Near the Monastery of Kremasta, on the slopes of Mount Kavallara, very close to Neapolis and Mirampelos Fountains. Built on sloping ground, it has a panoramic view of the plain of Mirabello and is 53 km from Ierapetra.

The Monastery of Koufi Petra is indirectly mentioned in a 1630 contract of the Monastery of Aretios, therefore it already existed during the Venetian occupation. However, it was abandoned and re-founded in 1866 by IriniChlapoutaki, sister of the then despot of Petra, Meletios. Both are buried in the monastery’s precinct.

Look for the double-aisled katholikon at the highest point of the monastery. The north aisle is dedicated to the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary and dates back to the 19th century, while the south aisle is dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary and was built in 1996. The other buildings of the monastery date back to the 19th and mainly to the 20th century. The monastery today is a women’s monastery.

The name of the monastery is presumably derived from the cavernous rock, the “hollow”-Koufia, in greek, stone, in which a small church was built, the ruins of which are still preserved today. This cavernous rock is located in close proximity to the monastery.

Tel: +30 2841 033013