Stavrovouni Monastery

Stavrovouni stands alone on a 690-metre peak above the plain between Larnaca and Nicosia, and tradition holds that Saint Helena founded it in 327 on her way back from Jerusalem, leaving a fragment of the True Cross which the monastery still keeps. It follows a strict Athonite rule: women are not admitted inside the walls at all, photography is not allowed, and visiting hours are short. Men who go in see the church, the relic and a view over half the island. Everyone else gets the drive up and the view from the gate.

What you actually see

• The peak - a lone 690-metre hill standing above the flat plain.
• The relic - the fragment of the True Cross, kept in the church.
• The view - the plain, the Troodos and both coasts from the summit.
• The chapel below - Agia Varvara at the foot of the mountain, open to all.

When to go

October to May is comfortable; the summit is very hot in summer. The monastery closes for several hours in the middle of every day. Clear winter days give the widest view.

Honest expectations

Women cannot enter the monastery at all, which catches out couples who drive up together. Photography is forbidden inside the walls and the rule is enforced. The access road is steep with tight bends and no barrier in places.

Nearby

Larnaca is east on the coast, and Choirokoitia is south.