Find the blue domes of Oia
Oia’s Famouse three Blue Domes
It’s the iconic postcard shot of the island. If you only have a limited time you may not be able to find the spot to take a photo of the famous blue domes. As you walk along the main marble streets of Oia back from the castle, look for a ritzy looking jewellery store on the main street.
The Three Bells of Fira
Blue dome and three bells of Fira
Just up the stairs from Mama Thira’s house in the town of Fira, you will find this beautiful blue dome overlooking the Caldera. We searched all over for these three bells and it wasn’t until our second last evening on the island that we finally found it. So make your way to Mama Thira and walk up to the top of the cliff. You’ll come to a parking lot. Look over and there’s the dome.
Blue Hour from the Castle of Oia
While everyone watches sunset, we turned out cameras to the city
Every night at sunset crowds form at Oia Castle to watch the sun go down. It’s a bit of a zoo and not the romantic experience one would hope for. But if you wait a bit and go to the castle after you’ve taken your photos at the domes, you can capture this magnificent view of the town of Oia lit up at blue hour showcasing the windmill. Don’t look out towards the sun, instead look back at the city.
Sunset from Imerovigli
If you really have your heart set on a sunset over the caldera, (which you should) take that shot from Imervogili. There are no crowds and it is just as beautiful if not more than from the church. To us, crowds take away from the experience. Sunsets should be enjoyed in silence and this was a quiet private sunset with just the two of us sitting on a rooftop.
Infinity pools Oia
Infinity Pool, view from Oia
When walking through the streets of Oia, you’ll see infinity pools dot the cliffside from luxury suites. It’s worth splurging for an evening or two to stay at one of these suites. They are truly a slice of heaven. We stayed at the incredible Andronis Luxury Suites and their views were second to none. It was an outstanding hotel right in the heart of Oia, but it had a quiet and peaceful feeling that you were away from all the hustle and bustle.
We’ve had a lot of people in social media ask us about this pool. To check out rates for the Andronis Luxury Suites here.
Cross and Oia
Rooftops of Santorini
If you walk a little farther East from the three domes, you’ll find this rooftop in Oia. It makes for a great vantage point for sunset and you can capture the sun going down over the city. The cross adds nice foreground interest to the photo.
The Caldera from Imerovigli
Caldera View Imerovigli
Between the towns of Oia and Fira is a beautiful town known as Imerovigli. We stayed here for two nights at the Iconic Santorini and it was heaven. Forget sunsets at the castle, Imerovigli is the place to watch the sun go down over the Calderra. It is a half hour walk from Imerovigli to Fira or you can take the coastal walk for three hours to Oia. Or you can drive to either. Parking is cheap and often free.
7. Sunrise in Imerovigli
Everyone always talks about the sunsets in Santorini, but the sunrises are pretty special too. And the place to capture them is from the town of Imerovigli because as you look back you capture the high sea cliffs as well as the town and neighbouring city Firostefani.
8. The Historic tour boats
Historic tour boats coming in for the evening
Each night we would watch historic tour boats that looked like old Junk Boats leave for a sunset cruise. We caught this shot by walking down a hotel’s stairs in Oia as they came in from their afternoon tour just before heading out again for sunset. You have to capture a shot of these, they’re a staple of the island.This is a popular spot to photograph the caldera and it is along the main path of town.
See Santorini from Below
High cliffs of Santorini
If you can, try to go on a sailing trip of your own. It’s much more intimate than the large party boats and you have the opportunity to see Santorini from the sea. The cliffs are higher and more dramatic that you realize from below and the white cities can be seen like icing on a layer cake spread out over the high sea cliffs.
Perrisa
Blue Domes at Perissa, Near Black Beach
Oia, Fira and Imerovigli aren’t the only place to capture photos of the blue domed churches of the island. This one was taken in Perissa which is known more for its Black Beach. We drove to the South Side of the Island often to explore the quieter nooks. Perissa isn’t exactly a quiet spot as it’s the premiere beach on the island, but in October, it’s winding down for the season. Beach bars and cafés line the sand filled with beach chairs, but when we turned around we saw this blue dome. I think it is just as impressive as the others on the island, don’t you?
Black Beach
Horsing around on Black Beach
That’s not to say we didn’t enjoy the Black Beach. You should definitely spend a day here. The water is warm and secluded, the sand is hot, there are a lot of options for food and drink and a chair rental costs €5 a day. Regular busses take tourists from Fira to Black Beach all day long.
Red Beach
Walking along the pathway to Red Beach
When visiting Santorini, you must make sure you rent a car. They’re cheap and it makes life so much easier to get around. We drove all over the place and had the freedom to come and go as we please. When driving along the coast on the west side of the island from Fira, follow the signs to Akrotiri. Take that left turn but drive past Akrotiri. You’ll come to a parking lot at a church. From here you walk along a rocky path to the beautiful red beach. It used to be a quiet haven, but now it’s quite busy. However, it’s worth the stop for a striking photograph.
Take a Sunset Cruise
Sailing at Sunset in Santorini
You won’t get photos like this from land. You need to be out on the water at sunset. When all the boats start coming in, have your camera ready to snap shots. You’ll find that you’ll be side by side with many sailboats and you’ll easily be able to capture that classic shot. A trip to Santorini isn’t complete without a trip out to sea.
Hotels
A walkway to one of the cave hotels
Don’t be afraid to explore a little. The hotels may be private, but if they don’t have a gate across them, it doesn’t mean you can’t venture down for a view. Now to enter the pool areas or private balconies without asking is a big no no, but to walk down their steep steps for a closer view doesn’t hurt. We enjoyed just strolling to unknown places taking us to dead ends in paradise.
Calderra
Cruise Ships Leaving Santoroini
Let’s face it, Santorini is a cruise ship mecca. We heard that during the summer months, up to 8 cruise ships can be anchored in the Caldera. We found two to be quite enough for our liking and to watch them leave the island was like a breath of fresh air. When the ships are in, it’s over run with people. It’s crowded, stifling and difficult to look at anything. But once they leave, it’s paradise and that is why you should stay on Santorini as opposed to cruising. But, it is one beautiful view isn’t it?
Beautiful Pastels
Beautiful pastels
At sunset walk along the pathways of Imerovigli towards Oia. When you pass yet another church with a blue dome on an outcropping, you’ll see that the city continues and this makes for a beautiful view showing of the pastel colours of the buildings. Most hotels are painted white and blue in Santorini, but here, they have adopted the pastels and at sunset it’s gorgeous.
Explore the Back Streets of Pygros and
Back streets of Pygros, a quieter side of the island
By having a rental car on hand, we had the opportunity to explore other cities rather than the very beaten path. We found Pygros to be a charming ancient town and we had the streets to ourselves. Located high on a hill, you can see a lot of the island from Pygros. Yes, there are blue domes to be photographed. But it was the back streets that caught our attention. They haven’t been painted or completely renovated like the other towns, this town feels like it is old and hasn’t changed…yet.
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