A hidden gem 💎 at Kioni…Saint Nicholas Church & beach at Mavrouna.

One of my favourite things about slow travel life is accidentally stumbling across places you’d never find if you weren’t wandering with no plan… and this little hidden gem was exactly that 🫶🏼

Whilst we were recently anchored in beautiful Kioni port on Ithaca, I headed off on an early morning walk and found Saint Nicholas church at Mavrouna - tucked away down a long tiny winding road that would be so easy to miss if you didn’t know it was there.

Around 15–20 minutes from Kioni depending on your pace, the route climbs gently through rugged Ionian terrain, olive groves and hillside tracks with those dreamy sea views peeking through the trees the higher you get 🌿🇬🇷…it then descends into the valley north where you will end up here at this tiny church and walking into secluded paradise!

It’s one of those places that feels untouched… quiet, authentic and completely removed from the busy little harbour below. The kind of spot that reminds me why we fell in love with Greece in the first place!