How To Take Amazing Pictures in Santorini

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.

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The Church and the Sea – Santorini Classics

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?

Breathtaking Santorini

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.

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Windmill of Santorini at Oia

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.

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White and blue beautiful contrast

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.

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Sunset in Imerovigli

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.

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Amazing sunset from our hotel

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!

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Pink flowers and blue churches of Santorini

 

 

Where to stay in Santorini

🇧🇷 Planejando a tão sonhada viagem para Santorini após ler os meus posts Como Uma Deusa em Santorini e Vivendo um Sonho em Santorini?

🇬🇧Planning the dreamy trip to Santorini after reading my previous posts Like a Goddess In Greece and Living the Dream in Santorini?

Bela arquitetura de Santorini / Beautiful architecture of Santorini – by The Unique Traveler

🇧🇷 Então agora você precisa começar a pensar aonde ficar. Eu sugiro que você faça as suas reservas o quanto antes possível. Essa ilha pode ficar realmente lotada na alta temporada e as melhores opções (melhor vista, melhor serviço, preço honesto) estarão provavelmente bem cheias quase todo o ano.

🇬🇧 So now you have to start to decide where you are going to stay. I suggest you do it as quickly as you can. This island can be really sold out in high season and the best options (better view, better service, honest price) will probably be taken any time of the year.

Que tal acordar com essa vista? How about waking up with this view? – by The Unique Traveler

🇧🇷 Como eu já comentei em outro post, eu decidi por ficarmos em Imerovigli e essa foi, de longe, a melhor coisa que fizemos. Eles dizem que essa região é a Oia de 10 ou 15 anos atrás. Para quem não sabe ( porque você precisa ler meu post anterior), Oia (menciona-se ‘ia’) é a mais famosa vila de Santorini, no lado direto da Caldeira, a área frontal da ilha.

🇬🇧 As I said in another post, I decided to stay in Imerovigli and this was, by far, the best thing we did. This region is, as they say, like Oia 10 or 15 years ago. For those who don’t know (cause you haven’t  read my previous post****), Oia (pronounced “ia”) is the most famous village of Santorini.

Imerovigli – by The Unique Traveler
Imerovigli – by The Unique Traveler

🇧🇷 Então Imerovigli é cheia de charme, tranquila, com tudo que você imagina de Santorini – casas brancas, igrejas azuis, pôr-do-sol maravilhoso. E a cereja do bolo: sem aquelas multidões que invadem as belas ruelas de Oia todos os dias (quase 5 mil pessoas – esse número é real – vindos de 2 ou 3 navios enormes que aportam no Porto de Fira diariamente).  É um lugar para relaxar e sentir a vibe de Santorini.

🇬🇧 So Imerovigli is full of charm, calm, with all you ever imagined about Santorini – white houses, blue churches, the best sunset views. And the cherry on top: without those massive crowds that invade Oia’s beautiful tiny streets every day (almost 5 thousand – that’s the real number – from more than 2 or 3 huge ships that dock at Fira Port daily). It’s a place to relax and feel Santorini’s energy.

Aproveitando a vista maravilhosa / Enjoying amazing views – by The Unique Traveler
Que tal um mergulho? How about a dip? – Kapari Resort by The Unique Traveler

🇧🇷 Nós ficamos no Kapari Natural Resort, um lindo e pequeno hotel 5*. Ele é super bem localizado, com belas vistas para o pôr-do-sol durante todo o ano. Os quartos são super bem decorados e com tecnologia de ponta. O serviço é impecável. O café da manhã é delicioso e o jantar é simplesmente fantástico – uma das melhores cozinhas de Santorini com preços honestos. E. claro, com aquela piscina de borda infinita que eu busquei tão intensamente.

🇬🇧 We stayed at Kapari Natural Resort, a beautiful 5* small hotel. It’s very well located, with endless sunset views year round. Its rooms are well-appointed and beautifully decorated. The service is impeccable. The breakfast is delicious and the dinner is amazing – one of the best cuisines of Santorini with honest prices. And, of course, that infinite plunge pool that I was seeking so hard.

Cortesias de boas-vindas / Welcome amenities – by The Unique Traveler
Maravilhosa vista no Kapari / Amazing views at Kapari – by The Unique Traveler

🇧🇷 Logo em frente ao nosso hotel fica o belíssimo Astra Suites, um hotel 4* cheio de charme. Eu tentei reservar aqui primeiro, porque era um pouco menos caro que o Kapari (espere preços altos se você realmente fizer questão de ter vista do pôr-do-sol e estar bem localizado, tudo é caro, a não ser que você vá na baixíssima temporada – no inverno deles). A piscina do hotel é realmente fantástica e pelo site vi que os quartos são bacanas. Eles têm uma vista fantástica e preços honestos, então diante disso considero uma bela opção.

🇬🇧 Right in front of our hotel was the beautiful 4* Astra Suites. I tried to book a room here at first, because it was a little less expensive than Kapari (expect to spend some money if you really want to have sunset views and be well located, they are all expensive, unless you go during low season – their winter). The pool is really amazing and from the website the rooms are good too. They have wonderful views and honest prices, so I consider it as a very good option.

Piscina do Grace / Grace’s pool – by The Unique Traveler

🇧🇷 O melhor hotel desta área é o famoso e sofisticado Grace Santorini. É um hotel 5* super exclusivo com serviços de primeira. Eu dei uma olhada nos preços antes de reservar o nosso hotel e posso dizer que é muito mais caro do que eu imaginava. Provavelmente deve valer a pena para aqueles que desejam ficar em alto estilo. A piscina é incrível, toda a estrutura do hotel é muito bonita, incluindo um charmoso restaurante. Eu não entrei em nenhum quarto, mas consegui tirar umas fotos do lado de fora. As vistas aqui também são fantásticas.

🇬🇧 The best hotel of this area is the famous and upscale Grace Santorini. It’s a very exclusive 5* hotel with outstanding services. I checked the prices before I booked our hotel and I can say it’s much more expensive than I thought. But probably worth it for those who want to stay in high style. The pool is superb, the whole building is very beautiful, including a charming restaurant area. It is very close to where I was staying, so the views are fantastic too.

Anoitecer em Imerovigli / Imerovigli by dusk – by The Unique Traveler

🇧🇷 Em Fira, no lado esquerdo da Caldeira, você consegue encontrar alguns hotéis com custo mais acessível, mas não consigo recomendar nenhum porque eu não fiquei lá. É onde fica o Porto, então se pode encontrar inúmeros restaurantes, lojas, alguns bancos, locadoras de carro, salões de beleza. É mais como uma vila comum, mas também tem seu charme. 🇬🇧 In Fira, on the left side of the Caldera, you have some hotels that are easier on your wallet, but I can’t recommend any because I didn’t stay there. It’s where the Port is, so there are lots of shops, restaurants, some banks, rental car places, beauty salons. It’s more like a common village, but beautiful too.

🇧🇷 Se você prefere ficar ao lado da praia – são poucas em Santorini, terá que procurar por algum lugar na parte detrás da ilha, porque na Caldeira, aonde quer que você se hospede, dificilmente terá acesso a praia. 🇬🇧 If you want to stay closer to the beach – there are just a few in Santorini, you should find a place on the back side of the island, cause on Caldera, wherever you are staying, you will hardly have beach access.

Pôr-do-sol em Oia (você consegue enxergar quantas pessoas estão na foto? Sunset in Oia (can you see how many people there are?) – by The Unique Traveler

🇧🇷 Na famosa Oia, você encontrará a maior quantidade de hotéis da ilha, mas esteja ciente de que, dependendo da época do ano (verão), você não terá aquela vista maravilhosa do pôr-do-sol do seu hotel. Isto acontece porque o sol se põe atrás da vila nessa época do ano. Então você terá que ir a um restaurante ou terraço para assistir ao famoso espetáculo do astro rei. Nós tivemos a sorte de conseguir uma mesa perfeita no restaurante do Fanari Villas. Nada demais quanto à comida, mas realmente tivemos uma vista exclusiva.

🇬🇧 In the famous Oia, you have most of the island’s hotels, but be aware that, depending on the time of the year (summer), you won’t have those amazing sunset views from your hotel. This happens cause the sun is setting behind the village at this time. So you will have to go to a restaurant or a terrace to watch the famous sunset. We were so lucky to find a marvelous available table at Fanari Villas restaurant. Nothing in particular about the food, but we definitely had an one-of-a-kind view.

Aproveitando o belo cenário de Oia / Enjoying the amazing view of Oia – Fanari Private Terrace  by The Unique Traveler
Sunset time in Oia – Fanari Private Terrace by The Unique Traveler
Jantar com vista / Dinner with a view – Fanari Private Terrace by The Unique Traveler

🇧🇷 A melhor parte de Oia, na minha opinião, é a charmosa ruela de comércio, cheia de boutiques lindas e sofisticadas. Em Imerovigli não se tem comércio, apenas hotéis e flats, alguns poucos restaurantes (fora os dos hotéis). Dia também oferece inúmeras opções de bares, cafés e restaurantes, então é uma melhor escolha se você é do tipo que prefere manter-se em movimento. Não considero um lugar para relaxar, mas, claro, isso depende muito da época do ano. Provavelmente é bem mais calmo durante a baixa temporada.

🇬🇧 The best part of Oia, for me, is the beautiful shop street, full of charming boutiques. In Imerovigli you don’t have that – just hotels and flats. There you also have many options for restaurants, bars and cafes, so it’s a better choice if you want to keep on moving. Not exactly to relax. But, of course, it depends on the time of the year. It’s probably much quieter during low season.

A principal rua de compras de Oia / Oia’s main shop street – by The Unique Traveler
Bela rua de compras / Beautiful shop street – by The Unique Traveler

🇧🇷 Então, em conclusão, Santorini é uma ilha com muito mais do que apenas um lugar para ficar. Você precisa definir suas prioridades primeiro – Eu quero ficar perto de uma praia ou ter vista do pôr-do-sol do meu quarto? Eu prefiro ter uma piscina com borda infinita e um quarto luxuoso ou ficar num hotel que tenha um bom custo-benefício e preços mais em conta? Depois de decidir esses pontos, será muito mais fácil filtrar a busca e encontrar a opção perfeita.  Eu espero que eu tenha facilitado o seu planejamento ou tenha aguçado ainda mais a sua vontade de conhecer essa lugar paradisíaco.

🇬🇧 So, in conclusion, Santorini is an island with much more than one place to stay. You have to decide your priorities at first – Do I want to stay closer to the beach or do I want to have sunset views from my room? Do I want to have a infinite plunge pool with high-end rooms or do I want a better value for money hotel? After you decide, it will be much easier to filter your search and find the perfect option for you. I hope I was able to help with your planning or, at least, enhance your feelings about this idyllic place.

 

 

Living the Dream in Santorini

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.

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Magical Spots in Santorini

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.

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Wow! Love at First Sight

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.

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Wonderful Imerovigli’s Architecture

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.

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Would I ever get enough of this view?

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.

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Imerovigli at Dusk

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.

Iconic Infinity Pool in Santorini

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

Like a Goddess in Greece

Hello travelers. In this post I will talk about my itinerary in Greece, where I felt like a real Goddess (lol)! Let me explain… that place is a true paradise on earth, we felt like we were in heaven.

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Mykonos Beaches

Jokes aside, I went to Greece about 10 years ago, then they were struck by the crisis and I confess I was a little worried about what we would find there. On the contrary, we were surprised by an incredible country, full of life and joy. Of course, I’m talking about the most famous Greek islands, Mykonos and Santorini, and as touristic places it’s much easier for them to avoid the crisis, but we also went to Athens for a couple of hours and we were amazed as well.

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Marvelous Aegean Sea

We stayed just for a few hours in the capital due to a long flight delay between Split and Athens, which cost us our precious Saturday night, that was supposed to be taken in one of the several trendy rooftops of this historic city. I won’t recommend any cause we weren’t able to try one, but some of our friends who were already there went to some of the bars around our hotel, Coco-Mat Athens  (highly recommended), and they said it was a great experience. In a few hours, we could see that the city is well developed, the roads from the airport to the center are well maintained, everything seems to work perfectly.

Acropolis view from our hotel

So we went back to the airport to take a 40-minutes flight to dreamy Santorini. We would have just about 48 hours there, but I honestly declare they were some of the most amazing hours of my whole life. We were absolutely overwhelmed by the beauty of that incredible island. Fantastic indeed! Even much more beautiful in person than through pictures.

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Astonishing Santorini

In the exclusives posts about Santorini I will tell you everything you should know before you go. We stayed for two nights, that is a good number, but it’s better if you can stay for three nights to enjoy every detail with no hurry.

Greek Classics

Our final destination was Mykonos. Between islands we took a fast ferry boat (2h 30mins trip), an easy way to move around the Greek Islands.

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Charming Mykonos street

Mykonos surprised us so much. We had been to the island before, but this time we were really impressed by their high level services and elegance. Everything works fine, from the beautiful new port to the stylish restaurants, luxurious and charming hotels, not to mention the wonderful famous beach clubs. When you are there, you understand why the European high society heads to the island every summer. In my post about Mykonos (coming soon) I will tell you more about the famous beach clubs and some interesting restaurants and places that we have been too.

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Impressive Beachfront Restaurants in Mykonos – Scorpios
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Greek Classics

Croatia and Greece – Travel Impressions

Versão em português aqui

At the begining of this year we were invited to a wedding in Greece that would take place in September. The travel lover that I am, I soon started to plan the trip. My had was brimming with plans, places and experiences I was imagining.

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Hvar Island

So much planning, so much anticipation, I confess I was worried my expectations were too high and maybe I was fooling myself.  But in fact it was one of the most fantastic trip I’ve ever taken.

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Ocre Buildings in Split

We landed thrilled in Split after a long 24 hours voyage. We awoke to a marvelous sun in one of the most incredible countries in Europe –  that Croatia my mother always dreamed so of getting to know (my parents were with me and my husband in the first part of the trip).

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50 Shades of Blue in Bol, Croatia

We were delighted with olive oil tastings and fresh-harvested oysters. To say nothing of the delicious mussels that took us to heaven. We were amazed by Dubrovnik’s historical charm and a hotel with one of the most beautiful rooms I’ve ever seen in front of a crystal clear sea.

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Amazing Beauty of Dubrovnik

We were enchanted by tiny charming villages on fascinating islands such as Korcula and Hvar (pronunced “huar”). We were stunned by the spectacular geography of Croatia, with crystaline waters and dramatic mountains topped by medieval villages which plunged directly into the sea. we ate like the anciens in an abandoned village – only I could come up with that. It was awesome!

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Korcula Port

So, as if that wasn’t enough, and as if nothing more could amaze us, our jaws dropped upon seeing the beauty of Santorini. Such a paradise! How spectacular! It’s much more enchanting than the pics show. It’s amazing!

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Breathtaking Santorini

So the time for the group to split had come and we were overtaken by nostalgia. We boarded in a ferry to Mykonos, the wedding destination. There is where we joined the program especially organized by the bride and groom, passing through the hottest and most exclusive places we have ever been.

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Beautiful Streets of Mykonos

It had been a long time since our last visit to the island, what surprise us is the city’s high level of excellence – pretty impressive! Places beyond elegant, impeccable service, luminous scenes. To say nothing of the music scene, which is one of the best in the world. Every day a place so spectacular as to make a grown man cry.

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Mykonos Beaches

It was tiring, of course, a marathon. 8 cities in 15 days. We also included a short stopover in Porto – Portugal.  But our hearts came back full of joy, We experienced, possibly, some of the most fantastic days of our lives.