A fishing boat motors past Mykonos during the dramatic sunset on May 15 2013. I shot this photo from a road above the Kouros Hotel in the Tagoo district of Mykonos. Click on the image to view a full-size picture.
Category: Great sunset viewing spots (Page 5 of 6)
The open-air terrace at Kamara Café in Upper Potamos is a great spot to view the amazing scenery while enjoying some of the café’s delicious Greek cuisine
The café also has lounge areas on its terrace, for those who just want to sit back and relax with a glass of wine while watching a spectacular sunset
This was one of the sunsets we watched from the Kamara Café. Here, the sun looks like an enormous white orb as it slowly descends behind Naxos island.
You’re guaranteed to work up a hearty appetite and thirst on your way to the restaurant — It’s a half-hour walk from Egali, up hundreds of steps like these.
Steps, stews and sunsets: When I was planning our trip to Amorgos in 2009, I asked an acquaintance in Athens for restaurant recommendations. We absolutely had to go to Kamara Café in Ano Potamos village, she said, and order the patatato — a goat and potato stew that is one of the island’s signature local dishes. Her other tip: allow plenty of time to walk up the mountain to the taverna, so we wouldn’t miss seeing the sunset if we got lost or delayed en route. “You won’t believe the view! The sunset — fabulous! And make sure you try the goat!” she gushed.
I put Kamara Café on my “must try” list, thinking that would nicely take care of dinner plans for one of the four nights we would spend on Amorgos. That list was in my luggage, in our room at the Yperia Hotel in Egali, while we were out exploring during our first day on the island. We spent the entire afternoon in and around Egali, wandering around the town, the beach, and some of the hiking trails in the area, as well as scoping out places where we might like to have dinner that night. Several spots near the beach and in the center of the town caught our eye, but since I didn’t have my restaurant list with me, I couldn’t remember if any were among the specific places that friends had highly recommended. Nevertheless, since we would probably be “walked out” by the end of the day, we were happy to see we would be spoiled for choice within a short stroll of our hotel.
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Tourists walk the clifftop path between Fira and Firostefani. The scenic path continues to Imerovigli village (left rear) and from there all the way to Oia at the northwest tip of the island. Hikers enjoy sensational scenery almost every step of the way, and can find countless spots along the path to watch the fabled Santorini sunsets.
Sunset viewing from the Utopia Café patio in Plaka village on Milos
Superb sunset views: We’ve seen dozens of spectacular sunsets in Greece, but there are a few that we still remember as though we had seen them only yesterday. Watching the sunset from at Utopia Café on Milos in 2007 is one of them.
I had read about Utopia Café in the Greece travel forum on TripAdvisor.com long before we decided to visit Milos; someone had recommended it as a great spot to enjoy a cocktail or a glass of wine while watching the sun set.
During our first trip to Milos in September 2007, we stayed in the port town, Adamas, but spent a day exploring the area around the mountaintop villages of Plaka and Tripiti. We happened to be wandering through the narrow streets of Plaka just as the sun started to go down and, when I saw a sign pointing the way to Utopia Café, I recalled the comments I had read online. We decided to go for a drink and watch the sunset before finding a taverna for dinner.
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Fotis Taverna sits beside a sharp bend in the road between Agios Prokopios beach and Agia Anna beach on the west coast of Naxos …
… and has three tree-shaded tables offering beach and sunset views just across the road — our favourite spot for drinks and dining
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The Portara monument is a superb sunset viewing spot at Naxos Town
Golden globes: On Naxos, it’s easy to combine history and culture with a bit of sightseeing and sunset viewing all in one free self-guided excursion just a few minutes’ walk from Naxos Town.
All you have to do is take an evening stroll along the short causeway leading to the peninsula on the edge of town (an area known as the Palatia district). Climb the hillside, and you’ll find yourself on one of the island’s best sunset viewing spots, right next to one of the most famous monuments on the island — the giant stone door frame known as the Portara. (If you arrive at Naxos by ferry, you will probably see the Portara as your boat approaches the port.)
Dating from the 6th Century B.C., this remnant of an Archaic temple is described in some guidebooks as the Temple of Apollo, while others call it Ariadne’s Arch (apparently, historians and archaeologists can’t conclusively establish the Greek god in whose honour the structure was originally built).
Though its origins might still be a mystery, what’s beyond question is that the hillside around the Portara is an excellent place to watch sunsets and to enjoy superb views of Naxos Town, its harbour, and its nearby coastline.
Below are some of our photos of the Portara and the peninsula, and of course the sunsets and views from both.
I snapped this photo of the Portara and the Palatia peninsula when our ferry arrived at the port at Naxos Town, on one of our trips to Naxos.
A view of the Portara from the marina at the bustling Naxos Town waterfront
This sign near the harbour points the way to the Palatia peninsula
You’ll pass this replica of a sculpture while you walk toward to the causeway; it stands on the right-hand side of the walkway.
Looking toward the Palatia peninsula from the stone-paved path on the causeway. Locals like to swim in the bay just below steps at the bottom of the hill.
The Portara comes into view as I approach the top of the hill
The Portara has numerous names, including the Temple of Apollo, The Doorway to Ariadne’s Palace, and Ariadne’s Arch
The base of the giant doorway
A view of Naxos Town from the base of the monument
Another view of Naxos Town and the harbour area behind the Portara
There isn’t much that remains of the temple besides its famous doorway. Most of the ruins, including the arch, are roped off so tourists can’t walk on them.
Most tourists try to get one of these “I was there” photos of themselves framed by the giant stone doorway …
… but some people just don’t like to have their photos taken
The giant monument dwarfs tourists walking on the hillside behind it
The Portara stands like a sentry above Naxos harbour and St George’s Bay
The peninsula offers a good view of Stelida mountain on the far side of the bay …
… and, in the other direction, the Grotta district of Naxos Town
Some tourists stand or sit at the top of the hill to await the sunset …
… some enjoy a cold beer and check out the scenery while they wait …
… while others find a comfy spot above the sea offering a good direct view to the west, facing nearby Paros island …
… so they can get photos of the sun setting behind the distant island mountains …
… much like this photo I snapped …
… while others prefer to photograph the Portara with the sunset behind it
Two tourists begin the walk back to Naxos Town after viewing the Portara
Overlooking the Naxos waterfront and harbour from the Portara
A view of Naxos Town from the hillside next to the Portara
Hillside view of the causeway and Naxos Town
Looking toward Naxos Town from the causeway. Locals like to swim off the right-hand side of the walkway.
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A sunset view of the Portara from the causeway
A sunset view of the Portara from the seashore below the Grotta district