Gabriella Barras visited Santorini earlier this month (Image: Jam Press)
A summer escape to Greece promises cultural immersion, basking in glorious sunshine, savouring authentic cuisine and strolling through charming cobblestone lanes.
However, one holidaymaker’s luxurious break to Santorini fell well short of expectations as she found herself battling overwhelming hordes of tourists who had descended upon the Greek isle.
Gabriella Barras, 27, jetted off to Santorini earlier this year after being captivated by stunning photographs of the destination she’d spotted across social media platforms.
The four-day break set her back £2,200, yet the reality proved vastly different from her dreams, with an “overflow of tourists” dominating every corner.
“I expected Santorini to be a picturesque, relaxing and gorgeous holiday,” Gabriella, who resides in Dubai, revealed to Luxury Travel Daily, reports the Mirror.
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“I wanted to experience Greek culture and food.
“Photos of it looked incredible. While it was indeed picturesque and the views were phenomenal, I didn’t think that there was much old school tradition and culture. It’s so commercialised to the point where I didn’t necessarily find it relaxing at all.”
She continued: “The overflow of tourists at every given spot we went to was overwhelming and definitely not the gorgeous, relaxing retreat I was expecting. There were hundreds of people trying to see the sunset at once.”
Beyond the overcrowding, Gabriella encountered difficulties with the island’s steep staircases.
She revealed: “We rented a car, so getting around wasn’t difficult; however, a lot of the accommodation is up a whole load of stairs up the mountain.
The Greek island is known for breathtaking views and golden sunsets (Image: Jam Press)
“At some places, getting your luggage to and from your room or even just getting yourself up can be strenuous and maybe not possible for everyone.”
Gabriella isn’t the sole traveller to have criticised Santorini.
Claire Smith, 25, visited the renowned tourist hotspot for six nights just weeks earlier, costing her £600.
Yet rather than marvelling at the pristine waters framed by the famous white and blue architecture, her primary experience became the crushing masses of holidaymakers.
The traveller said, ‘There were hundreds of people trying to see the sunset at once’ (Image: Jam Press)
Claire, who comes from Sydney, Australia, based herself in Fira, Santorini’s capital, but took buses to Oia, one of the island’s most sought-after destinations, and Kamari, a coastal village on the eastern shore, for day trips.
“Trying to get on a bus was animalistic mayhem,” she revealed.
“I wanted to explore beaches and relax. I expected the stunning views and the classic pictures of the caldera that you see all over Instagram, the blue dome buildings and for it to be very hot.
“Oia was the most crowded and jam-packed in reality. That made it hard to enjoy. It was beautiful, but the main streets in the town were so jam-packed that it took ages to walk through, and it was also super hot with no shade anywhere. That was probably the worst part.”
Travellers have slammed Santorini for overcrowding (Image: Jam Press)
Claire recounted her less-than-ideal experiences while visiting Santorini, highlighting the challenges she faced during her holiday. She described a particularly unpleasant moment: “We walked the steps down to Ammoudi Bay, which were covered in donkey poo, so it smelled pretty bad. I had to squeeze up against a wall on the way back up, as there were donkeys on their way down. I was kind of worried they’d squash me.”
She also spoke about the chaos at the bus stops: “We were getting the bus back from Kamari to Fira, and the bus stop had heaps of people all scrambling to get on it. There was no line at the bus stop to make it orderly, so it was a free-for-all.”
Claire shared sympathy for fellow travellers who struggled with the transport system: “We luckily got on the bus, but I heard an Australian family saying that one American couple didn’t manage to get on the bus and they’d also missed the previous one, so I felt really bad for people like that.”
Despite the crowds, Claire found some parts of the island more manageable: “Fira was easier and accessible for walking around. It was crowded but not to a crazy extent, where it makes it hard to appreciate anything.”
Gabriella shared the expectation vs. reality of her trip to Santorini on social media (Image: Jam Press)
After her trip, Claire offered advice to potential visitors of Santorini, suggesting: “I would still recommend it to people because I think it’s a pretty unique island with the incredible views, the caldera, white buildings and sunsets.”
She concluded with a tip to enhance the experience: “My advice would be to probably not stay in Oia, and to avoid July and August if you hate the crowds and peak summer heat. I’d aim for the slightly calmer months when you can probably appreciate it a bit more.”
Meanwhile, Gabriella expressed her lack of enthusiasm for a return trip to Santorini, suggesting instead that travellers explore more serene Greek destinations like Milos, Koufonisia, and Amorgos. “I wouldn’t go again. I’ve been to much better islands and don’t feel the need to see Santorini again,” she remarked.
“I’d recommend people to go see it as a bucket list trip, but two to three days is more than enough, and I’d highly recommend other less commercialised islands.”