A country within a country, Mount Athos, which means Holy Mountain, is located on the most eastern of the three offshoots of the Calcidic Peninsula. It is a narrow strip of land joined to the peninsula only by an isthmus and is the home of an ancient and original monk community that enjoys complete autonomy within the Greek government and forms a sort of theocratic republic with Karyes as its capital town.
Mount Athos is one of the most beautiful places on earth, the coast and the mountain slopes are dotted with enormous castle-like monasteries. It’s a fantastic place to visit if you are male, spiritual in nature, respectful of tradition, and adventurous. In fact women are not allowed in, and permits are required for male visitors. The monks are friendly for the most part and love talking, especially hearing about life outside of the holy mountain.
The rules of entry to Mount Athos date back to 1060 A.D. in accordance with a "Chryssobul" (edict) issued by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Monomahos and require a permit for both individuals and groups. This is issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate of Churches (at No 2, Zalokosta Street, in Athens, tel: 3626.894) or by the Ministry of Northern Greece, Directorate of Civil Affairs at Diikitiriou Square in Thessaloniki, tel. 031/270.092.
Overnight stay is forbidden except for those who have proven religious or scientific interests in the area and are over 18 years old.
From the town of Ouranopoulos there is a small boat that takes you to the port of Daphne, the official entry point for pilgrims to Mount Athos, or Agia Oros. There is one bus that goes from the port of Daphne to the town of Karyes in the centre of the peninsula.
The fortunate people able to visit the holy mountain are in for an extraordinary experience. The scenery is almost surreal with the caves that still house hermits as they have for thousands of years and many simple houses or kelions that have several monks in each and a small church. The forests are untouched and animals are found nowhere but the Holy Mountain. There are monks from every country in the Orthodox world and even some from non-orthodox countries. A coastline that is perhaps the most beautiful in the Aegean Sea, immaculate and rarely used for swimming since monks are not usually your average beach goers. There are incredible gardens cared for with a love of nature and of God. For spiritual seekers Athos has the appearance of heaven on earth and is the perfect place for meditation.