Churches of Cape Maleas

Churches of Maleas

At Cape Maleas, the rock that abruptly stops at the depth of Myrtoo Sea are located the chapels of Agia Eirini and Agios Georgios which overlook the ships changing direction in front of it to move either to the western Mediterranean or to the north and Aegean.

The church of Agia Irini just before the end of the cape is surrounded by buildings of the old monastery that today can be visited on request for staying there.The small temple is built on the ruins of an older one. The view to the sea from the church will take you back in time, in stories and legends of the area for boats that the sea took deep inside her. Climb the stairs that are right next to the church leading up for the old cistern where rainwater gathered for hermits and now for the visitors of the temple. Stand in front of the bell tower and enjoy the bright white of the temple lost to the blue of the sea.

Follow the footpath sign to the hermitage of Osios Thomas of Maleas. Osios Thomas lived as hermit before about one thousand years and was known by many of the miraculous acts.

The church of Agios Georgios in Malea lies easternmost at the end of the cape. Is a smaller church that was built over the ruins of an earlier templ. Inside you will admire the byzantine frescoes testify the age of this later temple. Around it you will notice the remains of other small buildings and temples that had been built there.

Among the path connects Agia Irini and Agios Georgios's is a path that descends to the sea and the small creek for the small boats to reach the cape. East of the creek and near the sea, after about 50 meters there is Kokaliara, a cave in which a large number of human bones are on the floor. According to the legend the water gushed through the rock was miraculous and the bones found there are from people that were killed in a pirate raid.

To visit Cape Malea and the churches you will either follow the sea route ( there is not a scheduled itenary although) or the hiking trail D 14 that begins on a dirt road from Profitis Hlias passes through the area of Agia Marina and the Petrified Forest.