Monastery of St. John the Theologian

On the small Dodecanese island of Lipsi, the Monastery of St John the Theologian stands on a hill just above the main village, its blue dome and twin bell towers visible from much of the harbor below. The current church was built in 1931, funded largely by Lipsian emigrants living in the United States who continued to support projects on their home island long after leaving it, including roads and other public works alongside the church itself.

Inside, the highlight is a Byzantine icon of the Virgin Mary known locally as "Mavri," dated to around 1500 and one of the island's most venerated religious objects. The building's brown stone walls, paired with blue-and-white detailing, echo the wider Dodecanese architectural style, and its courtyard offers sweeping views across Lipsi's low hills and the surrounding Aegean Sea.

With a year-round population of under 800, Lipsi remains one of the quieter islands in the Dodecanese, and this hilltop church is one of its most rewarding short walks. It's the kind of unhurried stop many travelers save for when chartering a gulet in Greece, when island-hopping allows time to wander somewhere off the main ferry routes.