One of the lake’s most sacred monasteries, Dega Estefanos (men only) was rebuilt in the mid-19th century and though the church isn’t too interesting it holds a good selection of treasures (including a 16th-century painting of the Madonna) and the mummified remains in glass coffins of five former Ethiopian emperors (13th to 17th centuries). One of the bodies is Zara Yaqob; one of the most important Ethiopian emperors. The founder of this monastery, locals believe, was a saint who sailed to the island in 1268 on a stone boat. The ‘boat’ is still visible halfway along the trail to the monastery. It’s about 2½ hours from Bahir Dar and 45 minutes from Narga Selassie, up a steep half-hour-long trail.
