Name: Santorini: Magical Island or Overcrowded Nightmare?
Uploaded: 2024-11-26T21:01:20.000Z
Duration: 5 min 38 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

These are the Instagram images you see of the Greek island Santorini.

Beautiful blue dome churches, the amazing red beach and white buildings with a beautiful sunset.

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This volcanic island with its charming villages perched high on the cliffs is one of the country's top tourist destinations.

We're going to check out three spots to see if they live up to reality.

Our first reality check is in the town of Fira, the island's tourist hub and capital.

It's the heart of action on the island with an active nightlife scene, restaurants and plenty of stunning views.

The city is located two to three hundred meters above sea level and its buildings seem to hang off of the caldera, which formed during volcanic activity many centuries ago.

In the upper parts of the city you'll also find the famous Three Bells Church of Firostefani with its typical blue dome.

People come here from all over the world.

I come from Peru, Miami, Florida, United States, Pennsylvania, Sicilia.

So is Fira as amazing as it looks on social media?

Basically it's a lot of tourists and we came from Mykonos where it is quiet and this is a different setting than it is.

I try to take pictures and it doesn't look the same, like you have to see it in person.

Well, you can't leave Santorini without visiting Fira, but be prepared to wait in line for some of the best photo opportunities.

Or explore early in the morning before the cruise ship passengers arrive.

Our next stop is the popular Red Beach in the south of the island.

This is arguably the most famous and beautiful beach in Santorini thanks to its stunning red cliffs.

The island's volcanic activity is responsible for its multicolored sands like this deep red hue.

However, it's actually forbidden to access this beach since it can be dangerous.

Landslides are frequent here and people do get injured when rocks fall from the high cliffs, although many people ignore the warnings.

Instead, we recommend taking a picture from this vantage point or by taking a boat or kayak tour since most of them stop here.

So, does the Red Beach live up to its image on social media?

Yes, it looks absolutely amazing, especially from afar.

However, be aware that you're taking a risk if you decide to lay here.

Our final stop is the fishing village of Oia, the most popular Instagram spot on the island and maybe in Europe.

You've definitely seen people posing in front of its blue-domed churches and other impressive whitewashed buildings.

Instagram has helped transform this town into a full-blown tourism hotspot in the last decade.

The most popular photo spots are the Anastasi Church and the Church of Panaia Platzani, but beware, it can be chaotic.

In high season, you will probably have to wait in line for a photo in front of one of the famous churches.

Kostas Sakavaris has been a tour guide on the island for decades.

Social media has started defining the way we perceive or what we desire during our travels.

And people are in the chase of the perfect shot, to find themselves within it.

And they want to also confirm with the way they travel what they have already seen themselves in the social media.

And be aware that it's illegal to step on private property, so be sure to observe no trespassing signs.

Each day, hundreds of people come here to watch the sunset over the terraced buildings of Oia.

But if you come in high season, it's easy to be overwhelmed by the crowds.

Most popular sunset in the world, I think.

It did, and it didn't live up to my expectations.

I thought the sunset itself was beautiful, and the view of the town with the flowers and the Greek flag was blowing in the perfect direction.

But honestly, it was pretty crowded, and I had to really kind of like elbow my way through the crowd.

But I think for my rest of this day in Greece, I'm going to try to find a more quiet spot for the sunset.

So, does it live up to its Instagram image?

Although it looks pretty in real life, one thing you don't see in the photos are the hundreds of other people crowding the village's small streets at sunset.

So if you want the perfect shot, just be aware that there's more happening than what you see in the frame.

 Santorini is a beautiful island, but if you want to see the main sights, either go in the off-season or be prepared for the crowds.

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Santorini: Magical Island or Overcrowded Nightmare?

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