Between the abbeys of Simonopetras and Dionysiou, lies the Gregoriu abbey, built on a rugged rock twenty meters above sea level. The sea-route between the abbeys of Gregoriou and Dionysiou is full of excitement. Rocky, rugged coast succeeds idyllic beaches while one can easily notice the wild precipies and the steep slopes all around. The monks keep the interior of the abbey all-white all year around. The balconies of the “archondariki” form a little paradise for the visitors. They can hear the roar of the waves all day and night while sweet breezes come from the nearby ravine. The abbey- as one of its hand-written codes (number 34) reveals- was founded at the beginning of the 14th centuryby St. Gregory th Sinaiti. At the third ritual of Aghion Oros, the abbey comes in the 22nd place among the twenty-five abbeys.

In 1497, it was deserted and in 1500, it was renovated by Wallachia’s King Stephen, father of Bogdan Voivoda, and under the care of abbot Spyridona. Unfortunately, it was burned in 1761, but it rebuilt by the sexton Ioakeim Makrigeni. He was the one who asked for contributions from the kings of Wallachia, from Gregory who was at the Cathedral f Hungary and Wallachia, and from Phanariots (members of the Greek official class under the Turks).

In 1821, the monks of the Gregoriou abbey helped the rebels by offering hem valuable items from their treasure collections. Until 1840, the abbey was a peculiar one. Since then it is one of the most strict cenobetic abbeys in Aghion Oros. The wall paintings of its main temple date back to 1779. This is where the unique manuscript of the “Shepherd Herma” is kept. In the abbey, there are twelve chapels, among them the Kemeteriou one with excellent wall paintings. The main temple is named in honor of St. Nicholas and its wall paintings date back to the 18th century. Some of the noteworthy valuables are the crosses, the amulets, the precious stones, the relics of saints, the gospels, the gold embroidered epitaphs from the 15th century and the imperial and ecclesiastical documents.