Katholiko monastery is located on the north side of Akrotiri in Chania and past the Gouverneto monastery.
First you must reach the monastery of Gouverneto and walk down towards the famous Bear Cave which is a 15 to 20-minute hike down a rocky footpath. After that you will need to keep walking for another 15 minutes to reach the ruins of Katholiko.
Katholiko is considered to be the oldest monastery in Crete and was founded during the 11th century by St. John the Hermit who lived in a cave near the monastery. The monks finally abandoned the site in the 17th century due to the many pirate attacks the monastery had suffered.
