Saint Nikolaos Spetses Holy Orthodox Church

Above the Old Harbour on Spetses, in the Saronic Gulf, stands the Church of Agios Nikolaos (Saint Nicholas), the island's most historically significant church and a short walk from the main port of Dapia. The site began as a monastery in 1700 before developing into the parish church it is today, and it now serves as the seat of the Archdiocese of Spetses.

Its bell tower, built in 1805 from marble shipped in from the island of Tinos, stands about 10 metres high on a 6-metre base and remains the church's most recognisable feature, visible from well out in the harbour. Spetses holds a particular place in the story of the Greek War of Independence: it was among the first islands to revolt against Ottoman rule, and on 3 April 1821 the island's captains and priests gathered at Agios Nikolaos for the ceremonial blessing that marked the start of the uprising, raising the revolutionary flag from the bell tower. The church later became linked to Laskarina Bouboulina, the naval commander of the revolution and one of its best-known figures — her remains were moved into the church in 1928.

Beyond its history, the whitewashed church itself, with its pebble-mosaic courtyard and gilded icons, is one of the more atmospheric stops on the island, and travellers chartering a gulet in Greece often work a visit into a day spent around Spetses' harbour.