Menies

The monastery of Agios Georgios, dedicated to Saint George, was founded in the 9th century and later abandoned, probably in the 17th, after persistent pirate raids made life there untenable. In response to that threat, the monks raised a defensive tower in the 16th century, or possibly earlier, to fortify their home against seaborne attackers. Today the site survives in average condition, a castle-monastery hybrid that speaks to a turbulent age. About 500 metres to the east lies the fine beach of Menies, a pleasant reward after the journey. Reaching the monastery requires a 22 kilometre drive along a dirt road from the village of Rodopos, an approach that keeps the place quiet and gives a sense of its remote, exposed position on the coast.