Photo spot in Skopelos & Skiathos
Agios Ioannis sto Kastro
A white chapel alone on a pillar of rock above the sea, reached by about a hundred steps cut into the cliff — the Mamma Mia wedding church.
About Agios Ioannis sto Kastro
Get directionsOn the north-east coast a block of rock stands out from the shore with a single small chapel on top of it. A stairway of roughly a hundred steps is cut into the face, and at the top there is a walled courtyard, the chapel, and a view straight down the coast. The 2008 film put it on every list; it was a working church long before that and still is.
What the pictures do not show is the size. The platform holds a small group and no more — this is a location for two people, a photographer, and perhaps a witness, not for a wedding party. The chapel faces roughly east, so morning light lands on it cleanly and the sea behind stays deep blue; by afternoon the front is in shadow and the excursion boats and coaches have arrived.
Plan it as the first stop of the day: the drive from Skopelos Town takes about forty minutes on a winding road, and there is a small parking area at the bottom. The steps are uneven, exposed and hot by mid-morning. Modest dress inside the chapel; a ceremony here needs the parish's permission arranged in advance, and there may already be a wedding booked on the rock.
Best time to shoot
Early morning — east-facing, and empty before the tour boats and coaches
Tips
About a hundred uneven, exposed steps and a platform that takes a handful of people. Active church: modest dress, and ceremonies need permission from the parish well ahead.
Other spots in Skopelos & Skiathos
Skopelos Chora
White houses under grey slate stacked in tiers above the harbour, with stepped lanes narrow enough to hold shade all day.
Panormos and Milia
Pine forest running down to pebble coves with turquoise water — the greenest coastline in the Aegean, and both a short drive from town.
Skiathos old port and Bourtzi
A wooded peninsula in the middle of the old harbour, with the white town and red roofs curving around it — the neighbouring island's best frame.
Ready to book?
Our concierge team will hand-pick 2-3 photographers who know Agios Ioannis sto Kastro — free of charge.