Romantic Roads

In my opinion, there is nothing more quintessentially Santorini than the blue roofs of Oia. Avoid having to navigate hoards of people and enjoy the golden hour of sunrise at this iconic location. Yes, this means waking up at 4 a.m. to do hair and makeup and arriving at the parking lot before sunrise, as you will need some time to climb the stairs and you will have a labyrinth of corridors, alleyways, and walkways ahead of you.

Google doesn’t have everything mapped out, so there will be some weaving around as you find your perfect shot. You will have a few other couples there, but considering the popularity of the location, this is about as much solitude as you are going to get. Santorini blue is everywhere, and on a perfect day, it matches the azure sky. For our photos, we opted to coordinate our colors with our scenery. Matching the color pop of the flowers would also work (e.g., pink, yellow, violet, etc.).

Do yourself a favor and hire a professional photographer to capture this glorious moment. Most of our pictures were taken by those waiting in line behind us. A professional photographer would have been able to adjust for shadows and capture this beautiful lighting. Also, many photographers have access to private terraces and views that you may not be able to find on your own, which would also offer the flexibility of a later hour. Even on the cheap, as we have done, this would have garnered a resounding YES from me.

One last note: for those of you who think Oia would be a great place to stay, I would recommend against this idea. You have layers of shops, hotels, and villas piled up on each other, which are beautiful for photos early in the morning or at night but terrible for privacy. Just imagine being in your private pool for two and having 20 people take photos around you. The crowds from the cruise ships are no joke. It’s best not to go to Oia during the day, as thousands are vying for these photo spots as well, unless you are on a private photo shoot. We had a lovely stay on the caldera in a private villa at 270 Oia, just outside of town.