Imerovigli or Oia: Where to Have Your Santorini Photoshoot

Both villages sit on the caldera, both have blue domes and white houses, and our prices are the same in both. We usually recommend Imerovigli: it has wide caldera views, classic Cycladic churches and beautiful evening light, with open terraces where a long dress can fly, and it is calmer than Oia. Choose Oia if the famous view of blue domes and white houses stepping down the cliff is the photo you have dreamed of, and plan it for the early morning, when the lanes are quiet.

Here is how the two compare, from photographing flying dresses in both since 2018.

At a glance

• Views: Imerovigli sits on the highest part of the caldera rim, with the volcano and Skaros Rock in view. Oia looks out from the northern tip of the island, over the open sea.
• Blue domes: both. Oia's are the most photographed in Greece; Imerovigli's churches stand on quieter terraces.
• Crowds: Imerovigli is calmer. Oia gets busy, especially around sunset.
• Light: the hour before sunset is beautiful in Imerovigli. In Oia the best light is early in the morning, or 3 to 4 hours before sunset; we don't recommend Oia for sunset itself.
• Room for the dress: Imerovigli's open terraces give a long train space to fly. Oia's lanes and rooftops are narrower, which suits portraits and couples.
• Price: the same. Every package is priced by the length of the shoot, not the spot.

Imerovigli: our favorite spot

Imerovigli sits on the highest part of the caldera rim, between Fira and Oia. White terraces, blue domes and the rock of Skaros, with the sea and the sky behind the dress: this is where we recommend booking a Santorini photoshoot, and where many of our favorite photos were taken.

What makes it work for a flying dress is the space. The terraces are open, so the train has room to fly and the photographer has room to step back. The light is warm in the hour before sunset and soft in the early morning, and both are calmer than Oia at the same hours. Imerovigli is built on the cliff, with many steps and narrow paths between spots, so comfortable shoes help.

Oia: the famous village

Oia sits on the northern tip of Santorini, with whitewashed houses and blue domed churches stepping down the caldera cliffs. It is one of the most photographed villages in Greece, and a classic backdrop for a flying dress: red, yellow and turquoise stand out against the white walls, and the layers of houses frame the dress.

The catch is the crowd. Oia fills up around sunset, and public places are not closed for photoshoots, so other visitors may be in the background. Early morning is the answer: softer light, quiet lanes and the same blue domes. The afternoon, 3 to 4 hours before sunset, works well too. Like Imerovigli, Oia is built on the cliff, with many steps and narrow lanes.

Sunset or morning?

• Sunset in Imerovigli: our usual recommendation. Warm light on the white walls, the caldera turning gold, and far fewer people than in Oia.
• Sunset in Oia: not recommended. It is the busiest hour of the day in the busiest village on the island. If you want a sunset on that side of the island, Finikia, right next to Oia, is our choice.
• Early morning in Oia: the village almost to yourself, soft light and the famous view. The best way to have Oia.
• Afternoon in Oia: 3 to 4 hours before sunset the light is still good and the crowds haven't arrived.
• Early morning in Imerovigli: soft light and quiet paths, cooler in summer.

Sunset times change a lot through the year, from early evening in winter to late in summer. Ask us about the sunset time for your date.

Can we do both?

Sometimes. Travel around Santorini takes time and the shoot has a set length, so some combinations don't fit. Ask us when you book and we will tell you honestly what works for your package.

If you want Oia's side of the island without Oia's crowds, look at Finikia: a small traditional village right next to Oia, with white rooftops, a bell tower arch and views across the caldera towards Oia.

Which suits you?

• Couples: both. Imerovigli for calm and space; Oia in the early morning for the postcard view. Our couple photoshoot tips have more.
• Groups: Imerovigli. Several dresses need the open terraces.
• Families with young children: Imerovigli, for the room to move.
• Cruise passengers: both can work, depending on your time ashore. Our Cruise Day packages include the transfer from and to the port.
• The classic Santorini photo: Oia, early in the morning.

Price and booking

Every package costs the same in both villages. Tell us the spot you prefer when you book, and we send the exact meeting point on Google Maps 1 to 2 days before your photoshoot. A transfer can be added for €45 each way, and it is included in Mr. President and Diamonds.

See our Santorini photoshoots, compare the packages, or read about the island's other spots in Santorini's best photo spots.