Natural environment

The Natura protected area of ​​Mount Athos, which is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, with its unique ecosystem, is one of the few isolated areas of our planet, far from pollution and human intervention for more than 1000 years.

The area occupied by the Vatopedi Monastery within Mount Athos is located in the middle of its northern coast, and is estimated at approximately 43 square kilometers. From the north it is watered by the Strymonikos gulf, to the east it borders the area of ​​Pantokratoros Monastery, to the southeast with that of Xenophontos Monastery, to the south with the areas of Konstamonitos and Dochiariou Monasteries, to the southwest with that of Zografou Monastery and to the northwest with the area of ​​Esfimenou Monastery.

The topography is varied, but for the most part it is hilly or semi-mountainous with a maximum altitude of 650 meters. The coasts are rocky with the exception of the zone of the small bay that is formed in the middle of the northern side of the area. The monastery complex is built on a hill at the eastern end of this bay. In the entire area there are many forest roads, paths and cobblestones that ensure the communication of the Monastery with Karyes, the neighboring Monasteries, and its accessories. The water transport network from the sources of the mountainous regions to the Monastery and its cells is also extensive.

The Vatopedi Monastery area is one of the most fertile of Athos. Its flora includes most of the 1471 plant species found on Mount Athos. The highest zones of the area (with an altitude of more than 500 meters) are covered by chestnut and broadleaf oak forests, which are logged. In the lower and coastal zones (up to 500 meters altitude) there are evergreen and broad-leaved trees and bushes, while near the Monastery there are also cultivated areas. The cultivation of the Vatopedi Monastery within the Mount is attested from Byzantine times and includes items necessary for worship and for the daily diet of the monks (wheat, oil, wine, vegetables, fruits, etc.). The natural fauna of Mount Athos is one of the richest in Greece. The species it includes are not distinguished by their rarity in the Mediterranean area, but the stability of their variety and the size of their populations on Mount Athos is admirable.

The climatic conditions that prevail in the Vatopedi Monastery area are similar to those of the lower zones of Mount Athos. Up to an altitude of about 450 meters, the climate is Mediterranean, temperate and semi-arid. On the contrary, in the higher semi-mountainous locations of the Monastery, the climate is colder and wetter, with more rain and snowfall during the winter season. The whole area is exposed to strong north and north-easterly winds, but its generally low altitude and long distance from the high peaks of Mount Athos protect it from extreme weather.

The buildings in the immediate surroundings of the Monastery make up one of the most valuable and largest extra-monastic ensembles of the monasteries of Mount Athos. These include the Monastery's laboratories, which are the most technologically advanced on Mount Athos, and some of them are also impressive for their size.