Monastery of Panagia Hozoviotissa

Monastery of Panagia Hozoviotissa

Monastery of Panagia Hozoviotissa
5
Points of Interest & LandmarksReligious Sites
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  • Wanderer41955968161
    28 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Collect impressions
    No public transport in early April, so a perfect opportunity for a hike. I hiked from Katapola to Chora (avoid the main road, unless you intend to hitchhike) enjoying the beauty of the valley, the labyrinth streets of Chora, and the views over the coast and the mesmerising blue waters. In summer the monastery can see as many as up to 1000 visitors a day, or so i was told. But early and late in season you may be one of a few pelgrims, which enhances the experience The story of the monastery is as amazing as the views. As are the stories of all the art works and the inhabitants. Collect stories, I encourage you
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written April 17, 2024
  • homenaje17
    San Fernando, Spain2,004 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Awesome
    It's impressive to see it clinging to the cliff. It seems like a miracle that it hasn't fallen into the sea. The monks give you a warm welcome. The heat brings it up and you have to find a time when it's open and there isn't a crowd of people. , something a little complicated.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written May 4, 2024
  • Lavaud A
    5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Breathtaking and unforgettable
    A breathtaking place to see. We recommend leaving the Chora school parking lot on foot, going down to the entrance to the monastery for around 45 minutes. The descent is steep but there is a magnificent view of the sea. You then go uphill for around 20 minutes to reach the monastery. The entrance is through a tiny door and even if the visit only allows you to discover a small chapel, the visit ends with a free raki and Turkish delight!
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 13, 2024
  • Jean-Emmanuel R
    La Louviere, Belgium1,024 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    To be done absolutely after 20 to 30 minutes of physical exertion!
    The most famous and unmissable site on the island of Amorgos. It is accessible by car but also by bus from the main villages of the island. The bravest will walk from the village of Chora (30 min). If you come by car, the best is to come to the opening (8:30) so as to park more easily but also to better enjoy the site. The climb from the car park takes 20 to 30 min with the possibility to catch your breath halfway (a shelter with benches is available). The interior of the monastery is free and can be visited fairly quickly. There is also a museum containing gospel extracts and various accessories (3€ entry).
    Visited August 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written August 4, 2024
  • eemix
    14 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Necessary... pineza on your schedule in Amorgos
    Even if you're not religious, it's an amazing experience. I visited her when I was 20, 30 years later I would not miss the climbing of the stairs. You are craving but once you get up there, beyond the hospitality and courtesy of the clergy and their assistants, and beyond the classic racomel, lupumi and water, you have the opportunity for incredible pictures of the view with the truly vast blue. Photos are not allowed inside of course to know this. The descent needs attention as the stairs slip. I do not know at what age I will return to Amorgos but it will always be on the agenda to visit the monastery.
    Visited July 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written August 5, 2024
  • Régis1972
    Lancy, Switzerland19,915 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Must see in Amorgos
    This monastery (Monastery of the Panagia Chozoviotissa) is inlaid in a cliff, 300m above sea level and was built 1000 years ago to house a miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary.  It was renovated in 1088 by the Byzantine Emperor Alexander Comnenos. this place is stunning and incredible. It was built in the rock right on the cliff in a place that is quite long access on foot (count a good 15 minutes walk uphill!) . Arriving at the top, the view is breathtaking, the building is imposing and inside we will be offered a glass of water, a glass of raki and also loukoums. Arms and legs must be covered but there are clothes at the entrance that can be borrowed for the visit. It is definitely worth going all the way up even if the path is complicated. Entrance is free and you can park along the small access road which is steep.
    Visited August 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written August 21, 2024
  • edwinka
    La-Baule-Escoublac, France116 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful
    It is a steep stone staircase winding down the cliffside with an immaculately white cave construction in sight. You have to go in the middle of the furnace, when there is no cloud, no wind and the sun hits, heats dry the pebbles, the rocks. The contrast with the blue gradient of a sea of oil and a sky of azure, which seems to delimit the silhouette of a few islands on the horizon, is striking. It's breathtakingly beautiful.
    Visited August 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written August 23, 2024
  • Traveler
    66 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Burial of Orthodoxy
    Wonderful colors and religious nostalgia. It also takes good physical condition to climb the 300 steps until you reach the entrance! Be careful about dressing up, but enter the monastery. He has strict rules.
    Visited September 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written September 13, 2024
  • 630danilod
    Province of Ascoli Piceno, Italy164 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    When faith drove human beings to create wonderful works.
    There are almost 270 steps to go to reach the Monastery, which is why it is recommended in the summer months to try the feat early in the morning, when the heat is less suffocating, equipped with suitable shoes, long pants for men and skirts below the knee for women and driven more by religious spirit than tourism. The Monastery represents a wonderful architectural and engineering work inserted in a unique natural context. I will stop there, anything I can say has already been said and it is irrelevant to how much you will feel if you happen to go there.
    Visited September 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written September 18, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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5.0
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Ester P
Milan, Italy10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Couples
A visit to the monastery is unmissable, despite the 387 steps to climb to get there. We went in the late afternoon, at the beginning of August, when the heat is less suffocating and that part of the island is in the shade. In the photo, the white of the monastery reflects the color of the sky and turns out to be blue, a somewhat magical effect. You can only enter if you have your shoulders and legs covered. If you don't have appropriate clothing you will be given long trousers and skirts at the entrance (I recommend bringing a sarong!).
Google
Written August 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Coccodrillo1710
Catania, Italy583 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Friends
The monastery rises like a plant stone set in the rock. It can be reached by car to the beginning of the suggestive staircase that slowly leads to the entrance of the monastery. The wood and stone interior preserves relics of the Orthodox rite and a suggestive portrait of the virgin. Upon arrival, you cover yourself according to the rules and can visit the interior, where the monks willingly exchange a few words and offer the pilgrims some water and rakomelo. It goes without saying that the entire route has breathtaking views.
Google
Written August 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

yiannava
Nicosia, Cyprus93 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2023 • Couples
Simply astounding! Breathtaking ! It is a difficult climb to the top but it is worth your breath. It is beyond my comprehension how they even managed to build this structure in 821A.D.! Inside the Monastery is a tiny church where the icon of Panagia is placed. At the monastery the 2 monks left, offer raki and sweet. The 300 step climb to the monastery is not for the physically impaired or people with health issues. However, the breathtaking view can be enjoyed from the parking lot. The monastery is open 8 to 1 and 5 to 8.
Written September 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MONIQUE C
Mont-de-Marsan, France57 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2023 • Friends
Superb location but the view is already exceptional... from the parking lot!
The climb of 300 steps is certainly doable but its arduousness prevents you from enjoying the landscape. Arrived at the top, it's not over!!!! winding, narrow stairs, very low ceilings... somewhat acrobatic climbing and there it would be better to be in sportswear than in a skirt!!! young gentlemen keep watch to prevent falls... but they are not priests whom we have not seen. The accessible chapel is very dark (too bad, photos are prohibited) and you can barely see the icons. Certainly we are offered a little raki (very diluted not compromising the descent) In short, not worth the detour, except for sports enthusiasts. By the way, on the descent, the stones are often slippery, even in dry weather, and you still have to tense up to avoid a fall... For me, a "limited" visit that I do not recommend to everyone. (except very strong faith).
Google
Written October 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Paolo P
Rome, Italy107 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Family
A jewel not to be missed. The heat was notable and the climb was just right; the fact of having to cover oneself with clothing available at the entrance to the church was a sacrifice that was willingly and inevitably made in order to proceed with the visit. The monks were very kind and welcoming and quenched everyone's thirst with fresh water and raki. Too bad we couldn't take photos inside. It is advisable to bring some clothing with you to cover yourself if you don't want to use the (sweaty) ones available
Google
Written September 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

FernandoNevesAlmeida
Lisbon, Portugal390 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2020 • Friends
The St George's Monastery is placed in a wonderful location near the green waters of the Mediterranean not far from the chora. It was build in bizantin times and has some precious old icons at the small interior of the church. So climb the three hundred steps to visit it.
Written November 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

GaryandLesleyTravel
Auckland Central, New Zealand7,814 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
Catching the the bus up from Katapola we were dropped just short of and below the monastery from where you walk the last couple of hundred metres to the start of the 350 steps. The Holy Monastery of the Virgin Mary Chozoviotissa (Abbey of Hozoviotissa) built in 1017, renovated in 1088 literally hangs off the cliff face approximately 260M above the sea. From here it’s a beautiful view point, the Aegean Sea looks amazing, the cliffs are spectacular, the 1006 year old monastery (2nd oldest in Greece) interesting, 8 stories high no more than 5 metres deep at any point and adorned with 16 & 17th century icons / ornaments / paintings. From the bus stop head back up along the road towards Chora and you will come across the cut stairs that take you up the hill to the the township.
Written October 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jean M
19 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2020
The Monastery of Panagia Hozoviotissa sits on the side of a cliff overlooking the Aegean Sea, with breathtaking views to the east. The steps to the Monastery number over 300, most with incline and ruff stones. Not an easy climb, but certainly well worth it. Once you reach the Monastery, there are still more steps, as it is build with 5+ stories, and only 5 meters wide. But you will be greeted with water and the local raki drink from the aides of the Monks. There is also one of the oldest Icons in Greece in the church within the Monastery. So incredibly beautiful, and a must see on the island of Amorgos.
Written September 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Corinne L
Vermelles, France5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2023 • Couples
I give my opinion after a visit made 2 months ago. It’s a fantastic, peaceful, serene place. I still think about it very often. There are places that give you excess emotion and people you meet during your travels. I can tell you that the 300 steps are worth it. I was overwhelmed with emotions and even more so with the French guide Constantin who told my husband and me about his life path and his coming to the monastery. Thank you for helping us, travelers, leave with memories for life.
Google
Written November 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

susi s
Sydney, Australia145 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
A must see experience! Yes there are 300 steps but just take your time. It is worth it. Note that the monastery closes from 1 pm to 5pm for prayers. Coming at 9 am or a bit later avoids getting there and squeezing into quite a small public space.
Written May 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Monastery of Panagia Hozoviotissa, Amorgos

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