Monasteries of Lake Tana >> Debre Mariam
This is the only monastery that can easily be visited independently without significant effort or expense. It is said to have been founded in the 12th century, and the temple is reputedly very ancient, the rest of the church - rather plain in appearance – is little more than a century old, dating to the rule of Emperor Tewodros .In terms of treasures there are three ancient Ge'ez goatskin manuscripts stored inside.
Debre Mariam can be visited either by a papyrus tankwa boats or by a motor boat. If you take the tankwa boat , you need to turn left (on foot ) just before the bridge over the Blue Nile river just out of town on the Gonder road. It is a 10 minute walk from the bridge to a stretch of shore where you'll find a few boatmen and their papyrus tankwa boats ready and willing to take you across the water to the monastery - a 5-10 minute boat ride. It's advisable to head out early in the day, before the wind starts up, or the water might be too choppy for a tankwa to cross
Debre Maryam can also be visited from town by motorboat, in conjunction with a spot close to the outlet of the Nile where hippopotami are resident The round trip takes 2-3 hours.
