Santorini Sunsets: Fira’s Secluded Serenity, Oia’s Popular Panorama

I met up recently with a friend who pointed out that while talking about all the fun things I did in Greece, I never once mentioned the sunset experience in Santorini.

This is the world-famous sunset in Oia that all bloggers and Instagrammers rave about, but I had neither a photo nor a blog post up on my insta, and neither was I mentioning it when I talked about my Greece trip.

I was brought up with a golden rule by my folks: If you can’t say something good, zip it! But boy, oh boy, looks like I just have to spill about those golden sunsets in Santorini.

The sunsets, oh yes, they were beautiful. But let me tell you, there’s this endless fuss and unbearable crowds that have utterly robbed the magic away. Can you believe it? It’s like witnessing nature’s masterpiece through a scratched and foggy lens. So much for the awe-inspiring experience, right?

We had set two days for the sunsets – one day in Fira and the next in Oia. I had been warned before leaving by all my friends that the crowds would be crazy, and that I would need to go well in advance to assure myself of a prime sunset viewing spot.

So, I took that advice seriously. The very first day we landed in Santorini, we checked into our hotel (strategically located just outside Fira), and climbed up the streets to see the sunset.

Sunset at Fira

Maybe because this was the first sunset we saw, or maybe because there was less crowd, or maybe because our timing was right – for any of those reasons, the sunset at Fira was the better experience.

I loved the walk through the town towards the caldera, which is the sunset point.

I did a really stupid thing in Fira. We walked toward the sunset point, where a restaurant was strategically placed for people to have a drink and eat dinner while watching the sunset. Instead of staying put there, I thought there would be something better further along, and hence, I walked and missed the best sunset point there was 😔.

Still, Fira town was a lovely experience, and I came here again the next day (for my volcano hike). I also swear there’s just something in the light here that makes photos so magical. I don’t think I have ever looked so good in photos.

Funnily, I missed taking good photos of the sunset in Fira. Mostly because I was so awed by how pretty everything was. I was just gaping and taking it all in, and then suddenly, the sun was down, and I had missed my opportunity.

Moving away from the crowd, I did manage to get this shot of Fira town bathed in the sunlight, which reminds me why I liked it so much. While being incredibly tourist-friendly, it’s not a perfect town, with everything color-coordinated like Mykonos (where I had just come from). While it’s obvious that most of these buildings are restaurants and Airbnbs, it still didn’t feel as commercialized as Mykonos.

Sunset in Oia

After the pleasant sunset in Fira (sure, I had missed capturing the sunset but that was my mistake, not the fault of the sunset itself), I had extremely high hopes of Oia.

We planned a whole day of sightseeing, and then I thought we would time our arrival at Oia to ensure we got ourselves to the right spots.

To our absolute shock and horror, the crowds at Oia were beyond anything we had imagined. Every inch of the ramparts was occupied. It seems people gather here from mid-afternoon itself. Just seeing the sunset from Oia, is a one-day affair. And I suggest hanging around Oia from mid-morning to get the best vantage points!

The atmosphere in Oia was overwhelming. The restaurants and bars along the caldera were filled to the brim, mostly with patrons who had indulged in drinks throughout the afternoon. Amidst the bustling crowd, a woman, who seemed to have had one drink too many, stumbled out of a bar to capture some memories. She stumbled and fell, making a loud thud as her head hit the ground. The incident left me in shock! I helped her up, and she seemed all right, but the sound was alarming enough to make me worry about the possibility of head injuries.

By the time I reached the coveted sunset spot, I was thwarted by an army of amorous couples engaged in passionate smooches, photographers armed with tripods and cameras, lovebirds getting down on one knee in romantic proposals, and fashion-conscious women engaging in elaborate Instagram and blog photoshoots. And there I was, a pint-sized photographer, desperately stretching my arm out toward the sky, struggling to capture a few shots of the elusive sunset. It was a comical sight indeed!

Eventually, with sheer serendipity as my guide, I instinctively raised my hand and pressed the shutter, hoping to immortalize that elusive essence. Although I couldn’t witness the magic unfolding through my eyes, I embraced the thrilling uncertainty of taking photos blindly, hoping to capture something of that beauty.

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I stumbled back into the hotel and caught a glimpse of my shots. They weren’t half bad, considering I was as far away from Santorini’s legendary domes. But hey, at least I captured the essence of the experience, or so I hope! And guess what? No photobombers! No floating heads or creepy hands ruining the masterpiece! Victory!

The sunset itself is absolutely fantastic! And if I had an extra day in Santorini, I might just have spent the entire day day-drinking at the strategically placed restaurants waiting for the sun to set.

I blindly took photos wherever I saw a spot without any people. The place is so pretty! I can understand why it is such a hot, tourist spot, but even in mid-May, the crowds are horrific. After we returned home, I saw in the papers that 2023 was an epic year for tourism in Greece, and I can believe that!

Random photos of the town taken wherever I could spot a place without people

All said and done, I loved Santorini. It has a great vibe. The island is unbelievably pretty, and I think the sunsets are beautiful from wherever you see them – you don’t have to specifically be in Oia. Try Fira, or anywhere along the road from Fira to Oia, there are plenty of quiet places to enjoy the sunset without any elbowing or jostling.

Have you been to Greece? What were your experiences of the sunsets in Santorini?