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Agios Nikolaos ton Gaton Monastery (Cat Monastery)

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Places to see

Cyprus

Agios Nikolaos ton Gaton Monastery (Cat Monastery)

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Agios Nikolaos ton Gaton Monastery (Cat Monastery)

Recommended by 10 mountain bikers out of 11

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Location: Cyprus

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Best Mountain Biking Routes to Agios Nikolaos ton Gaton Monastery (Cat Monastery)

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1. Kourion Beach – Akrotiri Salt Lake loop from Neapoli

58.7km

03:48

110m

Moderate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary.

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Alex W.

October 7, 2018

The monastery is located at Cape Gata, 15 kilometers west of Limassol and southeast of the salt lake of Akrotiri and is believed to be the oldest monastery in Cyprus. The monastery church dates from the 14th century. After it was abandoned in the 16th century, it was only reopened in 1983 by Orthodox nuns.
According to legend, the monastery was founded in the 4th century by Saint Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, who left a splinter of the Holy Cross there. At that time there was a severe drought in Cyprus, which forced many people to leave the Cape, where from then on it was full of venomous snakes.
Constantine the Great then sent Governor Kalokeros to Cyprus to expose thousands of cats in the area to deal with the dangerous animals. The Cape was freed from the snakes and became known as Cape Gata ("Katzenkap").
Today, only a few nuns take care of the monastery. The many cats that live here with the nuns and outnumber them are considered the descendants of the cats who once had the Cape ready from the snake plague.

Translated by Google •

ChTh

March 18, 2025

Beautiful old monastery, according to legend founded by Saint Helena in the 4th century.

Translated by Google •

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Elevation 20 m

Weather

Today

Thursday 13 November

23°C

18°C

100 %

If you start your activity now...

Max wind speed: 6.0 km/h

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Location: Cyprus

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Agios Nikolaos ton Gaton Monastery (Cat Monastery)

1. Kourion Beach – Akrotiri Salt Lake loop from Neapoli

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