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Santorini, the most famous Greek island is definitely a vacation of a life-time. Given its fame however, most people kind of plan as they go while there, because hey, there probably are a million things to do and no real reason to plan, right? Well, unfortunately wrong! Depending on the season you visit, Santorini can have so many tourists that if you don’t plan ahead you might end up spending a dreadful night stuck between camera flashes and obnoxious tourists. Or better-worse, you might not find availability for the restaurant, tour, or beach you would like to visit.
But don’t despair guys- you don’t have to necessarily go in shoulder months like May or September! I went in super high season (the first week of August) and I’m here to say that there are still unbelievable things to do as long as you plan ahead. Trust me, there are many ways to avoid crowds in Santorini and still lock in a fabulous greek island vacation.
So before getting in to the nitty gritty of what to do to escape tourists and how to avoid crowds in Santorni, I feel like it’s important to mention something that is important for those most-instagrammed places…. that is, setting reasonable expectations.
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What To Expect From A Trip To Santorini
Don’t get me wrong guys, our Santorini vacation was an absolute dream, but I feel like when we have been bombarded on social networks with pictures over and over again, we might come to expect our vacation to be the real-life version of that picture… and sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn’t, what’s important is to arrive prepared.
I mean remember guys when I went to Paris and thought I would live some sort of artistic rebirth and traipse the little alleys with a croissant in hand and basically live my version of a Midnight in Paris? Well that’s what I mean, it was still great but if I had known what to expect before-hand I wouldn’t have felt in some way let down. So…
Santorini And Tourist Overcrowding
If you think that you are going to get that beautiful picture with a blue dome… well, unless you are doing a private photo tour, or getting up early (like before 7 at least), you are either going to have five hundred million other people in the picture or you’re going to have to wait in quite a bit of a “line” to get your turn to take the pic. To some people that might be no problem, to me, (Mrs. I hate people), it was super frustrating and I kind of felt like a sheep in a flock of millions that were all trying to do the same thing.
Again, this doesn’t mean that your experience will be terrible! You can fix this. You can either opt to go at uncommon times like the early morning or you can book a restaurant with a caldera view way ahead of time and enjoy the view from your seat instead of fighting, and honestly it truly is elbowing, your way through the Santorini crowds of the narrow streets.
Don’t Go To Santorini For The Beaches
Santorini is not the island to expect those crystal turquoise waters and amazing secluded beaches. If that’s what you’re looking for head over to Milos (my absolute favorite island, I swear I would move there) or Ios. Santorini like many of the other islands in the Cyclades is volcanic and as such has beaches that have red or black sand. (They are quite unique however, I mean have you ever been to a Black or Red Beach??) Keep in mind that ALL beaches are away from the Caldera so expect a completely different scenery.
Given the fact that the core of the island completely collapsed and sunk to the bottom of the ocean creating a crater (which is called caldera) the water is extremely deep and so you don’t really get that experience of “seeing the bottom.” However in sitting on a volcano you can hike up the volcano and visit some hot springs via tour (just make sure you wear a bathing suit that can get ruined!).
Santorini is the ultimate island for those spectacular views. Oia and Fira are all right on the precipice of a cliff overlooking the caldera. You get a view of the terraced blue domes and charming colored houses all dotting the cliff-side- a true post-card view!
Where to Stay in Santorini – Can You Afford Luxury?
Although things are slightly changing with Air Bnb, if you want to stay in one of those caldera suites or guesthouses complete with spectacular view and personal cave or infinity pool you should be prepared to fork over significant cash. BUT, there is a but!!!! You can still have this type of accommodation in other areas of the island… you just won’t be right over the caldera. We stayed in Akrotiri at Akrotiri Hotel and although we opted out of the pool, we had the beach accessible right from our little terrace- and guess what?! It was actually quiet with no tourist hustle and bustle! In fact this area is FULL of infinity pool hotels and suites.
Visiting Santorini By Cruise Ship – Don’t Do It!
If your whole plan is to escape the crowds the worst thing that you could do is decide to see Santorini as a stop on a cruise. I have nothing against cruises, (sorry cruises!), but the island is just not ideal for pit-stops. First of all, to get from the port to those amazing postcard views it will take a while. The roads are steep and only one lane; and if you decide to walk, the incline is rather gnarly and I don’t recommend it. Most of your 7 hours will be spent trying to get places and given the sheer number of passengers and the extremely narrow streets I guarantee you will be engulfed in an ocean of chaos and heat.
The crowding that cruise ships cause is so bad that most people plan their days around departures and arrivals so as to avoid traffic! You definitely don’t want to be near the port at these times – definitely a place to avoid in Santorini!
So now that you know what to expect, how can you plan your trip so that you can experience all the wonders the island has to offer without the stress of all those tourists and cruise ships? You just have to plan, be smart, and be ready to switch things up. The great thing is that I’ve already done it for you!
So look no further, if you want to guarantee yourself a time to remember read on for tips on how to avoid crowds in Santorini.
How To Avoid Crowds In Santorini: 5 Dos and Don’ts
1. Where are the Good Uncrowded Sunset Views in Santorini?
DON’T: see it in Oia or Fira
DO: see it at the Akrotiri Lighthouse
The most talked about thing to do in Santorini is to watch the Sunset in Fira or Oia. Well I did that guys and I wasn’t able to enjoy it because I had people all around me running in to me with their selfie sticks and it was just not a pretty sight.
What we did instead was head our way to the Lighthouse at the extreme southern end of the island in Akrotiri. This place is not very popular, perhaps because it’s further away from the island’s core, but I think the sunset was even better here. Much more romantic (it’s maybe more for couples) we arrived with a bottle of wine and found a spot on the cliffside rocks to picnic and cheer our glasses to the most breathtaking sunset view. We loved it and the experience felt a lot more intimate.
If you absolutely need an Oia Sunset View I suggest reserving a table at a restaurant with a caldera view. That way you will have an unobstructed view right from the comfort of your seat.
2. Where Can you Eat Traditional/Authentic Food in Santorini?
DON’T: eat in Fira or Oia
DO: eat in Amoudi Bay
I found the food in Fira to be overpriced and not as authentic as the food in Amoudi Bay. Perhaps because you’re probably paying more for the caldera views in Fira, honestly Amoudi Bay has some pretty spectacular views as well— in most taverns you are literally sitting right next to the water.
We dined at a couple places, but our favorite was Amoudi Taverna where you get to see them grill the octopus and fish right in front of you. Fishermen come and go bringing their latest catch from the bay- it’s all fresh and exquisite and… so Greek!
CLIFF-DIVING: Amoudi Bay is also great for after lunch cliff-diving lol. Just past the restaurants you follow on a path where eventually you reach some rocks. If you swim out, there is a platform you can dive from. Beware guys, it is hiiiiiiiigh- it took me like 30 minutes to convince myself to do it!
3. Wine-tasting – Yes or No and Which Vineyard?
YES! Santorini is known for its wine! Definitely go wine-tasting. When we arrived on the island a local actually asked us if we could see all of the vineyards around the island and actually for the life-of-us we could NOT find them. The reason being is because grapes in Santorini are not planted in the traditional way- the grapes are actually grown right on the ground in little “nest-like” conformations so as to be protected by the strong winds.
There are plenty of wineries you can visit each with different types of experiences or for different budget levels. Santo Wines and Venetsanos are amazing for the views you get right on the caldera, while at Vassaltis vineyards you can have a more intimate experience. If you want to get a little of each, the best way is via a wine tour with pick-up service included.
*TIP*: check the wind conditions for the day as we went to Santo Wines on a very windy day and were struggling with sand in our eyes the entire time!
**GETTING AROUND SANTORINI -BONUS TIP!: Remember that Santorini is the largest island of all the Cyclades. If you really want to be independent on your travels and not have to worry about parking, ATVs are the way to go! We rented ours at Santorini Bike Rentals for about 30 euro a day and had pick up service right at the docks. Although this might sound trivial, dock pick-up actually goes a long way in helping you save time and money! For more essential tips on traveling to the Greek Islands check out my post 18 Brilliant Travel Tips for Island-Hopping in Greece.
4. How to Avoid Crowds in Santorini in the Evening- Unique Night Activities
DON’T: go bar-hopping in Fira or Oia
DO: go to the Open Air Cinema in Kamari
One of the things I loved most while we were in Santorini was our night at the movies. We actually went to see Mammamia 2 so I was in super Greek mode and it was just fantastic! It was a perfect summer evening and the cinema was run impeccably- you could order drinks or snacks. It really was rather romantic but it’s also perfect for families as well looking to do something unique but kid-friendly.
5. Uncrowded and Unique Day Activities – Fun Things to Do in Santorini!
DON’T: ride the donkeys
DO: have fun exploring the southern portion of the island via ATV and head up to highest point on the island for panoramic views
Since Santorini is basically one huge cliff-side, lots of people like the idea of riding a donkey up or down the difficult paths. Well one thing, if you don’t want to smell like a donkey the rest of the day you really don’t want to do this. Second, I can’t attest for how they are kept, but usually the temperatures are scorching and the poor donkeys just look exhausted. This definitely qualifies in my book as what not to do in Santorini.
If you really want something fun, adventurous, and unique to do, the southern part of the island is full of unexplored dirt roads where no one ventures (probably because the roads don’t really lead anywhere)- definitely off-the-beaten-path! We had so much fun skidding along the sand in these tunnel-like roads.
We ventured up to the Monastery of Profitis Ilias to get a spectacular view of the western side of the island (the non-caldera beach side). From this point there are many different trails that head down directly to Perissa Beach. We really wanted to actually hike down but we didn’t expect to find trails and unfortunately it was too late!
* Santorini Cultural Must-See: For a more cultural experience, really close by you can visit Ancient Akrotiri. This is an archaeological site where you can see the preserved ancient town of Akrotiri (buried by ash during the volcanic eruption of Thera in 200 B.C.) Much like Pompeii, this is an experience not to miss!
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