Monastery of Panagia Spiliani

The monastery sits 125 m above Pythagoreio, and the terrace alone earns the drive for its view over the whole bay. Then 95 steps take you down into cool darkness, where a small chapel of the Presentation of the Virgin stands inside the cavern - in fact an abandoned quarry that supplied stone for the buildings and fortifications of the ancient city. Inside is the old tile icon of Panagia Kaliarmenissa, and the air stays cool even in August. Under Ottoman rule the cave sheltered local women and children; tradition also puts Pythagoras here, teaching. At the far end, holy water drips into a basin. Come about an hour before sunset: the light then comes in low across the sea, and the courtyard is the best balcony above Pythagoreio.