Santorini Island, Greece

Travel to Santorini is surprisingly affordable despite it’s booming popularity. Look for cheap connecting flights on kiwi.com and catch a ferry from Athens to this spectacular port-of-call. The particular part of the island where you’ll find the most iconic shots is called Oia, with spectacular photo opportunities and sunsets around every corner (Oia also has the largest crowds but it never felt overwhelming like most tourist traps). You should have the ability to shoot both wide and far (telephoto), but don’t carry excess kit that makes it hard to enjoy being in one of the most beautiful cities on earth. For me, the Nikon D800 and 28-300mm lens combination was pretty d@mn near perfect, if just a little too big and cumbersome for the seaside lunch, dinner and beach breaks.

Good Lord, yes. This place should be on everyone’s bucket list, and is still surprisingly affordable relative to the rest of Europe (although the lesser known Greek islands are still quite a bit cheaper).

ATHLETES: ATVs, volcano hiking, sailing
ADVENTURERS: ATVs, volcano hiking, boating
PHOTOGRAPHERS: photo/video scapes, portraits, landscapes and dramatic wedding photography
FAMILIES: primarily a couple’s retreat, but going here single or with a family is still a wonderful experience
KIDS: probably one to leave the kids with Grandma and Grandpa for….but you could certainly bring them if you have to.

CLOTHING: Comfortable hiking or running shoes. A light to heavy jacket for cooler weather (depending on the season).
CAMERA: DSLR.
LENSES: A quality wide/telephoto combination is ideal, but strive for minimalism (size/weight/portability). You’ll really benefit from the added reach and shot flexibility. Santorini begs to be explored, and you’ll discover views around every corner of the island where you’ll want your camera with you (particularly at sunset) but without it interrupting your enjoyment (massive DSLR cameras on dinner tables aren’t a great look).
BACKPACK: A small/light backpack. The souvenir shops here are quite lucrative (although more expensive than the rest of Greece), so you might bring an extra crushable bag for that.

Summer or fall.

Transportation throughout Europe is incredible. To get quickly and affordably between various Greek Islands, the massive high-speed ferry boats are tough to beat. You can take a plane or even train to several major ports of call that will connect you between Athens, Heraklion in Crete, Santorini and Mykonos in just a few hours for around 35 euros.

This one lives up to the dreamy images you’ll find online. Definitely a good one for the top of every bucket list and even still, seems sorely underutilized for dramatic photo and video opportunities. Best to go as soon as you can, too, since recent large real estate purchases by China are beginning to dramatically change the face of the island outside Oia 🙁

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