This paper presents some preliminary results of the Archaeological Project at Abdera and Xanthi (APAX), a systematic regional survey in the territory of the ancient coastal Ionian colony of Abdera and its hinterland in Aegean Thrace. The application of diverse systematic and intensive pedestrian survey techniques provided the framework for the study undertaken in this region, ensuring that different dimensions will be highlighted. Also, the APAX project has employed geophysical analyses (e.g., Electrical and Seismic Tomography and Georadar) combined with the excavation of geoarchaeological trial trenches and the drilling of boreholes in the harbor areas. Digitized aerial imagery has been extensively used, including historical and present-day photos taken with drones. There has also been some experimental use of a drone automated survey for which Abdera provides the first ever attempted successful tests. This technique is in its first experimental phase, and further development is in process in order to be employed at a larger scale. In general, the preliminary results of our research have provided a plethora of quantitative and qualitative, multidisciplinary, reliable data. These datasets will be integrated and studied further in the following years in order to assess the geomorphological features and the imprint of human activities, and to investigate the traces of the two main cultural groups that were active in this region during most of the 1st millennium BCΕ, namely Greek colonists and indigenous Thracians.