Profitis Ilias Monastery

On the peak of Mount Profitis Ilias, in the southeast of Santorini, next to the community of Pyrgos, is the Prophet Elias Monastery. It is the highest point on the entire island and has a fantastic outlook because it is erected at a height of roughly 567 meters above sea level.

The Monastery, a spectacular specimen of Cycladic architecture, was constructed in 1711 in the style of a fortress. The monastery is off-limits to visitors, but it has a large bell tower and is bordered by four other churches and chapels, which are the only ones you may enter.

The monastery prospered in the 18th century when it owned a ship that traded across the Aegean and was a school for Greek language and literature in the early 19th century.

Today, the Monastery has its own museum, with a collection of ecclesiastical items, rare handwritten books, and stunning Byzantine icons and sculptures. It also hosts displays of shoemaking, printing, and candlemaking. You can pop into the chapel and the small gift shop, while the monks hold occasional workshops for shoemaking, bee-keeping, winemaking, printing, and making candles.

Location: Epar.Od. Pirgou Kallistis - Profiti Ilia 10, Pirgos Kallistis 847 00