Where is the best place to watch the sunset in Santorini?
There are many beautiful sunsets in the world, but few are famous as the one in Oia, Santorini that is one of the most beautiful Greek islands. Santorini belongs to the Cyclades group of islands in the Mediterranean Sea. Oia is considered the best place to watch the sunset in Santorini because of blue dome churches, white buildings, and fairytale style windmills on the cliff with the background of the sea.
When the sunshine of sunset paints everything in golden and red colors, the whole view become magically unforgettable. People usually like to have some stunning views in their memories in order to savor it in those ordinary days in their lives.
On the way to Oia
My husband and I were in the south of Santorini and we would like to travel to Oia to feast our eyes on this very famous sunset. But this was peaceful drive experice among our road trips. when we were driving from south to north of Santorini, the car broke down with dead battery and the ignition wouldn’t start. “What to do now?” I was full of uneasiness because I didn’t want to miss watching the sunset.
My husband went to ask for help from a hotel down the road. After some conversation, the front desk at the hotel finally agreed to help us. A big guy came out from the garage with a pair jumper cable. He connected the cables to the battery and the battery was alive again. So, after a lot of efforts, we finally hit the road again.
Finally, it was time to enter Oia. But we found that the entrance to Oia was very narrow and cars were queuing up without any movement at all. I never thought it would be so difficult to watch the sunset. Some cars in the back got impatient and started to cut in line. These cars drove directly from the back to the front, but quickly reversed back. Because the road was so narrow that there was no way to get in.
If we couldn’t see the sunset today, when could it be scheduled? According to our itinerary, we may not have a chance to see it tomorrow. So, we could only hope that the vehicle team can move. Suddenly, all the cars began to move forward slowly. Finally, we drove into Oia slowly.
How is the sunset in Santorini?
The sunset in Oia
Entering Oia, we hurried to find a place to park. Then we quickly went to the place to watch the sunset. In order to reach the area to watch the sunset, we crossed the streets full of houses, hotels and restaurants with beautiful terraces. Some terraces were preparing a wedding celebration. What a beautiful scenery to celebrate one of the most important moments of the life for newlyweds.
People in Santorini seemed to have entered the countdown to watch the sunset. Everyone found his/her own position and looked at the sea in the distance, and waited for the sunset. The whole scene seemed like a miracle was about to happen.
The sun was like a fireball that emitted a thousand rays of light, dyeing the sea and the sky red. The red color seemed to be right in front of my eyes, within reach. As each second passed, the redness began to change.
The colors became more and more complex and the layers became more and more rich. Until the sun became a deep red ball and it began to set. When the sun went down, time seemed to lose its measuring function. I didn’t know how to describe the process of the sun disappearing, it seemed like a moment, and it seemed like a long time.
How people react to the sunset?
People from all over the world gathered together to form a landscape with colorful hair, skins, looks, and clothes. The similarities among people were expressions of excitement, joy, and infinite anticipation about the sunset. Watching the sunset with so many people, sometimes I didn’t know whether to watch the crowd or the sunset.
As the sun sank completely into the sea, the crowd began to applaud. Scattered applause was like a signal, and the whole crowd started to applaud as if they were inspired. Amidst the applause one after another, the afterglow of the sun completely disappeared at the edge of the sea.
When the darkness came upon people, they began to disperse one after another. Soon, the island was full of people here and there again. People seem to enter a deep relaxation stage after a party. Slowly, the lights came on, and the night mode began on the island.
Why do people travel to Santorini to watch the sunset?
We’ve seen a lot of beautiful sunsets. The Santorini sunset wasn’t the most beautiful sunset we’ve ever seen, but it sure was a very unique one.
I didn’t know why Santorini’s sunset is so famous in the past. But after this sunset watching experience, I understand that the sunset in Santorini is not a simple sunset, it is also a common moment for people from all over the world. The sunset in Santorini becomes an event and a party.
It is all people, with the same mood and the same expectation, sharing a wonderful moment together. Sunset is only part of it, more is nature and people, and a special tacit understanding is formed between people in a wonderful moment.
In the beautiful scenery of sunset, sea, crowd, buildings, the infinitely beautiful feelings are frozen forever. These wonderful times form the beautiful moments in the memory of life.
Some history about Oia
Oia is a small village with less than two thousand inhabitants. Oia had great economic growth during the late 19th and early 20th centuries because of seaborne trade. But later seaborne trade collapsed not only because “Age of Steam” started but also ships left Oia and went to in Piraeus port that is the main Greek harbor in the neighborhood of Athens. The economy also further decreased due to many other factors like wars, economic depression and overfishing.
On 9 July 1956, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake and its aftershock made a terrible disaster to Oia. After the earthquake, Oia started to develop again and tourism made the village prosperous. Every summer, Oia is full of tourists for its picturesque sceneries and the famous sunset.
Author: Hua
