Located in Northeastern Greece, Mount Athos is the northernmost of the three peninsulas of Chalkidiki, jutting into the Aegean Sea. It is a unique destination in Greece, a place of exceptional natural beauty and the most important monastic community of the Greek Orthodoxy. It has continuously been inhabited since 1054 AD and has been recognized as a UNESCO Worldwide Heritage Site in 1988. Also known as the “Holly Mountain” (Agio Oros, in Greek), Mount Athos is home to 20 monasteries, 12 skites and about 700 houses, cells, or hermitages. Today over 2.000 monks from Greece and many other Eastern Orthodox countries live there in communities or alone, as well as in the ‘desert’ of Karoulia where cells hang to the cliff face rising steeply above the sea. Although it’s part of the European Union, since it belongs to Greece, Mount Athos has enjoyed autonomous polity within the Hellenic Republic under the official name Autonomous Monastic State of the Holy Mountain.
Agion Oros has the richest treasures. It is the richest in quality and quantity Greek region with Byzantine and post byzantine art works. Monumental painting, portable pictures, manuscripts with pictures or not, work of miniature art embroideries, art works made of wood, ceramics, but also functional ecclesiastical utensils, tools of laboratories, equipment and furniture, are few of the material testimonies of this cultural heritage. The cultural heritage of Mouth Athos is not limited only in the marvelous art works and unique heirlooms of Temples, Holy Abbeys, and cages but is also extended in the incomparable and also unique natural environment, the landscape that surrounds it. These are some of the innumerable places, which the “religious tourist” can visit.
The greatness and the beauty of Athos have been admired by the ancient, the medieval and the newer writers. Many of them write in lyric descriptions about the wild natural beauty of the eastern peninsula of Chalkidiki that remained inalterable through the centuries, because of the absolute insulation that ensured to the peninsula the structure of solitary state and the particular protective legislation of its absolute independence.
Helicopter charter services to Agion Oros
You can reach Mount Athos by car from anywhere in Greece, but this would be a long driving journey. Alternatively, you can fly to Thessaloniki International Airport and from there drive to Agio Oros.
If, however, you don’t want to miss anything from your holidays in Greece, there is a wide fleet of helicopters at your disposal that will take you to Agion Oros in less than 1.5 hour (depending on the helicopter type)! You can use our Athens based fleet, such as the twin engine 5seater AS355 helicopter or the twin engine Agusta A109 with 6 passengers capacity. You can also fly to Mount Athos from Mykonos island with our vip, air-conditioned helicopter EC135 (6 seats). Helicopters are also available from Santorini and Crete.
Simply contact us and we’ll take care of your travel requirements!
