Methana “Krasopanagia”. The absolutely blue chapel of the Peloponnese made of wine and soil.

Our country is full of myths. Myths that excite and challenge you to discover and live them. One such unknown legend was discovered in our research before traveling to the beautiful Methana.

“Krasopanagia” edge

A magical and unfamiliar landscape that does not scream, but it’s waiting for you to discover it, devoting  few hours to it, or even a whole day for its sake.

A scenery like a fairytale with pirates and corsairs. The beautiful, picturesque church of “Krasopanagia”, located at the western end of Methana.

This small chapel is built on steep gray rocks that have been sweeping through the waves for years.

The myth of “Krasopanagia” has it that many years ago, a seaman had loaded his boat with barrels of wine and went to Piraeus to sell them. On the way a storm burst out and he pleaded with the Virgin to help him go safe to his destination and he would make a chapel of wine. The Virgin Mary really helped him, and when he turned, he made this very small chapel. In order to build it, he mixed soil with wine instead of water, and for this reason the place that built the chapel was called Krasopanagia (meaining Wine Virgin Mary).

In another variant, this man is a merchant, he does not reach his destination, but after he was saved with the help of the Virgin Mary, he then built the chapel using the little wine he had left.

Krasopanagia remains an unknown and virgin region. Many people from Poros (an island very close to Krasopanagia) ignore its existence and few are the ones who have visited it. However, the “Krasopanagia” chapel is one of the most important sights of the Methana peninsula, both for the cruise ships of sea tourism and for the bold nature lovers who visit it every year from the land to admire the harmony of the human factor and the wild beauty of Methana.

There are two ways to visit the chapel. The first one is the easiest, from the sea. You can visit it by boat or by caique, starting or ending, at the picturesque Vathy for ouzo and sea food.

The other way, for the most risky ones, is from the land, on foot, on a course 3,8 km from Kameni Chora (volcano area), where the altitude difference is 200 m. The route is characterized as quite tiring, since the last part of the route is not from the trail but following passes (partly climbing) on ​​steep rocks.

The chapel of “Krasopanagia” awaits us to cherish, not wine – as its name says – but peace, awe, oxygen and iodine, from the marriage of the sea to the volcanic paradise of Methana.

To devote a whole day to visit it is worth it. The experience will be unforgettable.