Santorini is an island in the southern Aegean Sea that is about 200 km (120 mi) southeast of Greece’s mainland. The sea view of Santorini when approaching the island from the water is a special site. Sailing on the clear turquoise water gazing at the crescent shaped island with its hillsides covered by whitewashed cliff-top towns that are dotted sky-blue domes means that you could be nowhere else but Santorini.

Whitewash buildings

There is an overwhelming theme of white washed buildings throughout the island with an occasional light beige building mixed in. At first sight it seems to be odd but the uniformity of the whitewashed buildings really makes a statement that says “this is Santorini”.

Sapphire waters

One of the top experiences of being in Santorini is the scenic views of the sapphire waters from almost anywhere on the island. Driving around the island gives expansive views of the island and the beautiful water in the background and many restaurants have beautiful ocean views from your table as you eat and have drinks.

Churches

One of the most noticeable features on Santorini are the number of churches throughout the island. From a distances the churches can be seen by their iconic blue domes dotting the towns and when walking through the towns of Fria and Oia it seems like there is a church on almost every block.

My favorite photos of the blue domes are the following three photos.

Windmills

Windmills are famous on the Greek island of Mykonos but they can also be seen in Santorini. These windmills are a symbol of the Greek islands and the windmills are essentially the same as those seen in Mykonos.

Cobblestone alleyways

Walking through the towns of Fria and Oia on the cobblestone streets made for a pleasant experience as almost all of the walls were kept up with fresh paint and many of the alleyways were decorated with flowering plants. The overall experience gave me the feeling that not much has changed from the time that these houses were built.

Some places that I travel to just seem to have perfect photographic settings. As I walked through the alleyways of Santorini there were several spot that I thought made for perfect photos that really captured the spirit if Santorini. Four of these are shown below.

Donkeys

Donkeys were a traditional mode of transportation on Santorini and they can still be seen in place on the island so don’t be surprised if you see a donkey on the side of the street.

Beaches

I think that is goes without saying that islands in the Mediterranean have nice beaches so it would be impossible to have a post about images of Santorini without including some photos of a beach. The photos below are of Kamari Beach. Many of the beaches have lounge chairs to lay out and enjoy being at the beach but there are lots of water activities and it is also nice to go to an ocean side restaurant and enjoy some fresh seafood or relax and have a drink with a spectacular view.

Sunsets

Sunsets in Santorini are spectacular! So much so that near the end of the day, crowds gather at the high points of the city and on their patios to watch the sun disappear below the horizon. Then just as the last edge of the sun vanishes from view all of the people break into an applause seemingly thanking the sun for providing such a beautiful show.

The Dust on My Shoes

Santorini is a great place to take a vacation if you want to relax, lay out and eat wonderful Greek food. The island is very picturesque, the water is beautiful and the food is exceptional.

Don’t miss out on the sunsets!

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