# Athos Sights: Mount Athos Boat Cruises, the Byzantine Tower & Ancient Stageira > The sights of the Athos peninsula are the Mount Athos boat cruises from Ouranoupoli, Ierissos and Nea Roda, the Byzantine Andronikos tower of 1344 in Ouranoupoli, ancient Stageira the birthplace of Aristotle, and ancient Akanthos at Ierissos. | | | |---|---| | Monasteries | 20 | | Ouranoupoli tower | 1344 | | Aristotle | Ancient Stageira | | Capital | Karyes | **The headline sight of the Athos peninsula is the Mount Athos boat cruise: tour boats leave Ouranoupoli, Ierissos and Nea Roda to see the coastal monasteries of the Holy Mountain from the sea.** In Ouranoupoli's port stands the Byzantine Andronikos tower of 1344, and the east coast adds ancient Stageira, the birthplace of Aristotle, near Olympiada. Ancient Akanthos at Ierissos and the Xerxes channel at Nea Roda round out the history. _Photo: The Athos peninsula coast and Mount Athos, Halkidiki, Greece_ _Photo: The Athos peninsula coast and Mount Athos, Halkidiki, Greece_ _Photo: The Athos peninsula coast and Mount Athos, Halkidiki, Greece_ _Photo: The Athos peninsula coast and Mount Athos, Halkidiki, Greece_ _Photo: The Athos peninsula coast and Mount Athos, Halkidiki, Greece_ _Photo: The Athos peninsula coast and Mount Athos, Halkidiki, Greece_ _Photo: The Athos peninsula coast and Mount Athos, Halkidiki, Greece_ _Photo: The Athos peninsula coast and Mount Athos, Halkidiki, Greece_ _Photo: The Athos peninsula coast and Mount Athos, Halkidiki, Greece_ _Photo: The Athos peninsula coast and Mount Athos, Halkidiki, Greece_ ## Mount Athos boat cruises The best way to see Mount Athos is by boat, because the monastic peninsula stays closed to casual visitors. Tour boats leave Ouranoupoli, which sits opposite [Ammouliani island](https://fly2greece.net/amoliani.html), and also run from Ierissos and Nea Roda along the east coast, passing the coastal monasteries from the sea. The peninsula holds 20 monasteries, the oldest and most important being Megisti Lavra, founded in 963 on a rock in the south-east. An ancient law forbids a road between the capital Karyes and the outside world, so the monasteries are still reached only by boat or narrow path. Landing is limited to men who hold a permit for religious or study reasons, granted for a maximum stay of four days, so the cruise is how most travellers see the Holy Mountain. ## The Byzantine Andronikos tower The Byzantine Andronikos tower stands in the port of Ouranoupoli, the last town before the peninsula and the gateway to Mount Athos. It was built in 1344 by order of the Vatopediou monastery and is the highest tower in Halkidiki. From the port beside it, excursion boats leave for the Athos coast and for the Drios islets that lie opposite the town, and ferries cross to Ammouliani. ## Ancient Stageira, birthplace of Aristotle Ancient Stageira stands about 1 kilometre east of Olympiada on the peninsula's east coast, and it is the birthplace of the philosopher Aristotle. The site sits beside Aristotle's Park, so a visit pairs the ruins with the parkland. Olympiada makes the natural base, with rooms 20 to 150 metres from its beach; the village and its [east-coast beach](https://fly2greece.net/athos-beaches.html) are covered in the beaches guide. ## Ancient Akanthos and the Xerxes channel Ierissos is built on ancient Akanthos, founded in the 7th century BC by settlers from Andros. The old town has never been excavated, but part of the coastal cemetery has, uncovering 600 graves. At Nea Roda, on the narrow neck of the peninsula, the Persian king Xerxes had a channel dug in 480 BC to give his fleet passage, and archaeological remains from antiquity survive in the village. Explore Athos [Athos guide](https://fly2greece.net/athos.html) [Athos Hotels](https://fly2greece.net/athos-hotels.html) [Athos Beaches](https://fly2greece.net/athos-beaches.html) ## Frequently asked questions **How can I see the Mount Athos monasteries?** Tour boats cruise the monastic coast from Ouranoupoli, from Ierissos and from Nea Roda, so you see the coastal monasteries from the sea. The peninsula itself is reachable only by boat or narrow path, and landing is limited to men who hold a permit. **What is the tower in Ouranoupoli?** The Byzantine Andronikos tower stands in Ouranoupoli's port. It was built in 1344 by order of the Vatopediou monastery and is the highest tower in Halkidiki. Excursion boats leave from the port nearby to Athos and the Drios islets. **Where was Aristotle born?** Ancient Stageira, about 1 kilometre east of Olympiada, is the birthplace of the philosopher Aristotle. The site sits beside Aristotle's Park on the east coast of the peninsula. **What is Karyes?** Karyes is the capital of the Athos peninsula, founded in the 9th century. An ancient law forbids building a road between Karyes and the outside world, and the 10th-century Protatos church there keeps some of the oldest murals. **How many monasteries are on Mount Athos?** The peninsula holds 20 monasteries, the first founded a little over a thousand years ago and the last in the 16th century. Megisti Lavra, founded in 963, is the oldest and most important. --- Source: [Athos Sights: Mount Athos Boat Cruises, the Byzantine Tower & Ancient Stageira](https://fly2greece.net/athos-sights.html) — fly2greece.net, an independent guide to Greece written and photographed by Hans Huisman since 2000. Reviewed July 2026.