Monks & Wine

A mid-13th-century Franciscan abbey at the water's edge is Timoleague's most striking monument. (Walk around the back to find the entrance gate.) The view of the sea framed by its ruined Gothic windows is an unmissable photo-op.

The abbey was built before the estuary silted up, and its main business was the importing of wine from Spain.

A tower and walls with Gothic-arch windows still stand, and you can trace the ground plan of the old friary—chapel, refectory, cloisters, and the extensive wine cellar.

It was sacked by the English in 1642 but, like many other ruins of its kind, was used as a burial place until the late 20th century, hence the modern gravestones.