On the main road that connects Arnaia with Ierissos and 20 km from Megali Panagia you find the village Gomati, a beautiful settlement that deserves your attention. From here, you have the opportunity to reach beautiful beaches such as Debeliki, Kastri, Pyrgos, Chiliados and many hidden beaches near Cape Arkouda, such as Petalidi.
The main occupations of the inhabitants are agriculture, fishing and livestock farming, as well as working in the mines. The lack of infrastructure in the field of water utilization is an inhibiting factor for the development of agrotourism. It celebrates on 9 March and 15 August, when the holy temple of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and the Holy Mother of the Martyrs celebrates. The most characteristic custom of the village (dating back to the 10th century) is the great “lamp” burning in the evening of the Resurrection. Just outside the village there is a Byzantine arched bridge and the chapel of the local Saint George, who lived in the area until the beginning of the 19th century. A big festival with cultural and artistic events takes place in “Ai-Lia”.
The old Gomati or “the country of Gomata”, the ruins of which survive until today, was 4 km from the present settlement. It was protected by three towers: Orphanus, Kunoupis and Debelicia. The village of Gomata coexisted with the monastery of Theotokos of Gomato before 942. In the later Byzantine years, the village of Gomata was one of the largest, according to the study of Harvard University professor Angeliki Laiou. In 1400 AD the Gomata monastery became a part of the Great Lavra. Today, only the ruins of the orphan’s tower are preserved. The church of St. Athanasius of Athonite was built there. The destruction of the old village from the 1932 earthquake was the reason for its transfer to the present location.
