2 Best Sights in The Peloponnese, Greece

This is the largest of the monasteries that line the gorge, and is arguably the most spectacular. Its white frontage seemingly dangles from the rocks, lidded by the heavy brow of the stone overhang. It is home to around a dozen monks at any given time. Rules are rather strict regarding visits, and between 1 pm and 5 pm it is closed to visitors. Appropriate dress is also required, and coveralls are provided in the courtyard if you only have shorts. Parts of the building date from the 16th century, and during the War of Independence it doubled as a hospital for the revolutionaries. Inside, its tiny katholico (church) is filled with exquisite frescoes. It can be reached by road as well as by hiking the gorge.

Another way to approach the gorge walk is to start among the ruins of Ancient Gortys, 1.5 km south of Timou Prodromou Monastery. Little is known about when this city was built, but by the 4th century BC it was in its pomp, and its name was acclaimed across Arcadia. Many of the fragments of its defensive enclosures, baths, public buildings, and its temple to Asklepios date from this era.