Lefkada Monastery of Agios Nikolaos Iras

Location: Agios Nikolaos Niras

A monument of southwestern Lefkada, the stone-built monastery of Agios Nikolaos Iras (also known as Niras) is a place with a rich historical background! Spotted in between the cosmopolitan beach destination of Porto Katsiki and the revered lighthouse of Lefkata, the monastery is said to have been founded during the early-to-mid 17th century, though some information suggests it was built about six centuries earlier! Due to its remote position, it was once used as a place of exile for clerics.

Nowadays, Agios Nikolaos Iras functions as a women-only monastery, housing three nuns, many honeycombs, as well as a plethora of icons and thrones, most of which were made by the hands of the hagiographer Andreas Betzos! It also used to feature the oldest signed and dated icon of Lefkada, and that is none other than the despotic icon of Agios Nikolaos (now hosted inside a monastery in Athani), created by the hagiographer Dimitrios Foskaris! The monastery celebrates yearly on the 10th of May as an act of remembrance of the move of Agios Nikolaos’ remains.