The Agia Kyriaki monastery is located at a distance of 12 kilometers southwest of the city of Chania. The road to the monastery of Agia Kyriaki is located between the villages Mylonia and Varipetro. It is a mile driving away from Varipetro over a narrow paved road. The monastery of Agia Kyriaki was built in the 17th century and was a haven for refugees from the Turkish invaders in the 19th century. After the monastery had fallen into ruins it was renovated between 1993 and 1996 and now it has been brought back to its former glory. Within the walls of the monastery you find the chapel. In the monastery now live 12 nuns and the complex is since 1637 owned the nearby monastery Chrysopigi. Around the monastery there is a beautiful garden with various fruit trees.
A path leads from the monastery up to several cave churches and the Kastelos fortress which is located high on the mountain. These cave churches are fairly new, but it is still interesting to take a look at them. Along the way you have beautiful views of the landscape, and the caves themselves are interesting as well. Up on the mountain around the fortress Kastelos are a lot more caves. From this impressive fortress you have a view over the whole of northwest Crete. The picture shows what I think is a new building, but if my information is correct, there also remains on the hilltop from the old Byzantine fortress Kastelos.
