The monastery church is located in Vistonida Lake, the 2nd largest lake in Greece. The monastery is unique as it is built on two small islets and appears to be floating on the lake. This church, replacing one destroyed in a disaster, is dedicated to Saint Nicholas because a St. Nicholas icon was found. The monastery is a metochi, a dependency, of the Monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos. Porto Lagos is a small fishing village near Xanthi.