Katholiko Monastery in Crete is a beautiful piece of ancient architecture located on the Akrotiri Peninsula, just a short drive from Chania.
The caves here have been inhabited for nearly 1000 years, and many of the structures date back to the 15th century!
While thousands of people visit this historical site every summer, it remains unknown to most travelers in Greece, making it one of the best non-touristy places to visit near Chania.
You don’t need a tour to visit Katholiko Monastery, but this guide will show you how to get there, what to see, and everything else you should know before your visit!
Katholiko Monastery, Crete
Katholiko Monastery is actually the oldest monastery in Crete. The site is most famous for the massive caves where monks and hermits lived for centuries, but the ancient doorways, towers, and bridges are equally as impressive!
The entrance fee is €2.50/per person. You can pay at the station right before Gouverneto Monastery.
The structure isn’t huge but has multiple floors stretching to the base of the gorge. The stones and rocks that built the towers seem to be stuck together with little rhyme or reason, but the structure has nevertheless stood the test of time.
How to Get To Katholiko Monastery
The trailhead to Katholiko Monastery is 25 minutes from Chania Old Town. You can drive there yourself if you have a rental car, or grab a taxi from anywhere in town!
Note: Katholiko’s parking lot is at Gouverneto Monastery. You must park here and then hike the rest of the way to Katholio Monastery
Driving to Katholiko
We drove from Chania to Katholiko. The trip took about 30 minutes and was relatively flat (very different than the steep roads down to Seitan Limania).
It was really easy to find the entrance and parking was free.
We highly recommend renting a car in Chania, which costs just €10-20 ($9-18) per day. The drive is very flat, and the parking lot is very easy to find with Google Maps
Want To Rent a Car in Crete?
This was the best decision we made on our trip to Crete. It allowed us to see so much more of the island!
Taxi
You can also take a taxi from Chania to Katholiko Monastery, but this has to be a public taxi or private transfer since there’s no Uber in Crete.
The average price for a taxi to Gouverneto Monastery is €18-20 each way. If you want to pre-arrange a transfer from Chania City, you can use this site to book a taxi.
It’s also essential to arrange a taxi driver to take you back to your hotel in Chania. You can do this online or speak with your taxi driver about coming back to pick you up at a specific time.
Chania to Katholiko Monastery by Taxi
There are no direct buses from Chania to Gouverneto Monastery. The only option is to take a bus to Chania Airport and then hire a taxi to the trailhead for €8-10.
But Chania Bus Station is constantly adding new routes and timetables, so it’s worth checking their website just in case!
hiking to Katholiko Monastery
The trail to Katholiko Monastery is an easy hike, just a 2.0-mile roundtrip (3.2 km). The trail starts mellow, circling the side of the mountain until reaching Arkoudiotissa Cave, then quickly descends 500 feet to Katholiko Monastery.
You can find the map on AllTrails!
You need the premium version to download the map, but we’ve found that if we open the map while we have Wi-Fi or Data, we can still follow our geo tracker on the map without data!
The entire trail gives you sweeping views of the Katholiko gorge leading to the coastline.
Be sure not to skip Arkoudiotissa Cave, which is about 0.5 miles (1 km) into the hike. The cave temple is very impressive and a nice pit stop, and you may not have quite enough energy to enjoy it on the return trip!
As the trail descends into the gorge, there are a few hundred steps leading right to the monastery.
As you descend the final staircase, you will see more caves on your right-hand side with small Catholican alters inside. The caves are actually much deeper than they appear (151m), but you can’t see without a light source (and unfortunately, your iPhone doesn’t do the trick)
After exploring the monastery, we continued along the trail an extra 1.5 miles (2 km) to Katholiko Bay. So, our whole trip took about 3-4 hours.
But if you’re in a hurry, you could hike to and from the monastery in just 1-1.5 hours.
The trail is out and back, so go back the same way you came. The hike back to the parking lot is a bit exhausting. We didn’t notice how steep the latter half of the hike was until we struggled to catch our breath halfway up!
When is the best time to visit Katholiko Monastery?
May through September is the high season in Crete, and this is a great time to visit Katholiko Monastery.
The summer months bring warm weather and little rain. Try to get here early in the day during the high season to avoid crowds – ideally before 10:00 AM.
But we thought shoulder season (April and October) was even better. The temperature drops by about 10°F (5°C), making the hike much more comfortable. The only issue is that if you continue along to Katholiko Bay, the water may not be calm enough for swimming.
Katholiko Monastery History
Katholiko Monastery and Avlaki Gorge are historically important to Crete because monks and hermits used the caves within for shelter from 1100 to 1700 A.D. The most famous of its inhabitants were Saint John the Hermit and Ioannis the Hermit.
The caves and monasteries were finally abandoned sometime during the 17th century.
It is believed that they were the victims of frequent pirate attacks, which eventually led the community to leave Katholiko Gorge and settle elsewhere on the island.
Katholiko Monastery vs. Gouverneto Monastery
The Greek Orthodox Cathedral is full of modern murals in a style we aren’t used to seeing in Greece. These murals are probably newer additions, as the monks have been continually repairing the monastery since 2005.
Gouverneto Monastery is still an active place of worship, so be aware that photography is not allowed inside the complex.
Nevertheless, it is still a wonderful place to see and worth your time!
More Things to Do Near Katholiko Monastery
Katholiko Monastery and the surrounding gorge are located very close to Chania and some other wonderful places to visit in Crete.
We highly recommend spending more than a couple of days in Chania if you can. 5-7 days is the perfect amount of time to enjoy the city and have time for a couple of day trips, too!
Katholiko Beach
If you have time, continue past Katholiko Monastery for about 15 minutes to reach Katholiko Beach. This cove has been used for centuries and was the primary access point to the Katholiko monastery.
This cove has stunning blue & green, perfect for swimming or snorkeling in the summer, and is a beautiful place.
Stavros Beach
Just 7 miles (11 kilometers) from Katholiko is Stavros Beach, one of the best beaches in Chania. It takes about 25 minutes to reach by car and is a nice place to stop and cool off on your way back to the city!
Chania Old Town & Nea Chora Beach
Most people visit Katholiko Monastery from Chania, the second-largest city in Crete. The city is one of the most charming places in Greece, and we absolutely loved spending the day there.
Be sure to spend at least one full day getting lost in the winding streets of the Venetian Old City.
Then, in the evening, you can cool off at Nea Chora Beach with a dip in the ocean and fresh seafood at one of the beachfront tavernas!
Marathi Beach
Another more relaxed beach you can drive to after Katholiko for dinner on the beach to a cool swim is Marathi Beach. It’s on the other side of the Akrotiri Peninsula but only a quick 20-minute drive from Old Town Chania.
This beach is very organized, with showers, affordable sunbeds, and a couple of lively restaurants near the water where you can grab lunch or drinks on the beach.
It’s also much calmer, so if you do the whole hike to Katholiko Bay only to find that the current is too strong for swimming, you can come to this beach to swim, snorkel, or even go paddleboarding.
Closing Thoughts
Katholiko Monastery ended up being one of our favorite places in the Chania region, and if you choose to visit, you won’t be disappointed!
Just remember that you can’t get there by bus, you have to either arrange a taxi or drive yourself if you have a rental car in Chania. Also, if you’re driving all the way out to the Akrotiri Penisula, try combining Katholiko Monastery with a more relaxing beach afterward.
We hiked to the monastery in the morning and then went to Stavros Beach to relax for the rest of the evening!
