Santorini's tourism invasion: Videos show 'Instagram island' overrun by holidaymakers as unbearable queues form at 7am to reach prime selfie spot

By SOPHIA STANFORD, NEWS REPORTER Published: 07:50, 9 August 2026 | Updated: 07:53, 9 August 2026 Huge queues have been blighting the cobbled streets of Santorini, made up of rowdy tourists waiting to take a snap in front of the 'perfect' view. Dubbed the most Instagrammable location on the Greek island, two-hour-long queues have caused carnage in the quaint alleys of Oia, the famous cliffside village – all in pursuit of the best angle featuring the famous blue-domed Orthodox Greek churches. Desperate for the perfect shot, there are already dozens of selfie-hunting holidaymakers queuing around the winding corners as early as 7am, rushing to the famous viewpoint that has been touted by influencers on TikTok as the best location for a photo. Shocking videos on social media posted this summer have revealed the reality of visiting the once-idyllic Aegean isle, which sees more than 2.4million people pass through its airport every year. Hordes of tourists have often caused problems in the charming villages of the volcanic island, with authorities recently taking to limiting the amount of cruise passengers allowed to visit in a day to manage over-crowding. But exasperated sunseekers have taken to bashing particularly shameless selfie-hunting tourists who spend hours in a queue that promises the best backdrop. One holidaymaker even complained that people standing in the queue would try to fight them as they entered their accommodation, because they thought they were jumping the line.  Despite the rowdy crowds, the iconic photo spot has been endorsed by several influencers in recent months. The best location in Oia for the perfect shot, featuring the famous blue-domed Orthodox Greek churches, has gone viral on TikTok The location's popularity has led to huge queues blighting the cobbled streets of Santorini, made up of rowdy tourists waiting to take a snap in front of the 'perfect' view Dubbed the most Instagrammable location on the Greek island, two-hour long queues have caused carnage for locals in the village Has social media obsession ruined the true magic of travel for everyone in places like Santorini? What's your view?Luiza Parente, a self-described creative director with 8.4million followers on TikTok, shared a video earlier this month revealing the extensive queues she endured for the 'perfect' picture. In the same clip, the Portuguese influencer then shares the glamorous images of her posing dramatically in front of the iconic white and blue architecture. But some users have been far from impressed with the viral videos of the queues, with one proclaiming that 'social media has ruined tourism'. 'All this so people can show a posed photo to other people, when they know they their real memory of it will be queuing for 2 hours at 7am on holiday for this photo,' one person complained. Lia Grammatikopoulou wrote under another viral video: 'There are plenty of stunning spots in Santorini featuring even more spectacular view than this one. It is really a pity that people only visit the viral TikTok spots and not asking locals for recommendations.' One holidaymaker added: 'My accommodation was right next to these. The amount of abuse I got, for the four days I was there, because people thought I was “pushing in”. Mate, I just wanted to get to my room and pool with a view.'  Another joked: 'When having a photo to prove you are having an amazing holiday becomes more important than having an amazing holiday!' 'Have we all collectively lost our minds', one woman asked. In another video similarly exposing 'Instagram vs reality', one travel influencer said, 'Nobody talks about the queue behind the perfect Santorini photo. Worth it or not?' One woman responded: 'That is sooo sad, it was not like that seven years ago.' Dozens of selfie-hunting holidaymakers queue around the winding corners first thing in the morning. One woman on social media asked: 'Have we all collectively lost our minds' Santorini Yachting Cruises also responded by saying 'many visitors travel to Santorini looking for the exact same photo they've seen on Instagram, which naturally leads everyone to gather in the same two or three famous spots in Oia'. It added: 'The irony is that Santorini is full of incredible viewpoints and hidden corners that are often just as beautiful without the crowds. 'So while the queues can be frustrating, they're also a result of people following the same trends and expectations.' Another influencer filmed the steady increase in tourists from when they first arrived at 7am, which already had sizeable crowds, until 10.30am when scores more tourists arrive. But by this time, 'photographing becomes difficult and rushed' so it would be better to arrive early, she advised. Despite the tips, one user commended on the video that 'my worst trip of all time was Santorini', explaining that the 'place just has nothing, tons of abandoned buildings, nothing to do. It literally just has this picture. Which is also mid.' Another wrote: 'A reminder you could have used the time in the line to explore the rest of the island.' In recent years, the island introduced new rules and measures to manage the influx of tourists, including a tourist tax, restrictions on access and parking, alongside a proposed 'saturation law' limiting daily visitor numbers.  A limit of 8,000 cruise ship passengers per day has also been enforced.  Furious locals have even threatened to leave the Greek island after a Santorini councillor told them in a since-deleted Facebook post to stay at home and to keep out of tourists' way in 2024. One local resident, Onur Killic, 28, said at the time that there are just 'too many tourists' coming to Santorini who leave rubbish behind and sometimes even a 'bad smell'. 'It's hard for locals because we live here. The roads are too crowded and the traffic is much worse. It’s bad for environment and the cost of everything is out of control; locals cannot pay as prices have gone up,' the hotel worker told the i Paper. 'They need to find the right balance. They could limit the amount of cruise ships, but the Government is not doing enough – if this continues I will leave the island.'