Quick facts
Best subject: the Portara, a giant marble doorway from an unfinished sixth century BC temple, standing alone on its own islet just off the port.
Best sunset spot: the Portara, framing the sun as it sets directly through the marble archway.
Best season for photography: May, June and September, for clear light and, if you plan to hike Mount Zas, more comfortable conditions on a largely shadeless trail.
Golden hour: the standard 45 minutes or so before sunset works well at the Portara and from Naxos Town’s Kastro. Mount Zas is better photographed earlier in the day, before the midday heat sets in.
Getting around: a rental car covers the island well, since several of the best spots, Apollonas, Mount Zas and Alyko, sit some distance from the port. See getting around Naxos, Naxos taxi and the Naxos bus timetable.
Is Naxos worth visiting for photography
Naxos is the largest island in the Cyclades, and it has the range of scenery to match, an ancient marble gateway that has become one of the most photographed ruins in Greece, 2 separate unfinished giant statues left lying where they were carved, the highest mountain in the group, and a genuinely striking abandoned hotel now covered in street art. Between the port, the mountain villages and the beaches, this is one of the more varied islands in the whole series to photograph.
Best photo spots in Naxos
1. The Portara. A giant marble doorway, all that remains of an unfinished sixth century BC temple to Apollo, standing on its own small islet connected to the port by a causeway, and one of the most photographed ruins in Greece, especially with the sun setting directly through the archway. We do not yet have a dedicated page for this spot.
2. Naxos Town and its Kastro. The Venetian old town climbs the hill above the port in narrow whitewashed lanes, crowned by the Kastro quarter, with views back down over the harbour and the Portara. We do not yet have a dedicated page for this spot.
3. Apollonas and the Unfinished Kouros. A giant, 10.7 metre marble statue lying exactly where it was abandoned in an ancient quarry, unfinished for reasons still debated by archaeologists. Read more in our Apollonas village guide.
4. Melanes and the Kouroi of Flerio. A second pair of abandoned kouroi statues, lying in a green, spring fed valley rather than a quarry, a quieter and less visited alternative to Apollonas. Read more in our Melanes village guide.
5. Apeiranthos. A hill village built almost entirely from marble, its streets, doorsteps and even some roofs cut from the local stone, giving it a distinct grey and white palette unlike anywhere else on the island. Read more in our Apeiranthos village guide.
6. Chalki and the Vallindras distillery. A quiet inland village built around the Vallindras kitron distillery, still producing Naxos’s citrus liqueur, with Byzantine churches scattered through the surrounding valley. Read more in our Chalki village guide.
7. Mount Zas. The highest peak in the Cyclades, rising directly above Filoti village, with a cave linked in mythology to the childhood of Zeus and sweeping views back over the island from the trail. Read more in our Filoti village guide.
8. Alyko and Hawaii Beach. Burnt orange rock cascading straight into azure water at Hawaii Beach, next to Alyko’s golden sand, the Kedrodasos cedar forest and the graffiti covered ruins of an abandoned hotel, an unusual and genuinely layered spot for photography. See our guide to Alyko and Hawaii Beach.
Best time of day to photograph Naxos
The Portara is built for sunset, the archway lines up with the setting sun for a large part of the year, which is exactly why it draws a crowd every evening, so arrive with time to find your spot.
Naxos Town’s Kastro also works well in the same window, looking back down over the port and the Portara as the light fades.
Mount Zas is better tackled earlier in the day. The trail has very little shade, so morning light is both more comfortable to hike in and generally softer for photographing the summit views.
Best season for photography in Naxos
May, June and September give you the clearest light and, importantly, far more comfortable conditions for the Mount Zas hike, which can be genuinely tough in the full heat of midsummer.
July and August bring the strongest light and the biggest crowds at the Portara for sunset, along with the meltemi wind, which is worth planning around for anything shot on the coast or from an exposed viewpoint like Zas.
Practical photography tips
Mind the causeway at the Portara. It can be washed over by waves in rough weather, so check conditions before crossing, particularly with camera gear.
Hike Mount Zas properly prepared. The trail has minimal shade and real elevation gain, so bring water, proper footwear and start early, especially outside the cooler shoulder season months.
Take care around the ruined hotel at Alyko. It is a genuinely striking, graffiti covered building, but it is also a derelict structure, so stay outside or in clearly accessible areas rather than exploring unstable parts of it for a shot.
Check current drone rules before you fly. Greece follows the EU’s common drone regulations, which generally require operator registration for anything over 250 grams, and there are no fly zones around the airport and archaeological sites such as the Portara. Rules can change, so check the current requirements from Greece’s Civil Aviation Authority before your trip.
Book a local photographer
If you would rather leave the camera work to a professional, a local Naxos photographer will know exactly when the sun lines up with the Portara, the quiet hour at the Kouros in Apollonas and the best morning light on Mount Zas, far better than a first visit ever could.
Explore more of Naxos
Getting around Naxos · How to get to Naxos · Naxos bus timetable · Naxos taxi · Naxos map · Naxos weather · Best wineries and wine tastings in Naxos · Best cheese tasting experiences in Naxos · Best villas with a private pool in Naxos · Best villages in Naxos · Top 5 caves in Naxos
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