I’ve always avoided Santorini. I thought it was too cool a destination. It didn’t seem suitable for simple travelers. “Backpackers” like me wouldn’t fit in…
This year, a series of coincidences led my Canon Eos 90 and me to this truly spectacular little island.

It is certainly not a cheap destination. Try to avoid rush hours. Stay away from too crowded areas. Then, you will manage to enjoy all the best of the island. You can also discover divine villages mostly ignored by the large masses of tourists.

My travel style

As a good apprentice photographer, I learned an important tip for taking peaceful photos in crowded places like Santorini. Set the alarm clock very early in the morning. If you don’t, you risk being crushed among the crowds. You’ll end up with photos full of tourists rather than beautiful landscapes at the end of the trip.
The advantages are also others:

1. In the morning there is no traffic and, wherever you are, you can reach any place in less time.
2. You discover some bakeries and pastry shops where you can eat something after returning from the photographic tour (I always went back to sleep a couple of hours before the real breakfast at the hotel)
3. In the villages of Santorini, you walk in the cool of the morning. You walk more willingly and longer, leading to more photos.
4. Parking is easier to find early in the morning.

Oia

Emporio

In any case, I noticed that, despite everything, there are small and beautiful villages. Mass tourism does not pass there at all or almost.
Everyone flocks to the classic Oia, Fira and the areas where you can admire the sunset but in Emporio, for example, it is rare to meet someone around…
…yet there is so much beauty to feast your eyes on…

Imerovigli

Even in Imerovigli you need a good morning wake-up call, or you risk finding large crowds when you arrive.
Here I noticed that already around 7 in the morning, couples with photographers arrive for photo shoots. Above all, dozens of photo agencies come with girls dressed in fluttering and colorful clothes.
This is the landscape. Obviously, photographers try to exploit it. The tourist range is quite high.

Pyrgos

Pyrgos is another corner of wonder in Santorini.
I started to pack all the bag with camera and lenses into the rental car. The guy from the rental car promptly told me to come to Pyrgos.
… and he was not wrong!
It is a divine white village with lots of people around without it being too busy with tourists.
You can take pictures in peace. Stop in a few bars and wander through the narrow streets. You won’t suffer too much from the heat, thanks to the shade that is almost everywhere.

Akrotiri

Akrotiri hosted me throughout my trip to Santorini.
If I have to be honest, it’s a nice place to stay. It’s away from the crowds. It’s close to some nice beaches. At the same time, it’s in a nice village where you can find everything you need.
It’s just a pity that many new hotels and buildings are arriving in the area. Towards sunset, the whole surrounding area is crowded with cars and quads.
But the village and its historical part stay quite peaceful.

Perissa

Perissa was a hit and run one morning at dawn. There was just enough time to see the sun rise from the sea. We also took a stroll between the beach and the small village.
It is a town that develops along the seafront so don’t expect the classic white village perched on the hill.
Still, there are some typical bell towers.

Monolithos

Monolithos, on the other hand, has a story all to itself. I arrived here because it was close to the airport and I wanted to see the sea right away.
Then I went back to change the rental car because the first one was having problems.
Finally came back to see the sunrise one morning.
It is quite far from Akrotiri ( where I was staying), but it was worth it.
From the small port you can admire the waves and the sun slowly leaving the sea on the horizon.
A beautiful sunrise if you feel like an early riser when on vacation.
…and then it’s priceless to stop at the baker’s for breakfast. Along the way, I enjoy a meal and go back to sleep for two or three hours. I rest in the hotel, in the swimming pool, or at the beach if it’s very late.

Fira

I went to fira on the first morning.
I have to admit that the mess that was going on after the night really baffled me.
I was very struck by the phrase of a girl I met in Santorini. I had told her about the open-air rubbish bin left by tourists. She explained that tourists do things here they wouldn’t do in their own country.
I also saw lines of donkeys carrying bags of rubbish. They moved up and down the steep stairways of Fira. These donkeys collected rubbish from hotels, bars and restaurants.
The donkeys do a very hard job. Humans would not be capable of doing it. Modern machinery would cost too much for any local entrepreneur.

But besides this, Fira has many beautiful views to admire, many corners to discover and lots to photograph.
Given what has been written above, it should be visited in the very low season. During this time, there is no mass tourism. You can choose places and areas to see.
Unless you love nightlife and enjoy big crowds. If so, this is the right destination for you.