The rock chapel at Petra

Petra means rock, and the village is named after the one that stands in the middle of it: a lump of volcanic stone about forty metres high, rising straight out of the houses a couple of streets back from the beach. On top sits the chapel of Panagia Glykofilousa, reached by a stairway of a hundred-odd steps cut and built up the side.

The stairway itself is the best part for photographs. It turns as it climbs, the stone is warm-toned, and at several points the village roofs and the bay open up behind you — so you can shoot upward with the chapel above, or downward with the sea filling the frame. The terrace at the top is small, whitewashed and completely surrounded by view: Molyvos and its castle to the north, the bay and the mountains behind.

It is a working church, so dress modestly, keep quiet inside and check whether photography is allowed within the chapel itself. The terrace and stairs are public and open through the day.

Late afternoon light comes in from the sea and warms both the rock and the whitewash; morning leaves the stairway in shade. The steps are uneven and there is a handrail for most but not all of the climb. In summer the village below is busy from evening onwards, but the rock is usually quiet.