Category: English

You frequently see all of those wonderful pictures of Santorini and maybe you wonder how people take them? In this post I will tell you everything I discovered about how to be “almost” professional about it.

Before I’d been to Santorini, I saw so many beautiful well taken pictures I started to ask myself: is the picture better than real life? How do they take it? Is it difficult to find a blue church? Do you have to go to a special spot?

Much to my surprise, and to gladly answer my first question, I DO have to declare that Santorini is exactly as we see it through pictures. Even better, in person you feel that amazing vibe of being at the edge of an astonishing cliff that leaves you breathless.

And how did I manage to take so many classic pictures? I walked a lot. I had two mornings and two afternoons, so I embraced every opportunity. I walked up and down around my hotel (travelling and exercising) to capture the best spots. The marvelous thing is that they are just there, waiting for us. Wherever you go, you can see a beautiful blue church, a colorful pink flower, a gorgeous infinite pool or a cozy jacuzzi. Always with that endless blue Mediterranean Sea as a background.

Look at this picture above. Do you remember that little beautiful church with a blue door in the beginning of this post? So… I climbed its roof and took this marvelous picture. Was that difficult? Absolutely not. I was just crossing by and had this… let’s say…. “feeling”. It’s usual for people to climb roofs and take unique shots. Santorini is a huge staircase, so it’s easy to access the roofs, even though it’s not exactly allowed (don’t tell anyone I recommended that). But… If I was able to do it, so can you.

If you really want to take the perfect shot, I encourage you to walk and be sensitive, cause at any corner you can find the most terrific capture. Once again, I think for me was a bit easier cause I was staying at Imerovigli (have you read my previous post Where to Stay in Santorini?) and there are no crowds there. Maybe in Oia it is more difficult to find a place without anyone to bother your shot.

Taking pictures of some of the most amazing Santorini spots that you have always dreamed about is truly medicine for the soul. So… relax and have fun!

Many people dream about exploring Greece and one of its special places: the idylic Santorini. With me there was no difference. I had been to Athens and Mykonos before, but at that time I left this picturesque island for another trip, one that I could have with someone as special as the city.

We arrived on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. The sky was as blue as the splendid Mediterranean Sea. My husband and I were with my parents. My mom was really enthusiastic about the city, my dad not so much, cause he thought it would be like Mykonos or any other beach. The hotel’s van parked in front of a little gate. From there we weren’t able to see anything. Then the driver led us thru a staircase and… 

Wooow! My Gosh! What a place! Heaven on Earth! Was it even real? We were completely astonished. My dad couldn’t stop taking pictures, smiling and happily saying “what place is this? Is this real?”. Soon even he became enthusiastic… So you can imagine how I was. One big smile from ear to ear.  My heart was racing hard. I fell completely in love.

Santorini is even much more beautiful in person than through pictures, if such a thing can be possible. It’s picturesque, it’s different from any other place I have been to. It’s unique! It’s important to mention that Santorini is the island’s name and each village (or neighborhood) has one proper name. In the Caldera region, as the main front area is called, there are three famous villages: Fira, on the left side looking from the land, Imerovigli, in the middle and the most well known Oia (pronounced “ia”) on the other side, the port’s (Fira) opposite side.

By the way, do you know why that region became a really huge cliff? Thousands of years ago, there was an active volcano that began to erupt. Half of the island simply melted away into the sea, creating a marvellous rocky cliff that adds a lot to the picturesque setting.

I researched a lot before I chose the hotel and I figured out that in Imerovigli, at this time of the year (summer), there is a better chance for you to watch the sunset from your room. In Oia some of the hotels are at the extreme end of the Caldera, so the sun is setting behind them at this time. Untill I arrived that was the main thing that contributed to my decision.

When we got there, I understood things a little better and discovered that Oia may be very famous, but the most charming place to stay, in my opinion, is Imerovigli. I explain it better in the post Where to Stay in Santorini, but in summary, picture yourself with a lot more exclusivity, because the region only has hotels, apartments and few restaurants, therefore almost – I say almost – no tourists and much more romance than Oia.

I don’t consider Santorini as a destination for the beach lovers, although there are some beautiful ones that we didn’t visit. Often indicated – and I realized that is a popular tour – is to rent a boat, usually a catamaran, and sail around the island, sometimes with Greek barbecue and wine. We didn’t have time to do it, but those who do say it is a must see.

It was just a few days, a few hours in paradise … but I can say that we live pure magical moments on that wonderful island. It far exceeded my expectations, which were very high. I was open-hearted, knowing that it is an extremely touristic place and sometimes this may make it lose some of the charm, but I really surprised myself and now I consider it as one of the most incredible places I’ve ever been in life