Elona Monastery

Elona clings to a ledge some 650 metres up the eastern face of Parnon, its whitewashed buildings pressed against a wall of red and grey rock that rises hundreds of metres above and falls away below. Tradition places a monastery here from the thirteenth century; the present buildings are mostly nineteenth-century, rebuilt after fires, and the katholikon is partly carved into the cliff itself. Its icon of the Virgin, blackened by candle smoke and covered in silver, draws pilgrims from across the Peloponnese, particularly for the feast of the Dormition in August. The approach road from Leonidio is spectacular, climbing the Dafnon gorge in tight switchbacks past sport-climbing crags, and the monastery appears suddenly as a white smear on a red wall.

What to look for

• The cliff-ledge buildings - white masonry on a narrow shelf of red rock.
• The rock-cut church - the sanctuary built partly into the cliff face.
• The silver icon - the venerated Virgin of Elona.
• The gorge road - switchbacks up the Dafnon with climbing crags alongside.

When to go

Spring and autumn for the drive and the walking; the monastery keeps a long midday closure and observes services. The Dormition feast in mid-August brings large crowds.

Practical notes

Dress rules are enforced, with wraps provided at the gate, and photography inside the church is not permitted. The nuns' community is small and the visit brief. The road is narrow with sheer drops and demands a confident driver.

Nearby

Leonidio and its climbing routes lie below; the mountain village of Kosmas is above the pass.

Key facts