gorge: a bridge across the riverbed, a bell tower, decayed hermit cells, and the cave that was the reason for everything built around it. The trail carries on past the ruins to Katholiko Bay and the remains of the monastery’s own harbour.

The walk down from Gouverneto

Walk to Katholiko on the stepped cobblestone path, which is the only route in. The path starts at Gouverneto Monastery, 800 m away. It passes the Saint Anthony church and the Cave of Panagia Arkoudiotissa on the way down, then ends at Katholiko itself. Carrying on along the trail brings you out at Katholiko Bay.

Saint John the Hermit and the cave

Katholiko began at an 11th-century cave, the place where Saint John the Hermit, also called Xenos, died. After his death this secluded ground, known as Arkoudovounia, became one of the key ascetic centres of Crete. The cave itself was made into a temple, the spaces beside it gave shelter to hermits, and monk cells were added later.

The 17th-century rebuilding

The area in front of the cave was rebuilt in the 17th century under the supervision of Jeremiah Tzagarolo, following the architectural designs of Sebastiano Serlio. That work gave the monastic complex the scale it has today, and it is the phase most of the standing masonry belongs to.

What remains at Katholiko

Katholiko is a ruin rather than a restored monument, and its structures sit on both sides of the gorge. The parts still standing are listed below.

• The decayed hermit cells, ranged along the rock.
• The bell tower.
• The bridge that spans the river of the gorge and forms a large square joining the two sides.
• Vast vaulted storage spaces at the base of the bridge.
• A two-storey building and a string of vaulted rooms built to house pilgrims.

Katholiko Bay and the old harbour

Katholiko Bay lies at the end of the trail, a fjord with blue water 400 m on from the monastery. The remnants of the monastery’s old harbour sit in the bay, which is what the monks used before the site was left. Our pages on Katholiko Bay beach and Avlaki Gorge cover the descent and the swim at the bottom.

Why Katholiko was abandoned

Pirates drove the monks out. As raiders began targeting the shores of Crete, fear set in at this exposed site, the monastery was abandoned, and the community retreated to the safer walls of Gouverneto. Before that, the cult of Saint Ioannis had spread so widely across the Chania area that the census of 1637 records one of the largest incomes drawn from pilgrims anywhere in the region, which is striking given the hard trek every pilgrim had to make to get here.

A legend closes the story. A large rock shaped like a ship stands near the exit of the gorge, and it is said to be a petrified pirate ship, turned to stone by the curse of the Katholiko abbot.

What else is nearby

Akrotiri packs two more monasteries and a run of north-coast beaches into a small peninsula. The places below are listed by distance from Katholiko.

• Avlaki Gorge runs past the monastery itself, the route down to the sea.
• Katholiko Bay beach lies 400 m on, at the end of the trail.
• Gouverneto Monastery stands 800 m away, where the path begins.
• The Monastery of Agia Triada Tzagaroli is 3.4 km away.
• Stavros beach lies 4.6 km from the site.
• Seitan Limania beach is 6.1 km out.
• Maherida beach sits 6.5 km away and Kalathas beach 6.6 km.
• Marathi beach and the Monastery of Saint John Baptist by Korakies are both 9.8 km away.
• Ancient Aptera lies 13.7 km from Katholiko.
• Chania is 20 km west by road, with Koum Kapi beach on its old town waterfront.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Katholiko Monastery?

Katholiko stands in the Arkoudovounia mountains of the Akrotiri peninsula, 20 km east of Chania. The site lies near the northern shores of Cape Akrotiri, above the gorge that runs down to Katholiko Bay.

How do you get to Katholiko Monastery?

Walk down the stepped cobblestone path from Gouverneto Monastery, 800 m away. The path passes the Saint Anthony church and the Cave of Panagia Arkoudiotissa before it reaches Katholiko.

Who was Saint John the Hermit?

Saint John the Hermit, also called Xenos, was the ascetic who died in the 11th-century cave at Katholiko. After his death the Arkoudovounia became one of the key ascetic centres of Crete, and the cave was turned into a temple.

Why was Katholiko Monastery abandoned?

Pirate raids on the coast of Crete drove the monks away. The community left Katholiko and retreated to Gouverneto Monastery, which sits further inland and behind walls.

Is there a beach below Katholiko Monastery?

Yes, the trail continues to Katholiko Bay, 400 m on from the ruins. The bay is a narrow fjord with blue water, and the remnants of the monastery’s old harbour are still there.

What is the petrified pirate ship at Katholiko?

It is a large ship-shaped rock near the exit of the gorge. Legend says the Katholiko abbot cursed a pirate vessel and turned it to stone.