The seaside town of Oia on the Greek island of Santorini might be one of the most photographed in the Mediterranean.
Its iconic white houses, clustered on the cliffs of a collapsed volcanic caldera, are instantly recognizable. However, this fame has come at a cost – during the summer it is so packed that it ‘feels like a theme park’.
Locals and visitors alike often feel overwhelmed by the constant influx of tourists – with overtourism on the island being dubbed a ‘crisis’. However, there may be a solution for travellers who are desperate to tick the island off their travel bucket list.
Some travel experts suggest that travelling out of season will give you almost all of the magical village of Oia to yourself. Conde Nast traveler says Santorini takes on a whole new life during the colder months – but warn you will need to pack a jumper.
However, Daily Express Assistant Editor James Walker is unlikely to rush back. He said: “Santorini is one of the most beautiful islands in Europe – and a rotten place to go on holiday.
“Yes, the Greek island’s famous whitewashed walls are very white. Sure, the blue domes are very blue. Of course, the famous sunsets are very stunning.
“But trust me when I say no number of sunsets or white walls or blue domes will ever make Santorini worth the money. I recently had the misfortune of being one of the two million tourists who visit the island every year.
“My girlfriend and I were there for 36 hours at the end of an otherwise excellent nine-day trip to Greece, which had taken us through Athens and Naxos – both superb places. Santorini was never going to be the highlight of our holiday.
“We’d heard about the crowds and the costs and the chaos. We knew about the odd scam or two. But, we wondered, how bad could Europe’s most popular destination really be? Bloody awful, it turns out.”
However, not every agreed with James. One reader commented: “We went to Santorini for our honeymoon in 2018 and although we saw elements of what is described, we had a wonderful time.
“I think it all depends on what time of year you go and where you stay. We were there very early May, before the beginning of the tourist season… That meant that although not all of the restaurants were open, there were plenty to choose from and the island wasn’t overcrowded.”
Another said: “Thirty-six hours on Santorini is nowhere near enough to form an opinion of the island and what it has to offer. True, it can be very busy, but you need to choose the time of year to visit.”