Photo spot in Folegandros
The zig-zag path to the Panagia
A broad switchback path lit at night, climbing fifteen minutes from Chora to a whitewashed pilgrimage church that looks back over every roof.
About The zig-zag path to the Panagia
Get directionsAbove Chora the hillside is crossed by a wide switchback path that climbs to the church of the Panagia on the summit. It takes about fifteen minutes, gains roughly a hundred metres, and is paved and lit at night, which is unusual for a Cycladic footpath and makes it usable after sunset.
The path is as good as the destination. The switchbacks give you the same subject from a dozen angles with the village dropping away below, and the low white wall along the outside edge is a clean line to compose against. At the top there is a walled forecourt, a bell wall and a view that takes in the whole of Chora, the cliff and the sea beyond it.
The church is a working pilgrimage site — it is carried down to the village in procession on 15 August — so dress modestly, and check whether it is open before planning anything indoors; outside services it is often locked. There is no shade on the climb and the summit is exposed, so avoid the middle of a summer day and expect wind.
Best time to shoot
The hour before sunset, or after dark when the path lights come on
Tips
Fifteen minutes up, about a hundred metres of climb, no shade — flat shoes and water. Active pilgrimage church, often locked outside services: check before planning interiors. Exposed and windy at the top.
Other spots in Folegandros
The cliff edge at Chora
Where the village simply stops: a low wall, then two hundred metres of vertical rock and open sea, with terraced fields running away to the north.
The Kastro lanes
The medieval core of Chora: two-storey houses built as a defensive ring, with wooden balconies, outside staircases and lanes two metres wide.
Agali bay
The island's sheltered sand beach on the west coast, a twenty-minute drop from Chora, with bare hills behind and boats to the coves beyond.
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Our concierge team will hand-pick 2-3 photographers who know The zig-zag path to the Panagia — free of charge.