Cruise ships and crowds on Santorini

Our experience navigating the picture-perfect Greek isle overrun with cruise ship passengers chasing the perfect sunset selfie.

Hey everyone, I’m putting the finishing touches on a piece about body confidence and its origins, but I’ve been overdue in recapping our early summer family vacation to Rome, Amalfi, and Santorini. The latter made news this week because of its dismal summer tourist season. Some are claiming the Insta-famous Greek island is having one of its worst Julys and Augusts, with hotel occupancy down 30 percent, because of its growing reputation of being overrun with cruise ships.

With a permanent population of 20,000, this semi-arid island with limited natural resources is grappling with concerns about overtourism. Up to 17,000 cruise passengers disembark daily during peak season, flooding the island’s two biggest cities, Fira and Oia. In response, Santorini Mayor Nikos Zorzos has proposed capping the number of cruise ship passengers to 8,000 a day starting in 2025, a move supported by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

We experienced the crush of cruise ship crowds during our stay in Oia in June, which at times made for a chaotic experience. It’s clear that action is needed to preserve the beauty and charm of Santorini, and I hope writing about our experience underscores this issue. My pictures won’t, since I didn’t take a single one of the crowds, but I do think they capture the island’s natural beauty. If you’ve been to the island recently, I’d love to hear about your experience.

It’s a bucket-list destination for many, and it’s easy to see why—the views are stunning.

But I’ll admit we didn’t do enough research before settling on Santorini as one of the stops on our European family vacation this summer. If we had, we likely would have picked another destination.

Despite over-the-top accommodations, phenomenal food, and stunning views of the rugged cliffs rising from the saturated blue Aegean Sea, it’s unlikely we’ll return to Santorini.

Two reasons: the heat and the tourists. The cruise ship tourists, that is.

I hate to speak ill of tourists—clearly I was one of them—but every day during peak season, from 9 a.m. to just after sundown, this tiny Greek island was crawling with cruise ship passengers, especially in the most popular areas.

Since Santorini’s ports are too small for these massive ships, passengers are ferried to one of two docks by tender. From there, many head to the nearby town of Fira, but the real prize is Oia, the picture-perfect spot captured in countless postcards and social media snaps. Its striking white cave houses, blue-domed churches and red dirt cliffs stand in pleasing contrast against the sapphire waters and azure skies—no filter needed.

Early morning shot of the blue domes before crowds arrive

Oia brings in the majority of day-tripping cruise passengers, from average Americans worn out by the trek (some hike the 6 miles from Fira) to wannabe influencers snapping selfies every few steps. The heart of Oia is a labyrinth-like pedestrian corridor of narrowing cobblestone streets lined with shops, cafes, and restaurants overlooking the stunning Caldera. Tourists line up to snap the same shot of Oia’s iconic blue-domed churches and then pack in like sardines to catch the sunset, said to be among the most spectacular in the world. I wasn’t brave enough to attempt it.

We stayed on the edge of Oia, at the Canaves Ena, a family-owned boutique hotel perfectly positioned to take in the Caldera views. I had read horror stories about the crowds, but I wanted to stay in a walkable area so our girls, ages 15 and 20, could venture out on their own when they wanted. Also, I just didn’t believe the crowds were as bad as the bloggers made it out to be.

Nearly everyone we talked to in the service industry—bartenders, tour operators, wait staff, and shopkeepers—alluded to the nuisance of the cruise ships. We experienced it ourselves; there is a different attitude among those dropping in for the day versus staying on the island. The former are there for the quick hits—there’s not much time for anything else.

While 15,000 to 20,000 people are said to make their home on this semi-arid island, up to 17,000 cruise ship passengers debark daily during high season. Tourism accounts for some 90 percent of Santorini’s economy, but with limited transportation, infrastructure and resources, and most notably no natural sources of drinking water, it’s a delicate dance between survival and destruction.

We were only there for a few days, and in that short time, I marveled at how an island so small and dry could support such a massive influx of people. Yes, I’m revealing my ignorance, but it was the first time I truly considered my impact as a visitor in an isolated destination. In all my travels, even to other cruise-heavy spots like Hawaii, Turks and Caicos, and St. Lucia, I’ve never felt so overwhelmed by the sheer number of tourists. And this was early in the season.

We found the people living and working on the island to be warm and hospitable, though weary of tourists. You could see it in their faces when you entered their shops and sat down at their tables. Many spoke openly about it after we made genuine conversation.

Hiking down to Ammoudi Bay

After a blazing hike around Ammoudi Bay at the foot of idyllic Oia, we stopped for a drink in a tiny gelato shop sandwiched between two restaurants. We watched as the shopkeeper went off on a backpacker who made a beeline for the bathroom without so much as a nod. The shopkeeper apologized to us afterwards, explaining that even a small purchase is appreciated. I was just grateful to have something to drink.

As Texans, we’re used to heat. Temps might have only hit 80 degrees during our visit in early June—balmy by our standards—but the unrelenting sun was brutal. Being indoors or in water was the only way to handle the heat during the day. While our catamaran tour was disappointing, I’m betting it was a one-off experience and not representative of Santorini’s many boating excursions.

Oia at Night

After the sun went down, it was like the island collectively let out a sigh of relief. The air was breezy, sometimes even chilly. Whole sections of streets were empty. Locals lingered. No one was in a hurry. The island’s famed cats, no longer being hassled or overheated, came out to play.

At night, Santorini was absolutely lovely.

Our Santorini Highlights

Stunning views and a stunning suite at Canaves Ena

Canaves Ena made the trip for us. The location was perfect, just outside the pedestrian area in Oia, and within walking distance to everything. We had a modern, minimalist suite with an outdoor veranda that included a dining area, lounge area and plunge pool overlooking the Caldera and Aegean Sea. It was the perfect refuge from the crowds and the heat. My favorite activity was afternoon reading in the pool after a morning of sightseeing.

Family-style traditional Greek food at Adami

The food at Canaves Ena

We had amazing food our entire stay, everywhere we went, but we dined on traditional Greek specialties at Adami multiple times (with multiple orders of the moussaka and pastitsio) and capped off our final night with an amazing spread delivered to our patio.

Sunset dinner at Elements

Dinner at Elements

We shared a nine-course dinner with the accompanying wine pairing at Canaves Epitome’s Elements, which serves Greek- and European-inspired cuisine. Hazy skies obscured the sunset during our visit, but the open-air dining room is supposed to be one of the best spots for viewing it. The location is tucked away from the main thoroughfare, and we were one of two parties the entire evening. The attention to detail with every dish was impeccable, and the sommelier was the most passionate and knowledgeable I’ve ever met.

Gelato at Lolita’s

This family-owned place takes its gelato seriously, using fresh milk, nuts, and fruits in its small-batch creations. This became a daily stop for us, and well, we even had it twice one day. Lemon was the overwhelming family favorite, but the passion fruit and yogurt were divine.

Horseback riding in Megalochori to the Caldera cliffs

Despite my fear of horses, I took one for the team as horseback riding was the girls’ top request. This hour-long ride took us through the steep and winding cobblestone alleys of this 17th-century village and then along the steep edge of the volcanic crater. I channeled my inner calm by pretending my mare was my mountain bike and holding on for dear life.

Lowlights

Catamaran tour of the Red and White Beaches and Hot Springs off Nea Kameni

This should have been a highlight as it is supposedly the best activity on the island! We’ve taken many boat tours in our travels—public and private—and this was the worst. There were too many rules (no laying on the netting!), and we didn’t get to swim at the stunning White Beach, although we did take the plunge at the Red Beach. The snorkeling, one of Hubs’ all-time favorite activities, was also a disappointment. While the water was crystal clear, thanks to little wind and no waves, there was no marine life to speak of.

The beaches

I’m biased. I’m not a beach person, but I’m married to a beach person. Santorini is not known for its beaches, but they are geologically interesting, thanks to the dramatic cliffs and different shades of volcanic rock. Getting to some of them—like the aforementioned White and Red Beaches—can be challenging by land.

We drove to the resort-style Perissa beach, on the south side of the island, where you could secure umbrellas and chairs with a minimum spend at one of the many restaurants and clubs lining the street.

We didn’t swim, but we hiked down to Ammoudi Beach, which isn’t actually a beach but a rocky shoreline past the port where the brave swim out to an outcrop of volcanic rocks and cliff dive.

One of my closest friends took her daughters to Santorini two summers ago and raved about the catamaran tour and beaches, insisting it is still their favorite vacation of all time. If we did it again, we’d do a private catamaran tour, where we could have more say in our destinations and enjoy a more relaxed atmosphere.

Your Turn

Have you visited Santorini or the other Greek islands? Would you visit again? I’d love to hear your thoughts about the state of tourism and overtourism.