Holy Monastery of Katholiko (St. John the Hermit)

Tucked into the Avlaki gorge near the Gouvernetou Monastery, this ruined complex is dedicated to Saint John the Hermit, who is said to have died in the cave nearby. The monastery took shape in the early seventeenth century, its church partly carved into the rock, with a domed courtyard standing before it. Though now abandoned, Katholiko remains a protected building, and its weathered stone, shadowed chambers, and cliffside setting preserve the austere spirit of Byzantine monastic life on Crete.