Originally founded in the mid-14th century by a hermit named Varlaam, and later rebuilt and expanded between 1517 and 1544 by two brothers and monk-priests, Theophanes and Nektarios Apsarades. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of six active monasteries remaining open to visitors out of the 24 historical sites that once stood here. As of December, 2025, only four are still occupied. We visited all four. To get to the entrance takes walking up 195 steps.