This Is Arguably The Worst Way To Visit The Iconic Greek Island Of Santorini

If you're planning a Greek vacation, it's a pretty good bet that you're going to be visiting Santorini. In 2023, there were 3.4 million visitors to the small island with a population of only around 20,000. Cruise ships bring in around 17,000 passengers a day to Santorini. That means, if you want to see the famous Santorini sunset from the town of Oia, you're going to be packed in with tons of other people (as you can see in the pic below), and even worse, you could be waiting hours to get a ferry from the ship and more time to take a chair lift to the city. It's gotten bad enough on Santorini with overcrowding from cruise ships that some cruise lines are canceling planned stops, meaning that, even if you've booked a cruise there, you still might not see it.

It's a sentiment that many popular tourist destinations are echoing. The Acropolis in Athens has started capping visitors to the ancient site at 20,000 per day with assigned time slots. Venice, Italy now charges a fee for people coming in for just one day during the high season. Juneau, Alaska plans on capping berths for cruise ships in 2025. It makes you consider whether or not to go in the first place. While you still can, a cruise ship is probably the worst way to do it. Even if you book a trip, it might be taken out of your hands.

In April, 2024, a Princess Cruises sailing announced that it was canceling its planned stop at the island because of ship congestion. Instead of Santorini, it's visiting Chania, an underrated gem off Crete instead. Cruise ships are seeing record numbers thanks to regular promotions, and people are packing in to destinations like Santorini. You may be excited to visit, but the thousands of ship passengers with you and on other cruises had the same idea. With only a relatively short time during a stop on the island, most people go to the main tourist areas like the Oia port (above). It's overwhelming, and that dream of a romantic Grecian sunset can fade into the reality of other people climbing over you to get a good view. 

Part of the issue is that the port of Oia is free for cruise ships to dock in, so they all go there instead of the island's other areas. This isn't going to be a rare occurrence, as Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis wants to restrict cruise ships or have them bid on popular docks. Santorini mayor Nikos Zorzos wants to cap cruise ship passengers at 8,000 per day, with the prime minister's backing. Early in August, 2024, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) said it had met with the Greek minister of maritime affairs about the issue. While things are still in motion, getting to Santorini by cruise ship might not be your best bet if you want to see the island. 

If you plan on visiting Santorini anyway, it's hard to blame you. It's a beautiful place. However, if you go a different route, like a ferry from another spot or a plane trip, it's worth visiting parts of the island that aren't right at the port of Oia or the town of Fira. The sunset might be wonderful in Oia, but there are many places to see it in the Greek islands and on Santorini itself. You just need a spot facing west. However, if you're also concerned by the overcrowding, whether it's because you want to be able to actually move around or you're on vacation for a little peace and quiet, Santorini might not be the best choice for you anyway. There are other options besides Santorini, like the gorgeous and quieter island, Alonissos, or even the Puglia region of Italy, which has similar whitewashed houses and a less-crowded experience.

In fact, if you're looking at Greece as your destination of choice, there are 226 other inhabited islands to choose from instead of Santorini. Travel pro Rick Steves loves the car-free island of Hydra for its peace, quiet, and culture. You could visit Skopelos, which doubled for the fictional island of Kalokairi in "Mamma Mia!" Even if you're heading to Athens, which is crowded, Steves recommends visiting some archeological sites outside of the city like Delphi, the site of the famous ancient oracle, and Epidavros, the site of a 4th century BCE amphitheater.