Monastery of Agia Marina

Visit the recently restored Agia Marina monastery, an important religious pilgrimage

One of the most significant pilgrimage sites in Greece, the Agia Marina Monastery and its famous holy spring, are located in Apikia north of the capital of Andros. Dedicated to the 3rd century martyr Saint Marina, the monastery dates back to 1325, when, as the legend says, Saint Marina miraculously appeared to an ascetic elder in Litres and guided him to where her lost icon was hidden.

Due to a decree of the Bavarian regency in 1833, the monastery was forced to close down and the miraculous icon was sold at an enforced auction to the Empirikos family, who put it into Panagia church in Chora, where it was kept for 146 years. The monastery was restored in 1975 and it celebrates on July 17th, with thousands of pilgrims attending.