Sunsets, feta cheese and crystal clear water, many of Greece’s islands are popular for a reason. However, tourists have claimed that crowds often ruin the idyllic experience.

On Reddit, tourists have complained about the crowds on Santorini, one of Greece’s most picturesque islands. They said the problem is particularly bad in Oia, one of the island’s biggest villages.

A tourist wrote: “I went in October and it was still packed! Some tourists were super rude in Oia too.”

Another tourist said: “Santorini was the worst version of people just selfishing blocking off huge sections of key places and barring other people from being there for long spans of time like they were doing a Vogue photoshoot with permits.”

Oia is particularly popular with social media influencers as the village’s sunset views over the sea are world renowned.

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Another tourist added: “We went in October and it seemed quite calm. I figured we had made a good choice. But when we went to see the sunset in Oia, the crowds suddenly swelled and the streets were packed. I can only imagine how awful it’d be in the summer.”

One person said: “We arrived in Oia with the earliest bus in the morning and it was okay for about an hour, but after that the whole village was flooded with tourists.”

Santorini is often included on cruise ship itineraries and can be flooded with thousands of extra tourists every day.

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On August 22, three ships are scheduled to visit the island, dropping off over 12,700 passengers, according to cruisedig.

A tourist said: “Oia was amazing in the morning. From around 10-11 when the cruise ships arrived it was getting busier until the peak at sunset time when it was very hard to move.”

Visitors who want to enjoy Oia without the crowds could try getting up early and exploring the village before cruise tourists arrive. However, this does mean they will miss the sunset.

It’s not just Greece that’s struggling to cope with high numbers of tourists. The world’s prettiest village left some tourists feeling like “sweaty sardines”.

One of France’s top attractions was described as overcrowded while London’s top royal landmark was “chaotic” according to some visitors.

Tourists looking to get off the beaten track might want to explore one of the UK’s hidden gems instead.

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