The zig-zag path to the Panagia

Above 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.