Agios Nektarios Monastery

Nektarios of Aegina, a bishop who spent his last years here and died in 1920, was canonised in 1961 and became one of the most popular saints in modern Greek Orthodoxy, credited with healings; his monastery draws pilgrims all year and especially on his feast day, 9 November. The complex has two parts: the original convent where he lived, with his cell kept as it was and his tomb in a small chapel where visitors press their ear to the marble, and above it an enormous modern basilica, one of the largest churches in the Balkans, built in the Byzantine style with a great dome. Below the monastery on the hillside stands Paleochora, the abandoned Byzantine town, which makes a natural continuation of the visit.

What you actually see

• The great basilica - a vast modern Byzantine-style church with a high dome.
• The saint's cell and tomb - preserved rooms in the original convent.
• The pilgrim traffic - a working shrine with constant visitors.
• The hillside setting - views over the island's centre toward the sea.

When to go

Spring and autumn for comfort; 9 November for the feast, when the island fills with pilgrims and boats add sailings. The monastery keeps a midday break.

Honest expectations

Dress rules are enforced, and this is an active shrine rather than a monument, so quiet and respect are expected. The modern basilica is impressive in scale but recent in date, which disappoints visitors expecting antiquity.

Nearby

Paleochora's ruined chapels are on the hill above; Aegina Town is fifteen minutes away.