Theotokou monastery, Paleokastritsa

Being firmly on the tour-coach circuit hasn’t diminished the appeal of this lovely eyrie, atop the bluff beyond Paleokastrítsa’s various coves. Although founded during the 13th century, the present, pastel-hued monastery (daily 9am–1pm & 3–8pm) was rebuilt after a fire some 500 years later. The church is crammed full of noteworthy icons; there are more (most noteworthy a 17th-century St George by Theodoros Poulakis) in a little museum occupying the former olive press (including the disarticulated skeleton of a whale), while burgeoning potted plants plus cascading bougainvillea fill the courtyard and the arcaded passageways around it. A half-dozen monks still live here.