Chrysopigi Monastery

Chrysopigi stands on a small rocky peninsula that is effectively an islet, separated from the coast by a narrow cleft in the rock that a short footbridge crosses. The monastery dates from 1650, replacing an earlier church, and the whitewashed complex with its blue-domed chapel and small courtyard occupies almost the whole rock. Local tradition explains the cleft as a miraculous split that opened to save women fleeing pirates. The icon of the Virgin here is the island's protector, and the feast of Analipsi, forty days after Orthodox Easter, brings a large procession and celebration. Below the rock, small coves and the beach at Apokofto give swimming with the monastery in view, and the coastal path continues to Faros and Chrysostomos.

What you actually see

• The islet monastery - white buildings filling a rock joined by a bridge.
• The cleft and footbridge - the split in the rock and its crossing.
• The courtyard and chapel - a small blue-domed church inside.
• Apokofto beach - a cove below with the monastery as backdrop.

When to go

May to October; the feast of Analipsi in late spring is the biggest day and fills the site. Sunrise and late afternoon give the best light on the white walls, and the rock is exposed to wind.

Honest expectations

The monastery is small and the interior often closed outside service times, so the visit is mostly exterior. Dress rules apply. Parking near Apokofto is limited and the last stretch is on foot.

Nearby

Faros village and its beaches lie east; Kastro, the old capital, is up the coast.