Monastery of Agiou Ioanni Prodromou, Lousios Gorge, Greece

Lousios Gorge and Prodromou Monastery

Just a few miles down the road from our lunch spot in Dimitsana is a spectacular gorge with amazing nature and spectacular views. Just off the main road and down a set of switchbacks, we came to a quaint little church where we parked for our hike to the Monastery of Agiou Ioanni Prodromou.

You’ll never find it by accident but it’s worth the trip. As we headed down the switchback road, we still weren’t even sure we were going the right way, even though we were looking for the church! At the start of the trail sits a wonderful red dome stone church that is inundated with goats. These amusing creatures kept us entertained for for some time with their antics.  They jumped all around seemingly enjoying their place in life. Walking all over the church grounds, on the cliffs, and in the trees, they were living life to the fullest that day. The trail head (37.54648,22.05295) for the Lousios gorge is a great place to park to walk about 1/2 mile to the Prodromou Monasteries which hangs on a cliff in the gorge. We didn’t have time to do the  hike through the gorge which is 22 miles long with a total elevation gain of 2,560 feet. Maybe next time. The hike to the monastery is pretty special though.

If you want more details on walking the entire trail through Lousios Gorge the embeded maps from route*you below are a great reference: