Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
rooms. Pilgrims here dine separately from the monks. The path southward accesses
Dafni; either walk the coastal path or take the boat, which leaves at 12.30pm, calling at
Simonos Petras, Osiou Grigoriou, Dionysiou, Agiou Pavlou, Agias Annis and Agias Tri-
ados/Kavsokalyvion. Alternatively, wooded paths in the peninsula's centre, accessible
from Moni Koutlomousiou or Moni Filotheou, reach Simonos Petras.
Spectacular
Moni Simonos Petras
(Simopetra; 23770 23254; fax 23770 23707;
1-3pm)
, fronted by wooden balconies over a cliff, is Athos' most-photographed monas-
tery. Here and at the other cliff monasteries, standing in the dark under a sky teeming
with stars, with the sound of the sea below, is almost a religious experience in itself.
From here the coastal path branches off towards the
arsanas
(monastery port/dock) at a
small shrine, accessing
Moni Osiou Grigoriou
(
23770 23668; fax 23770 23671)
, a
seafront monastery with a comfortable guesthouse.
The hilly coastal path south reaches
Moni Dionysiou
( 23770 23687; fax 23770 23686)
another tranquil cliff-hanging monastery. Dionysiou's
katholikon
(principal church) con-
tains a unique wax-and-mastic icon of the Virgin and Child. In the year 626, as Persian
and Avar forces besieged Constantinople, the patriarch carried the icon round the walls;
miraculously, the enemy armies melted away. Athos' oldest icon, its features are barely
visible, though the dark shape resonates with a strange power in its ornate silver case.
After Dionysiou, the coastal path continues to the architecturally magnificent
Moni
Agiou Pavlou
(
23770 23741; fax 23770 23355)
and Agias Annis Skiti.
KARYES TO THE NORTHERN MONASTERIES
Northwards from Karyes, the road passes sprawling
Skiti Agiou Andreou
( 23770
23810)
. This enormous former Russian place is still being renovated (it was largely aban-
doned during Soviet times). Happily, a new band of icon-painting brothers now dwell
here (see the gift shop's unique works).
The main route continues to coastal
Moni Pandokratoros
( 23770 23880; fax 23770
23685)
; alternatively, a two-hour forest path reaches the coastal
Moni Vatopediou
(
23770 41488; fax 23770 41462; 9am-1pm)
; the wealthiest Athonite monastery (there's
even wi-fi), Vatopediou follows the modern Gregorian calendar. Its sumptuous church
has a jaw-dropping collection of treasures.
From Vatopediou, a coastal path leads to
Moni Esfigmenou
( 23770 23229)
, technic-
ally schismatic over ecumenical matters, but friendly. Further is
Moni Hilandariou
(
23770 23797; fax 23770 23108)
, a very hospitable Serbian monastery (also accessible from
Dafni by south-coast boat, and then a connecting bus ride). The UK-based Friends of Mt
Athos donated towards rebuilding structures here that were destroyed in a 2004 fire. The
humble, pretty
Moni Konstamonitou
(
tel/fax 23770 23228)
is worth visiting, as is the