4 Monasteries, Hermit Caves, and World Cup: A Wonderful Day in Meteora, Greece

Author: Janice Vazquez | Last updated: August 13, 2023

Panoramic view of Meteora admist a big white cloud with mountains and individual rocks in the background. In the foreground are colorful trees with orange and green leaves. — *Panoramic view of Meteora*

In December 2022, I traveled with my family (mom, dad, and brother, Julius) to Greece. We spent a total of 20 days visiting different cities, sightseeing, eating Greek food, and learning about Greece’s history and culture. Today, we spent the day visiting the four monasteries, hermit caves, watching the world cup, and eating Greek food.

We pre-booked a full day private tour of Meteora from Kalabaka. For four people, the total cost was 280 euros. As we were getting ready, I heard a knock on the door. I opened it to find a man in a jacket and pants. He introduced himself as Bob and he’ll be our tour guide for the day. Bob had arrived 15 minutes ahead of schedule and told me he would be waiting by the passenger van. After getting in the van, Bob informed us that this was the first day of winter where the fog was so thick.

Julius in winter clothing is walking to the passenger van in Meteora. The air is covered in a thick fog. — *Julius within the thick fog*

Hermit Caves of Badova & Monastery of Saint Adonis

Bob drove around town for a couple of minutes before parking on the side of the road. We made it to our first stop, the Hermit Caves of Badova & Monastery of Saint Adonis. We saw a couple of hermit caves and then ascended the stone hill that was covered in leaves.

hermit caves at bottom of hill with broken stone walls — *Hermit caves at bottom of hill*

The Vazquez family ascending to the hermit caves of Badova and Monastery of Saint Adonis — *Ascending to the hermit caves of Badova and Monastery of Saint Adonis*

We passed a small church (on our right) before arriving at the Monastery of Saint Adonis, which is situated within a natural cave and presently inhabited by a solitary 80-year-old monk. Unfortunately, this monastery was closed to the public, so we could only capture photos from outside. The Hermit Caves of Badova was located to the left of the Monastery of Saint Adonis. The mountains had holes in them, which is where the monks used to live, and a plank of wood struck out.

Hermit caves of badova within the thick fog — *Hermit caves of Badova*

*Janice standing in front of Monastery of Saint Adonis*

Julius and my mom walked a little bit further in to get a better view of the hermit caves, while I stayed behind with my dad and the tour guide, Bob.

Close up picture of hermit caves of badova and planks of wood that jutt out — *Close up picture of hermit caves of Badova*

Julius in front of the hermit caves, which are situated on the right in the mountains — *Julius posing by the hermit caves*

Meteora Rocks

During the tour, I noticed on Google maps that there were two locations named “Meteora” and “Meteora rocks”, so I asked Bob about it. He explained that the monasteries were built on rock cliffs in the deltaic plains of Meteora. Most of the monasteries were built between the 14th and 15th centuries by monks. By the end of the 15th century, there were 24 monasteries; however only six of the original monasteries remain. These six monasteries – Great Meteoron, St. Stephan, Varlaam, Holy Trinity, Rosanou, and St. Nicholas Anapafas make up the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as Meteora.

Tip: In our comprehensive guide, we explain the visiting hours for each monastery, provide the location, and an overview of what to expect.

Monastery 1: Holy Monastery of Grand Meteoron

Before we visited each monastery, Bob explained the history. The first monastery we visited was The Holy Monastery of Grand Meteoron, which is the largest and oldest of the monasteries at Meteora. Monk Athanasios Koinovitis built the monastery in the 14th century. Building this monastery was a difficult and dangerous task, but Athanasios and the others were motivated by their deep religious beliefs and a desire to establish a place of solitude and worship. Bob, then dropped us off at the front entrance of the monastery.

To access the monastery, we walked across a bridge and climbed up 300 steps. We paid 3 euros a person to enter the monastery. Inside, we went to the church, but were not allowed to take photos or videos. The hallways to the church were decorated with scriptures, paintings of Jesus, and glass windows.

Painting and scripture depicting a religious figure at holy monastery of grand meteoron — *Paintings and Scripture*

painting depicting life at holy monastery of grand meteoron — *Paintings of religious figures*

A wide painting depicting 12 religious figures at holy monastery of grand meteoron — *A wide painting depicting 12 religious figures*

A wooden door at the holy monastery of grand meteoron — *A wooden door*

Then, we visited the ecolastical museum (downstairs), the museums of history and folklore, and manuscripts and newmartyrs exhibition hall. In the museums, we saw two sets of pictures of how monks used to transport supplies and humans up to the monastery.

holy monastery of grand meteoron museum's front entrance — *Museum’s front entrance*

holy monastery of grand meteoron emblem — *Emblem*

*Monks hauling humans down the monastery in a large net*

*Monks hauling up supplies and humans in a large net*

We then walked around the courtyard, which is where the bathrooms were located. I used the toilet and was surprised to see it was a squat toilet, which was a hole in the ground. From then on, I vowed not to drink as much water because I didn’t want to use the toilet again.

Julius standing in the courtyard at Holy Monastery of Grand Meteoron — *Julius standing in the courtyard*

Janice standing in the courtyard at Holy Monastery of Grand Meteoron — *Janice standing in the courtyard*

After exploring the monastery, we went back to the front entrance and saw our tour guide. Bob pointed out that the fog was clearing up, so we stayed to take pictures of the monastery. It only cleared up for a few minutes, but it was enough to take pictures of the Holy Monastery of Grand Meteoron.

*View of Holy Monastery of Grand Meteoron without fog from across the bridge*

Overall, we spent 1 hour (45 minutes to see the sites within the monastery and 15 minutes walking up and down the steps).

Monastery 2: Saint Stephan Monastery (Nunnery)

As Bob drove to the next monastery, Saint Stephan Monastery, he explained that the monastery was built in the 14th century and has undergone several renovations. It is known for the architectural style, which combines both elements of Byzantine and post-Byzantine design. From the Monastery of Grand Meteoron, it took Bob 15 minutes to drive to Saint Stephan Monastery. Bob, then dropped us off at the front entrance of the monastery.

To access the monastery, we walked across a small bridge. We paid 3 euros a person to enter the monastery. Inside, we walked up the stairs and saw signs for the St. Charalambos Church, museum and panoramic view. We decided to go to the church first before visiting the other attractions. There were a lot of people.

The signs directing visitors to different places within Saint Stephan's Monastery — *Signs to the church, museum, and panoramic view*

A painting of a religious figure in the middle surrounded by several people on the left and right of the middle figure at The Saint Stephan Monastery — *A painting of a religious figures*

The church was small, so it was pretty crowded to walk around. After admiring the murals, I noticed a big group of teenagers came in, and I was stuck inside the church. It looked like a field trip for the children. After listening to the tour guide for 10 minutes, who was speaking in a different language, I quietly left and proceeded to the museum of the Holy Mastery. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to take photos in there.

The Saint Stephan Monastery Museum's front entrance with a sign that says no photography allowed — *The Saint Stephan Monastery Museum’s front entrance*

Afterwards, I walked around the courtyard and took panoramic views of the area. Unfortunately, the air was so thick from the fog that I couldn’t see the landscape.

Outside view of Saint Stephan Monastery — *Outside of the church*

The courtyard at Saint Stephan's Monastery — *Greek Flag in the courtyard*

After exploring the monastery, I went back to the front entrance and waited for Bob to pick us up. Overall, we spent 40 minutes (30 minutes to view the monastery and 10 minutes to walk up and down the steps).

Monastery 3: Monastery of Varlaam

As Bob drove to the next monastery, the Monastery of Varlaam, he explained that Saint Varlaam, a monk from Serbia, came in the year 1350 and gathered materials to build a small shelter. It took him 23 years to build the chapel; he carried all the materials with his hands. After his death, the monastery was abandoned for almost 200 years. Then, two rich brothers came and donated their money to expand the church. They also built another church dedicated to all of the saints. From the Saint Stephan Monastery, it took Bob 11 minutes to drive to the Monastery of Varlaam. Bob, then dropped us off at the front entrance of the monastery.

To access the monastery, we entered through two wooden doors and saw these high stone walls. We then walked across a bridge and saw an incredible rock carving on the stone walls. In total, we climbed up 140 steps to reach the monastery, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but the last few steps took a bit of leg muscle to reach the front entrance.

Julius standing at the front entrance to Vaarlaam Monastery. Theres a big rock behind him and next to the entrance. — *Julius standing at the front entrance*

On the pathway to Varlaam Monastery, you have to cross a wooden bridge with railings — *A wooden bridge* *to the main entrance*

On the pathway to moanstery, you'll see a rock carving of two people within the stone walls — *A rock carving of two people within the stone walls*

A stairway leading to the front entrance of Varlaam Monastery — *A stairway leading to the front entrance*

Once we reached the front entrance, we paid 3 euros a person to enter. Inside, we saw a sign that said to go upstairs to view the church, the wooden barrel, the net (transportation device), the old hospital the exhibition, or go downstairs to view the museum or use the bathroom. We decided to go upstairs to view the church first. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures in the church.

Afterwards, I saw the barrel, which was humongous, in the past it held up to 12,000 liters of wine. Currently, the barrel does not contain any wine. Since there’s a hole to view inside the barrel, some people throw money inside it.

The entrance to the Barrel, which is held in a room made of stone — *The entrance to the Barrel*

The wooden barrel's side view with a hole in the front and propped up by a wooden stand — *The wooden barrel*

Then, we went to see the net, which was used as a transportation device to transport humans and materials to the monastery.

A wooden stick that requires people to push it in order to make the transportation device to go up and down the Monastery — *Where monks would push this device to make the transportation device go up and down*

An open caged box held up by a crane device on top of a steel platform depicting where monks were transported up and down Varlaam Monastery — *Where monks were transported up and down Varlaam Monastery*

Lastly, we saw the museum, which had historical items on display, some even date back to 11th or 12th century.

A yellow and white robe on display holding a cross and wearing a necklace that shows a portrait of a lady — *A yellow and white robe on display*

A painting of religious figures on display. The people have wings and are flying near jesus who's on a cross. — *A painting of religious figures on display*

A decorative robe with yellow crosses on the scarf and a decorative crown on display at the museum — *A red and yellow robe on display*

After exploring the monastery, I went back to the front entrance and waited for Bob to pick us up. Overall, we spent 50 minutes (35 minutes to view the exhibitions and 15 minutes to walk up and down the steps).

Click here for our comprehensive guide on how to visit each of the 7 awe-inspiring monasteries in Meteora, Greece.

Monastery 4: Holy Trinity Monastery

As Bob drove to the last monastery of the day, the Holy Trinity Monastery, he explained that The Holy Trinity Monastery was built in the 14th century by a monk named Dometious. The monastery is regarded as the most authentic among the others, as it lacks an exhibition or museum. It remains precisely the same as it was a century ago. The monastery was featured in the James Bond 007 film ‘For your eyes only’. It is widely regarded as the most iconic of all monasteries in Meteora. From the Monastery of Varlaam, it took Bob 8 minutes to drive to the Holy Trinity Monastery. Bob, then dropped us off at the front entrance of the monastery.

To access the monastery, we walked down the cobblestone hill and then climbed 300 steps. The steps were made out of stone and some parts did not have railings. It took us about 25 minutes to reach the entrance.

A cobblestone path descending to Holy Trinity Monastery — *Starting point to the main entrance*

Rocky stone path leading the way to Holy Trinity Monastery — *Halfway mark to the main entrance*

We paid 3 euros a person to enter. First, we saw the church, which was smaller than the previous monasteries we visited. Unfortunately, we were unable to take pictures of the church. Then, we walked around the interior of the monastery, which had stone columns and paintings of religious figures.

In the foreground are stone columns and a wooden ceiling, while the background is a painting of a religious figure — *Stone columns, wooden ceiling, and a painting*

Painting of religious figures and a yellow decorative scarf — *Cover of religious figures on top of a yellow scarf*

Afterwards, we saw the net where they used to transport materials and monks up and down the monastery.

A metal hook holding a large net which is leaning against a wooden fence — *A large net used for transporting supplies*

A large net with a stone on top in the front of a wooden stick with string. — *The transportation room*

Lastly, we headed outside for the panoramic views. Unfortunately, the fog was so thick, we could barely see the landscape. Though, it was pretty cool to see the top of the clouds.

*Top of clouds enclosed within Meteora Rocks*

Top of the buildings and red colored roof tiles of Holy Trinity Monastery — *Holy Trinity Monastery Buildings*

After exploring the monastery, we went back to the front entrance and waited for our tour guide to pick us up. Overall, we spent 60 minutes (35 minutes to view the monastery and 25 minutes to walk up and down the steps).

Vaki Grill

After visiting the monasteries, we were very hungry. As we expected, the monasteries did not have any food trucks or restaurants. Bob recommended Bakns (Vaki Grill), which is known as the best street food in Kalabaka. Bob helped us get a table and we sat down outside. We thanked Bob for the tour, gave him a $20 tip and waved goodbye.

Vakis Grill House Menu showing appetizers, roast meats, grilled meats, gyros, salads, coffees, alcoholic drinks and soft drinks — *Vakis Grill House Menu*

Vakis Grill House Place Mat displaying pictures of the Meteora Monasteries — *Vakis Grill House Place Mat*

After a few minutes, the waitress came back and asked for our order. We ordered 4 dishes to try: pork souvlaki, chicken souvlaki, lamb kebab, and grilled sausage. The total cost was only 14,10 euros.

Lamb kebab served with seasoned fries on top and a lemon wedge — *Lamb kebab served with seasoned fries on top*

Grilled sausage, chicken and pork souvlaki served with a bed of fries and a lemon wedge on a white plate — *Grilled sausage, chicken and pork souvlaki served with* *fries*

Dessert

After eating, we walked around Kalabaka looking for dessert. We remembered Bob mentioned a place called Patisserie Robos, which sells traditional Greek desserts. When we arrived the shop, we were greeted by warm smiles from the staff. The store had beautiful cakes and sweet treats on display. In the middle of the shop, they sold two variations of Halvas, a sweet semolina pudding enriched with butter and studded with nuts and raisins. We purchased both variations of Halvas – one made with butter and the other with olive oil.

Halvas, a sweet semolina pudding thats made with sugar, flour, olive oil and almonds — *Halvas, a sweet semolina pudding made with olive oil*

A black sign that says traditional local sweet (sugar, butter, almond, corn, & flour) — *The sign says traditional local sweet (sugar, butter, almond, corn, & flour)*

Halvas, a sweet semolina pudding thats made with sugar, flour, butter and almonds — *Halvas, a sweet semolina pudding made with butter*

Afterwards, we headed back to our Airbnb to take a break. It had been a long day, and we were pretty tired from walking.

World Cup

The Airbnb host recommended Tetris Cafe in Dimoula Square to watch the fifa World Cup 3rd place game. It was a peaceful place to watch the game since the bar was empty. We got the best seats in the house; we sat in front of the big tv screens. We ordered one beer called Fix and one glass of local white wine called Meteora Dry White Wine. The beer came in a cold glass and the white wine came in a cold glass bottle. The drinks came with complimentary chips. The bill was 9 euros.

Valia Cada

After the game, we headed to Valia Cada for dinner, which Bob had recommended. We ordered a variety of dishes including black pig, red frumenty, tranchanas soup, baked feta cheese with honey, saffron and wild rose, as well as chicken leg. To accompany our meal, we ordered two tsipouros (brandy) – one without anise and another aged in a barrel for 12 months. Our bill was 53,50 euros.

Baked feta cheese with honey on a white plate with a knife — *Baked feta cheese with honey on a white plate*

On the left is the original tsipouro and on the right is aged tsipouro and two clear glasses filled with ice — *On the left is the original tsipouro and on the right is the aged tsipouro*

Three grilled chicken breasts served with zucchini, mushrooms, and a lemon vinaigrette — *Grilled chicken breasts served with zucchini and mushrooms*

On the left is Tranchanas soup with pork and grated cheese and on the right is 5 pieces of black pig with vegetables and roasted potatoes — *On the left is Tranchanas soup with pork and grated cheese and on the right is black pig with vegetables and roasted potatoes*

We strolled along the streets for a few minutes before heading back to the Airbnb. As we walked down the streets, we noticed a stray dog following us. At first, we thought it was funny, but as we turned corners, the dog continued to follow us. After 10 minutes, we started to worry about the dog following us home. Our concerns escalated when the dog left and returned with four of his friends. My parents started to panic, but I came up with a plan. I volunteered to be the decoy and ran ahead while my family entered the Airbnb. The dogs followed me, and I quickly ran back to the gate, where my brother opened and closed it after I entered. The dogs were barking at us, but we put a big pot in front of the gate to keep them out.

Tip: Watch out for the stray dogs, make sure they don’t follow you home.