Think of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fran, Gaudí’s Sagrada Família in Barcelona, or the Taj Mahal in India– all those architectural marvels so iconic they quickly stand in for their home cities. Can you even imagine going to and not having the ability to find them?
Yet that’s exactly the grand puzzle of Santorini: our popular blue domes in Santorini are shockingly hard to determine! They’re on every guidebook cover, behind every honeymoon selfie, and even printed on Greek yogurt tubs in supermarkets countless miles away– so why do we residents insist on concealing them from you?
Here’s the thing we’re afraid to tell you: taking a half-decent photograph at that world-famous visual is something straight from Mission Impossible 99 or, if you like, Homer’s Odyssey. They sit behind mazes of alleys, stuffed into crevices in between hotels, or atop personal balconies. And when you do identify them, you’re basically guaranteed to elbow thirty other tourists who had the very same bright concept. If it’s not the other tourists, then it’s the professional photoshoots– or just the weather working versus you, such as those dreaded low- and shoulder-season squalls.
The trick, as I discovered the tough method throughout my years as a local tourist guide, is timing. The rule of thumb being: the more popular the dome, the earlier you have to wake up.
So, here’s my guide to finding the famous blue domes in Santorini.
Here’s a photo:
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→ Catch the ideal photo at Firostefani’s Blue Domed Church, among Santorini’s many identifiable landmarks.
→ Walk through Oia’s lovely streets, with its whitewashed houses, caldera views, and extraordinary environment.
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Once again! Oia is the one, the big drama queen teetering on the edge in between a beautiful dream and an overcrowded problem. The twin domes in the 19th-century heart of the village have actually undoubtedly launched a thousand ships, and reserved simply as numerous flights. And they are glamorous even to a jet-lagged visitor– but they can also ruin your whole vacation if you come at the incorrect minute. Rookie mistake number one: arrive minutes before the sundown the first time
around, camera and group primed and ready. Beautiful radiance? Sure, if you’re fine taking a fast breeze over the railing and then continuing your way. However you would be cast totally in the shadow, not to discuss the sun setting behind the buildings, totally out of your view. The skyline was wonderful, naturally, however that’s when it occurred to me: Oia’s main domes are not for sundown. Believe after daybreak however before the crowds(about in between 7 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. in summertime), when light gathers from the east and colors the town pale gold. Or, if mornings aren’t your thing, 2 hours before sundown( June to September timing)– prior to the “gold “rush image hunt starts. What about the shoulder/low season, then, you might ask? Well, you’re in luck– March to April and October are a lot less high-stakes.
The early morning and pre-sunset rule still uses, however you’re on a much”looser”schedule there. 9 a.m. or one hour before sunset is just perfect! The reality is, half the enjoyment’s in discovering them, particularly before everyone else. Whoever said picture-taking couldn’t be competitive? On Santorini, it is among the 2 main extreme sports! You switch off the primary street down those curling, winding, gravity-defying streets and discover that the pictures might never do it justice
— the excellent, the bad and the terrific. Related read: How to Reserve the very best Romantic Sunset Dining Establishments in Santorini, Greece How to Find and Catch the Famous Blue Domes in Santorini
Firo-Sorry, What Again?
Just a tiny, briefest piece of the hike to the north of Fira (the capital), is the small cliffside village of Firostefani, which boasts the second most famous publication cover of the island: the Three Bells church, a previous two-cave Jesuit infirmary from the 17th century. It has pleased professional photographers, travel authors and local guides for years for an extremely simple factor– it’s the only one where you can park and shoot, that is, the only celeb dome that can be considered available by any stretch.
The other favorable aspect is, you do not always have to be a dawn visitor here. Rather, we tend to plan the check out around the other activities and groups in the area, finding a window of chance when it’s less busy. Somewhere around 8:00– 10:00 a.m. when the light is optimal– light sufficient to light up the dome and the caldera, soft enough to avoid extreme shadows. And the crowds coming off the cruise liner? Those are still converging around Fira proper, though beware of an occasional wedding event- and/or Insta-shoot.
The true obstacle? Realizing you need to go up from Saint Gerasimos square, which is, by the way, another blue-domed appeal.
Associated read: What to Anticipate and How to Reserve a Santorini Cruise
How to Find and Record the Famous Blue Domes in Santorini Instagramville Of all the villages, Imerovigli feels the most like entering a picture, with its clean, ideal white lines and sweeping angles. Set down the greatest on the caldera rim (as much as 1,000 feet), it’s more store than Oia and less industrial than Fira. Its most striking church, Anastasi, utilized to host a periodic location wedding event– and keeps “serving looks” and topping the competitors.
The same guidelines as in Oia apply, though– come early or at the golden hour; beat the flying-dress individuals and other photo-chasers and enjoy the view.
How to Discover and Capture the Famous Blue Domes in Santorini Pretty-Steepos Inland, beyond the caldera, is Pyrgos, a hilltop town boasting a former capital status, more churches than homes and UNESCO-status goals. Here, they seem to spring out of every location: above the yards, concealed away between sets of stairs, stacked higgledly-piggledly along the horizon.
What’s terrific about Pyrgos is that there is no competitors for area. As early as the early morning (at sunrise in the summer) or as late as the sundown, you will normally discover a location to yourself, such as the terrific Franco’s Bar or Penelope’s Cafe (did you understand it sits under a blue domed church of Transfiguration of Christ and has a picture of Yannis before he got famous on their little family photo wall)?
Reach the summit of the destroyed kasteli (castle-like wall settlement typical of the Venetian rule in the Aegean), and you will find a vista of domes listed below, vineyards and sea to the horizon. It is less postcard and more living, breathing village– because it is.
How to Discover and Catch the Famous Blue Domes in
Santorini Benefit Blue Domes in Santorini Still here? Well, here’s a devoted reader’s perk:
- Mesaria: A few of the very best golden- hour shots I have actually ever taken– head over to the Argyros Mansion Museum/ Markezinis Suites (yes, like the politician) and discover Saint Dimitrios Church– you will not be dissatisfied. A good friend of mine and fellow guide who’s never ever ventured into these back alleyways truly fell for that view!
- Megalochori: Not popular for the domes, however it must be. Even the one above the new ferryboat port used to host bored kids gazing into the horizon.
- Perissa: Down by the Black Sand Beach by the final bus stop, and you can in fact catch a night service at ca. 7 pm. The domes here deal with the sea, not the caldera. Photo them at daybreak, with the Aegean sparkling behind.
Why Timing is Whatever
I’m repeating it, since it’s the most essential piece of suggestions of them all: the more well-known the dome is, the earlier you will require to set your alarm clock.
- Oia’s duo (the third one’s a belltower!)? Arrive early, around 7:00 a.m. if you want them without a crowd.
- Firostefani’s Three Bells? Mid-morning is all right, however by midday the light is too severe and the heat gets you down.
- Imerovigli? Don’t step on any skirt trains!
- Pyrgos? Practically whenever, although at sunrise and sunset it’s bathed in special magic.
And if you’re tempted to opt for Oia at sundown, don’t do it where the domes are. As another friend-colleague of mine does, come after dark– and admire the gorgeous lighting of the glowing pools and Venus/ Afroditi star in the sky.
Associated read: A Guide to Ecotourism in Santorini
All set to Find those Blue Domes in Santorini?
Santorini’s domes are its trademark, but they weren’t constructed to be simple on your feet (just the eyes!). In truth, their area tended to be a sort of anti-pirate defence, protecting the households’ most valuable antiques. It takes early mornings, stubbornness, and a whole lot of persistence.
However then, they’ll yield the photo you crossed the seas for– and perhaps something more: an ideal minute when whatever just comes together for you, the light is soft, and the domes are glowing due to the fact that, and possibly only because, they are yours to appreciate, if not touch– exactly like the sky they seek to mirror.
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We provide a variety of services created to make your time in Santorini, Thessaloniki, Halkidiki, and Athens genuinely extraordinary. Whether you’re seeking to kick back and relax, dive into some adventure, or blend a little bit of both, we’re here to assist you craft the perfect experience.
View all posts We offer a series of services designed to make your time in Santorini, Thessaloniki, Halkidiki, and Athens genuinely memorable. Whether you’re wanting to sit back and unwind, dive into some experience, or blend a little bit of both, we’re here to assist you craft the best experience.