Santorini Agios Nikolaos Monastery

Location: Firostefani

The Monastery of Agios Nikolaos in Santorini: The historical nunnery lies between Firostefani and Imerovigli in Santorini. The convey is dedicated to Agios Panteleimon (Saint Pantaleon), Zoodohos Pighi (translating into a life-giving source in English), and Agios Nikolaos (Saint Nicholas).

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The monastery was established on December 6th, 1651, and comprised the second monastery built in Santorini. The Gizi family, one of the few Orthodox families who lived inside the Venetian Castle of Skaros, decided to turn their private chapel into a monastery. In 1815, the archbishop of Santorini gave his permission to move the monastery to its present location, where the small chapel of Zoodohos Pighi was located.

The construction of the new monastery lasted until 1820. Nowadays, the large halls of the Monastery of Agios Nikolaos host a folklore museum and an ecclesiastical museum with rare Byzantine icons. The icon of Agios Nikolaos, in particular, is very important - so is the wooden iconostasis of the katholikon, the main church of the monastery.

How to get there

The Monastery of Agios Nikolaos is located between the villages of Firostefani and Imerovigli.

Private transfers: We recommend using an online pre-booked transfer service, which provides transfer by taxi, minibus, or private VIP car and arranging a pickup directly from your hotel. Alternatively, there’s the option of scheduling a direct pickup by a local driver at the following numbers: 0030 690 679 4316, 0030 22860 22555.

Car rental: There’s the option of renting a car and picking it up directly from your hotel. You can then visit the Monastery of Agios Nikolaos but also many other places of interest.

Public transfers: In Firostefani lies the second stop of the bus route Fira > Oia. Fira is where the central bus station of the island is located. Bus connections between this bus station and most areas of the island are available. There are buses to Oia approximately every hour. Note that time schedules might change according to the season. Check the official timetables here.
Tip: Since buses don’t always stop at every scheduled stop of their itinerary, our advice to visitors is to inform the driver about their final destination in advance.