Zoodochos Pigi Monastery
A monastery from 1720 tucked among pines and lemon trees in eastern Kalavria. It holds an extraordinary carved baroque iconostasis, and the walk there justifies the visit on its own.
The monastery of Zoodochos Pigi is probably the loveliest thing in Poros, and the curious part is that almost nobody comes for it. People come for the beach just below, see the white building among the trees and climb up out of curiosity. They leave with the feeling of having found something.
It is about four kilometres east of the town, on the southern slope of Kalavria, tucked into a fold of vegetation so dense that you do not see it until the last moment. Pines above, lemon trees and cypresses all around, and the sea below framed by the branches.
A monastery from 1720 with a miraculous spring
Zoodochos Pigi means “life-giving spring”, and the name is not decorative. Tradition has it that the monastery was founded in 1720 around a spring credited with healing properties. A certain Yakoumos, governor of the area, is said to have been cured by drinking that water and funded the building of the complex in gratitude. It is also said that one of the region’s first Greek schools was set up here in Ottoman times.
The spring is still there, and the water is still running.
The iconostasis, which is the thing to see
Inside the main church is the jewel of the complex: an iconostasis of carved and gilded wood, in Venetian baroque style, brought, so they say, from Asia Minor. It is a piece of a decorative density that throws you off in a building so plain on the outside.
Around it there are old icons, silver lamps hanging and frescoes darkened by centuries of candle smoke. The interior is small, dim and beautifully cool compared with the heat outside, which multiplies the effect.
There are also tombs of figures from the Greek war of independence in the grounds, and a small room with liturgical objects.
How to get there and the dress code
Getting there is easy. The bus that leaves from Iroon Square in Poros town crosses to Kalavria and stops here in about ten minutes, with departures every half hour from May to October for around 3 euros. By scooter or bike it is ten and twenty-five minutes respectively from the port, along the southern coast road, which is flat and pleasant.
The dress code matters and a lot of people get caught out. This is a working monastery: shoulders covered, no shorts above the knee, no swimwear and no low necklines. There are usually wraps and skirts to borrow at the entrance, but do not count on them always being available in August. If you are coming from the beach, put a T-shirt and a sarong in your bag.
And watch the opening times: it closes at midday, roughly from one to four. That is the classic day-tripper mistake, going up right at lunchtime and finding the door shut. The safe window is nine to one in the morning.
What is around it
Just below the monastery, five minutes’ walk down a path that drops through the trees, is Monastiri beach, with pebbles, very clear water and a fair amount of natural shade. It is one of the best on the island and one of the least crowded, precisely because it is not on the obvious route. The monastery plus a swim combination is what makes this outing a perfect half day.
Next to the monastery there is a small cafe with a shaded terrace, ideal for a Greek coffee before or after. Do not expect a broad menu, but the view makes up for it.
And if your legs are still in it, the path up to the sanctuary of Poseidon starts here, about forty-five minutes among pines with views over the channel. It is the loveliest walk in Poros and the one that best explains why this island is green where the Cyclades are stone.
When to come
First thing in the morning, no question. Before eleven there are fewer people, the light comes into the church from the side and the heat is still bearable on the climb.
At Easter and on the Friday of the Life-Giving Spring (the Friday after Orthodox Easter) the monastery holds its feast day and fills up with island families. If your visit coincides, stay: it is one of those scenes that do not appear in the brochures and that are worth the whole trip. After the liturgy there is usually food handed out and some music in the courtyard.