Panagia Hozoviotissa Monastery

A white wall eight stories tall and only about 5 meters wide, pressed against an orange cliff 300 meters above the Aegean on the island of Amorgos. From the outside it looks like a single sheet of plaster; inside, narrow rooms and steps stack upward toward the icon of the Virgin that is the monastery's reason for being, and which is on display for visitors. This is the pick for anyone who wants a cliff monastery with the sea below instead of a valley. A small stone staircase leads to the low, narrow door, so the last stretch is a climb. Visitors are asked to dress modestly, with men in long pants and women in long skirts.