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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Dromeas (“Runner” in English) is a 12-meter-tall glass and iron sculpture created in 1994 by Athens artist Costas Varotsos
Sharp Dresser: Athens may be one of the world’s safest cities, but you won’t want to run into a big Greek guy named Dromeas while you’re there — he would literally tear you to pieces.
Standing 12 meters tall (nearly 30 feet), Dromeas cuts a dashing figure at Megalis tou Genous Sholi square near the Hilton Athens Hotel on Vassilissis Sofias Avenue. Created by noted Athens sculptor Costas Varotsos in 1994, Dromeas originally stood at Omonia Square, but was moved when construction commenced on the underground metro station there. Concerns that shakes and vibrations from subway building activity could damage the sculpture prompted his relocation to a triangular public square close to the Canadian Embassy.
A photo of Dromeas and the Athens Hilton, shared on the Facebook community page This is Athens
Dromeas is seen in a dramatic image that sculptor Costas Varotsos shared on @costasvarotsos, his official Instagram account
This marvellous image of Dromeas was captured and shared on Instagram by photographer @imikov during the heavy snowfall that paralyzed Athens and many other parts of Greece on January 24 2022
Another amazing photo of Dromeas during the Elpis snowstorm, this time captured by photographer Lucas Kouloubis. The image was shared on @costasvarotsos, the official Instagram page for sculptor Costas Varotsos.
This Associated Press photo of Dromeas, shot after the Elpis snowstorm had subsided, was widely circulated on social media
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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
This photograph by Nikos Daniilidis offers a superb daytime view of angled wall segments on the eastern facade of the Acropolis Museum …
… while this photo, also by Nikos Daniilidis, shows the building at dusk. More than 1.3 million people (including us!) visited the Acropolis Museum between June 2010 and May 2011
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Aktaion taverna in Firostefani village on Santorini
Local specialties: We haven’t been to Santorini in several years, but we still talk about how much we have enjoyed Aktaion taverna in Firostefani.
We discovered this little restaurant gem back in 2004 when we stayed at the Santorini Palace Hotel during our first trip to the island. Aktaion is situated just a short walk from the Santorini Palace, right beside the scenic clifftop footpath that links the village of Firostefani with the island’s bustling main town of Fira.
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“The Big Blue” is a nickname that befits the breathtaking colours of the Aegean Sea off the east coast of Amorgos, below the Chozoviotissa Monastery …
… but there are striking, vivid tones of turquoise and blue all around Amorgos, including Kalotyri Bay on the north coast off Nikouria Island (top) …
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… and Egali Bay, seen here looking southwest toward Nikouria Island
Breathtaking blues: I’m always surprised when I read online travel forums and see how many people seem to believe that Santorini is the only island in the Cyclades with spectacular scenery. Santorini is incredibly beautiful, there’s no doubt about that. And while it may be incomparable, it doesn’t hold a monopoly on drop-dead gorgeous landscapes and seascapes. I’ve been impressed by the scenery on Milos and Folegandros, too, and I’ve been absolutely awestruck by Amorgos. Or, as I sometimes like to call it, Ahhhh!morgos.
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Room 119 at Grotto Villas/Cliff Side Suites in Firostefani had no window …
… and the door was only 5 feet 5 inches tall. Don’t forget to duck!
Head knocker: Santorini is world-renowned for spectacular scenery, and its magnificent caldera views drew us back to the island three consecutive years in a row. We just couldn’t get enough of the breathtaking landscape, colourful clifftop villages and endless views of the gorgeous blue Aegean Sea. So imagine our reaction when we arrived at the Grotto Villas/Cliff Side Suites hotel in Firostefani to discover that our assigned room — #119 — didn’t even have a window!
That happened back in 2006, but I still remember our surprise and disappointment like it were yesterday. It would be bad enough to be assigned a windowless hotel room anywhere when you’re travelling on vacation. But on Santorini of all islands? There ought to be a law against it! To add insult to injury, the room door had a low frame, and I kept banging the top of my head on it whenever I went in and out. I’m only 5’7, and until I arrived at Grotto Villas/Cliff Side Suites I never expected that I would ever be too tall to walk into a hotel room while standing upright!
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The gorgeous swimming pool at the Honeymoon Petra Villas in Imerovigli is positioned on the Santorini caldera cliffside hundreds of feet above the Aegean Sea …
… with spectacular views of Nea Kameni, the volcano island
Deep freeze: There are two great ways to beat the extreme summer heat in the Greek Islands: go for a swim in the sea, or take a plunge in a really cool hotel pool. But depending on the time of season you travel, there’s a good chance the pool could be cooler, if not downright frigid. There’s also a chance the water in both the sea and the pools could be too cold for swimming altogether. At least, that’s been our experience.
We typically travel to Greece in May, and have always encountered hot weather — including brief but brutal heat waves on Naxos and Santorini that sent afternoon temperatures soaring to nearly 40 Celsius. But regardless of how hot the air temperature got, the Aegean Sea has always been too cold for us to swim. In fact, there have been times I couldn’t even wade in the water during visits to Mykonos, Naxos, Paros and Santorini because it felt like my feet started to freeze only seconds after stepping in. Even just dipping my toes in the water at Super Paradise beach on Mykonos one May was too painful because the water was so bitterly cold.
Surprisingly, our hotel swimming pools haven’t been much warmer. And sometimes they’ve actually been colder! I could count on one hand the number of times we were able to spend more than five minutes in a pool, and on just one finger the number where we lasted longer than 10 minutes.
Even when we travelled to the islands during the second half of September one year, we got to swim only twice — once in the sea (which was blissfully warm) and once in a pool (which was shockingly cold) — even though Greece had experienced blistering heat waves throughout the summer.
Are we disappointed that we haven’t been able to do more swimming in Greece? Maybe just a bit. We’ve had good times at plenty of island beaches, and we’ve enjoyed spectacular views from most of our hotel swimming pool terraces. Cooling off with an ice cold bottle of Mythos instead of a swim hasn’t been so bad!
I’ll tell you more about our pool and sea swimming experiences in upcoming “Chill Out!” posts. For today, however, here are pics of some of the cool swimming pools we’ve seen during our visits to Santorini.
The cliffside swimming pool and whirlpool at Dana Villas in Firostefani
Another view of the Dana Villas swimming pool and terrace
The cliffside swimming pool at Pegasus Suites hotel in Imerovigli …
… has a terrace that juts over the island’s rugged volcanic cliffs
Swimmers can watch ferry and cruise ships come and go from this sea view swimming pool atop the caldera in Firostefani
Another clifftop hotel swimming pool in Firostefani
Yet another Firostefani pool terrace with views of cruise ships
A closer look at the Firostefani pool pictured above
A small caldera-view swimming pool on the cliffside in Fira
An air mattress floats in a cliffside swimming pool in Imerovigli …
… while lounge chairs on the adjacent terrace overlook Skaros Rock
The caldera-view swimming pool at the Kafieris Apartments in Firostefani
Another view of the pool at the Kafieris Apartments
The Kafieris Apartments swimming pool at night
I’ve always loved the look of this pool and terrace at what appears to be a private villa on the cliffside in Firostefani …
… from above, the pool’s shape reminds me of an apple …
… there’s comfy cushions for lounging in the sun beside the pool …
… as well as lounge chairs and a shady nook nearby
The big palm tree next to the pool draws some attention away from the villa’s unique Cycladic architecture
Here’s another view of the palm tree and the pool …
… which has an infinity edge offering great views of the sea far below
The uniquely shaped and situated pool at the Honeymoon Petra Villas in Imerovigli offers some of the most stunning views in all of Santorini
The swimming pool and terrace offer incredible views in several directions
The pool is built into the cliffside hundreds of feet above the sea …
… and has a shallow wading pool on the hotel level below
A side view of the Honeymoon Petra Villas pool …
… and some of the apartments built of volcanic rock from the island
One final view of the Honeymoon Petra Villas swimming pool, this time from the clifftop footpath that leads to Oia in one direction, and to Fira in the other
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