Mount Athos
Mount Athos is up there alongside the Acropolis in the Greek landmark stakes. You see, it’s the world’s one and only monastic republic. It’s made up of 20 cliff-hugging monasteries, some of which date back to the ninth century.
Some 1,700 Orthodox monks live here, dressed in their signature black robes and pillar box hats. Access to Mount Athos is extremely limited. What’s more women are forbidden from going within 500 metres of the place. But that’s where this trip comes in. Your cruise boat sails close to the shores of the Athos Peninsula so you can take a sneaky peek at this holy site.