Sights

Churches and Monasteries

Coordinates: 39.174852, 23.651502

Ai Giannis in Kastri

Wondering why a chapel was built in such an inaccessible place? The legend gives us the answer. It says that a fisherman, returning from his nightly fishing trip, saw a light at the top of the rock. The light continued to appear every night without him paying much attention, until he dreamed of a woman revealing that there was an icon at the top of the rock. The fisherman climbed the rock and indeed found an icon of Saint John the Baptist, which he took with him. However, the icon kept returning to the rock. Eventually, the fisherman understood: the icon wanted to remain there. Thus, the chapel of Ai Giannis (St. John) was built, celebrated on August 29th, the day of the "Beheading of John the Baptist."

The chapel's image may seem quite familiar to you, and not without reason. This is the chapel featured in the popular movie "Mamma Mia." In the film, Meryl Streep effortlessly climbs the steep rock while her red scarf flutters in the wind. In reality, it is not as easy for the average visitor to climb the 106 steps. However, the effort is worth it, as the 100-meter-high rock offers an unobstructed, unparalleled view of the exotic turquoise waters and pine-covered shores of the island.

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