Mount Athos, or Holy Mountain, is a very secluded autonomous state on the northern peninsula of Greece. To protect the sacred nature of the region there are very strict rules imposed on anyone who wishes to visit it, and moving there to live permanently is almost out of the question (particularly for non-Greeks).
A limit of 100 men per day are admitted to enter for a four day stay; women are never permitted to enter. Therefore it is certainly not your average tourist destination and is still somewhat of a mystery to the outside world compared to other regions you may be considering.
Mount Athos, Greece
The reason for such “secrecy”, if you want to think of it that way, can perhaps be explained by the fact that there are 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and is home to around 1,400 monks – the only people allowed to live there.
But if you do actually get yourself over there for a visit you will no doubt be amazed by the architecture of these monasteries, and you will probably leave wondering how they managed to build them right in to the cliffs in some instances. Unfortunately those same cliffs which give this place much beauty are also a hindrance during fairly regular wildfires, and the damage from such fires can still be seen on some monasteries here.
You must request permission in advance of your journey to Mount Athos, from the pilgrim’s beureau. There is no requirement to be Greek Orthodox but, as mentioned earlier, you must be male.
Related: Visiting Greece: Places to go!
Photo by Dimtze
