The impressive rocky cave of “Egkleistra of St. Nicholas”, perched on the south-east side of Varasova is the “Holy Mountain” of Aitolia, as the area was referred to in Byzantine sources due to the large number of hermit monks who lived there. It is located at an altitude of about 80 meters above sea level and oversees the entrance of the Gulf of Patras.

Archaeological research revealed the existence of an organized fortified monastery complex, where a small brotherhood of monks lived from the 9th to the 19th century. An imposing two-story building with monk cells blocked the opening of the cave while a small covered corridor in the middle of this building (passage) constituted the only access to the interior of the cave. The small Catholicon is essentially a single-space church with a semi-circular arch on the east side and a paved courtyard on the west. Small caves and built alcoves are formed on the perimeter, where the rest of the additional facilities are situated: Water tank, dining room, receptacle, stove top/kitchen and oven.

However, the importance of the monument lies in the existence of the Egkleistra (place of seclusion). It is a small cave above the big cave, about 10 m high, where the “secluded” would climb via a wooden ladder and remain there for some time to devote himself to prayer or writing a hermit text. It also served as a place to protect the monks and safeguard the precious objects of the monastery, in cases of sudden pirate raids.

The cave of Agios Nikolaos with its Egkleistra flourished as a religious and hermitage center for centuries. It is the only such Egkleistra that has been discovered in Greece, such as the corresponding ones in Palestine, Egypt and Cyprus.

The approach to the small bay below the cave is made by boats leaving from the harbor of Kato Vassilikos followed by a 20-minute uphill hike. The sight of the cave on the steep slope of the mountain overlooking the Gulf of Patras and the Ionian Sea is truly unique.