Sunday 20 September 2015

Sunset in Oia(Greece)


Scarlet sky, a beautiful orange sun disappearing behind the sparkling ocean, a landscape that inspires awe - welcome to sunsets in Oia, Greece.
A beautiful sunset lends tranquility, no wonder this natural spectacle has inspired artists, poets,  photographers alike.  We have chased good sunsets in our travels too and have been fortunate to see some of the amazing sunsets(see here). And when it came to watching the sunset from a place known for it, we could not hold our excitement. As the pictures will tell you, we were not disappointed.

Vantage Points
Frankly you will get a great sunset from many places in Oia but one may offer marginally better view than other. The key to finding your spot is to be willing to stroll around for a while and not simply gather where most people already are. We found that this strategy gave us some excellent photo opportunities.There are a lot of restaurants with great views. These restaurants may take advantage of this by forcing you to buy a dinner only menu. If you are fine by that then a good dinner with a enviable view is not a bad deal.
Other option is a sunset cruise. I would prefer to watch it from the village though. the elements like the ships, cliffs, windmills together make the sunset look more dramatic and offer great photo opportunities.
Talking about good vantage points, people start flocking the Castle of Oia hours before the sunset.
 The place can get really crowded so if you have not scouted for a place and do not reach there on time then you may find yourself looking over someone's shoulder. If it is crowded at a place already, follow the strategy of ditching the crowds and find a new spot of your own. There are plenty.
Be informed-At its best, sunset looks stunning but it may not be at its full glory on all days. We saw the sunset on 3 consecutive days and our first evening in Oia was by far the best. So keep your finger's crossed.

More than Sunsets
Caldera view is most marketable offering from the establishments here - be it the hotels, restaurants or the artists painting sunsets. There are a lot of takeaways from the place however. This cliff top village looks beautiful with traditional Greek buildings and blue domed churches. Taking a stroll down the alleys is one of the major activities. You will be spoiled for choices to eat as well(fried feta with honey,seafood,homemade lemonade etc..)

Getting around- 
There are buses from Fira to Oia till midnight from 6:50AM in summers.You can also hire cars,bikes and ATVs here.






Golden hour at its best
A drink and a sunset
Fried Feta
Castle of Oia

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