At the base of Spatha Peninsula lies the Monastery of Panagia Odigitria at approximately 26km west of Chania, which was built during the first half of the 17th century. Within close distance, the main church and the remains of cells of the early monastery, which are dated from the 14th century, are preserved. Furthermore, Panagia Odigitria is a particularly known and notable monastery due to its participation in the fight against the conquerors throughout history. It had a large library, which was destroyed by the Turks, and, nowadays, only a few manuscripts of the 17th-19th century as well as many incunabular books have been preserved. The Orthodox Academy of Crete, a significant religious and spiritual foundation of the Archbishop of Crete, is located near the monastery.