Santorini is postcard-perfect.
Well, almost, at least. At 90.96 km², this island whose photos we see in Instagram posts, postcards, posters often depict two prominent colors. All I had was to say I’m in a place with that blue dome-shaped roof of a church and my friend had guessed Santorini correctly.
More than its whitewashed buildings, the sky appears in different tints across the vastness. The sea is a hypnotic mix of blue and black. Rooftops of churches, doors of houses, beckon.
Why is Santorini all just shades of blue and white?
At first, the bulk of the buildings in Santorini was made from volcanic stone. The material works well as an insulator, but its dark color also meant the buildings absorbed the heat, making it really hot to be indoors. The buildings were therefore painted white to reflect the harsh sun rays – a practical solution.
Santorini’s location meant paint was hard to obtain. The stone walls were covered using a layer of plaster made from limestone. It was very bright, therefore toned down by using a blue-tinted household cleaning powder called “loulaki” – easily available. When loulaki is added to the plaster, the solution gets dyed blue. (information source)
Photo Diary of Santorini
Santorini is more than just blue and white though. There’re also other pastel colors to complement the blue, which you can have a sneak preview in this post.
Half a year after leaving this Greek island, I still cannot get over the beauty of Santorini, and decided to put this entry together to commemorate Santorini’s shades of blue and white! Hope you enjoy the photos below!
Fira
Being Santorini’s capital city, Fira is where all the happening stuff is at. Over here, you’ll find cafes, pubs, restaurants, and shops. Fira is also where the cruise ships dock at, which means plenty of crowds during summer.
I stayed at Fira for a few nights. In sunny weather, the sky is always perfect. Stepping to the hotel pantry (read my Dream Island Hotel review) for breakfast every morning, I will delightfully pass by cute little doors painted blue. It was wonderful to be outdoors!
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Firostefani & Imerovigli
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Oia
Oia is, hands-down the prettiest village in Santorini! Oia is where you see those photos via Instagram from, where people flock to see the most gorgeous sunsets of Santorini at, where I enjoyed the most fantastic view for my lunch (as featured in this post).
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A shop at Oia that’s closed for winter, but its white exterior is a lovely contrast from the background’s sky.
Thank you, Santorini. You have been a very inspiring place to be at. I’m so grateful to have visited you!
Another special part about Santorini is not having the usual blue seas and white sands. Santorini is famous for its black and red beaches too!
Have you been to Santorini? Or is it in your bucket list?
Share with me in the Comment section below!
Travelled: Jan 2016
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Visiting Santorini? Here’s more posts!
• How it REALLY was like to travel solo in Santorini
• Everything you need to know about going Santorini in winter!
• Chasing the famous Santorini sunset alone
• Santorini hotel review: Dream Island Hotel
