Santorini – The best sunset

I have heard so much about how gorgeous Santorini is and that it has one of the best sunset view in the world. I must confess that before my trip, I was a little skeptical about all the hype. After-all, I am not a “resort traveller” and having to spend a few days on the island just chilling may make me bored. But since I am going to be in Greece anyway, I just thought I will just check off the box to visit Santorini and this beautiful island won my heart.

I love the iconic views of clifftop villages overlooking the Aegean sea, the unique black and red beaches, and relaxing on my hotel balcony soaking up the caldera views while watching the beautiful sunset. The vibe of the little island is just amazing and I can see why it is such a popular travel destination. Whether you are a beach goer, or a wine lover, or love fun packed activities, or want to roam around the different little towns, or looking for a packed sightseeing itinerary, the different towns/areas in Santorini will meet your needs.

FIRA

If you are getting to Santorini via cruise ship, this is where you will dock. Fire is the main city of Santorini and it is where you will find majority of the hotels, night life, shopping and services. Perched on a high cliff, Fira is busier than Oia and offers spectacular views. Fira’s old port (Gialos) lies below the main town and can be reached by 587 steps, cable car or the famous Santorini donkey.

OIA

Beautiful Oia is Santorini’s picture-perfect spot and the most popular place to stay. This is the best location to watch the famous Santorini sunset. The charming little town with its white/pastel houses, blue domed churches, windmills and narrow streets are Instagram worthy. Make sure you head to the panoramic views points such as the Castle of St Nicholas and the blue-domed churches, the Oia castle for the best view of the sunset. Accommodation in Oia tends to be more expensive than the rest but I will strongly recommend staying here as this little town and its amazing sunset views is beautiful. Also, this will be the most convenient place to stay if you just want to chill and relax and enjoy the “classic Santorini view”.

PYRGOS

Pyros used to be the capital of Santorini and is now surrounded by vineyards and wineries such as Santo Wines. Pyrgos is Santorini’s highest point with Venetian Kasteli Castle offering fantastic parabolic view of the island. Other than Oia, this place also offers great view of the beautiful sunset away from the Oia crowd. For wine lovers, it is worth making a short trip here to have lunch or dinner at one of the vineyards.

AKROTIRI

Santorini’s unique black sand beach came about due to a volcanic eruption around 1600 BC. Known as Santorini’s Pompeii, Akrotiri was once a prosperous port city and the excavation site today dug out many artefacts of those times and gives a fascinating insight into what life was like before the tragic event. If you love sightseeing and history, the black sand beach and the Akrotiri Museum which house the excavation site are good places to visit.

PERISSA

For beach resort lover, head to Perissa, a seaside town on the southeast coast of Santorini. Similar to Akrotiri, you will find black sand beach here, beautifully contrasting with the clear blue sea water. From Perissa you can also visit the ruins of Ancient Thera on the top of Mesa Vouno Mountain. This site contains buildings from the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods.

RED BEACH

Other than black beaches, Santorini is home to the red beach, a rare sight in the world. The red sand and the surrounding red cliffs came due to volcanic activity. You can swim in the crystalline blue waters at this beach. Nearby to the Red Beach, there’s also a White Beach which is another stunning site to visit.

Tips:

1. You can reach Santorini either via cruise or by plane. The airport is a short ride to Fira and Oia (2 of the most popular towns to stay). Most cruise ships will disembark at Fira where you will either need to climb up the hundreds of steps to Fira or take a donkey or cable car ride up.

2. Best time to visit: Though you can visit Santorini throughout the year, do note that it can be rainy in winter and early spring and many shops may choose to be closed till the Easter break. The summer and early autumn months from June to September offer the best weather but also the busiest and most expensive period to visit. The shoulder period (late April, May, October and early November) are great to visit with lesser crowd, mostly good weather and much cheaper price.

3. Where can you get the best sunset view? Fira, Oia and many other places in Santorini offer spectacular sunset view but I must say that Oia’s view is the best given the facing. It is no wonder that most tours will take you to Oia to view the sunset.

4. Do book a nice cave hotel to stay. Fira will be the most convenient place to stay with all the amenities. My personal preference which I will strongly recommend is to stay in one of the cave hotels in Oia that offers private balcony with nice sunset view (near the Oia castle) so that you can enjoy the beautiful sunset from the luxury of your balcony instead of fighting for a good spot with the crowd. Below is the photo from my cave hotel private balcony with my own jacuzzi.

5. There are quite some sites to explore in Santorini other than Fira and Oia so do venture out. The island is beautiful so don’t miss exploring.

6. If you like sightseeing, I will recommend combining Akrotiri, Perissa and Red Beach in a day trip and even add in a visit to Pyrgos in the evening for dinner.