The Dapia waterfront

Dapia was a gun battery before it was a promenade, and the cannons are still there, set into the paving and pointing across the water towards the Peloponnese. Behind them the quay is laid in the black-and-white pebble mosaic Spetses is known for, and the old captains' houses run along the front with the Poseidonion at one end.

It is the busiest and most useful stretch in town. The carriage rank sits here, so a horse and trap is usually within a frame or two; the boats and the mainland fill the background; and the mosaic underfoot gives a graphic base for wider shots. Morning is clean and empty, before the first hydrofoil unloads.

The quay is public, but it is also where every arrival and departure happens, so avoid the twenty minutes around a boat. Watch the edge — there is no railing along much of the front. If you want the carriage in the picture, agree the fare and the route with the driver before you start.