Next usable light
Santorini
7:19 PM – 8:10 PM
Solar noonDaytime63.4° · 181° S
Light windows
Fri, Aug 28 · Europe · AthensMorning
- Golden hour
- 6:31 AM – 7:22 AM51 min of warm light
- Blue hour
- 6:20 AM – 6:31 AM10 min of deep blue twilight
Evening
- Golden hour
- 7:19 PM – 8:10 PM51 min of warm light
- Blue hour
- 8:10 PM – 8:21 PM10 min of deep blue twilight
- Sunrise
- 6:47 AM
- Sunset
- 7:54 PM
- Day length
- 13 hr 7 min
- Solar noon
- 1:21 PM
Where to point the camera
Solar path and bearing
On this selected date, the sun reaches 63° at its highest point and the evening light approaches from 283° WNW.
Pick the month before the day
Light through 2026 in Santorini
The sampled golden window in Santorini is not one number — it spans 50 min (March) to 58 min (December) over the year. Between December and June the sunset point migrates 59° — from 241° WSW to 300° WNW — which is enough to put a fixed foreground in or out of the light depending on the season. Day length spans 9 hr 42 min in December to 14 hr 38 min in June.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Golden window sample | Sunset bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:30 AM | 5:26 PM | 9 hr 57 min | 4:48 PM · 56 min | 244° WSW |
| February | 7:07 AM | 5:59 PM | 10 hr 52 min | 5:23 PM · 52 min | 255° WSW |
| March | 6:30 AM | 6:26 PM | 11 hr 55 min | 5:52 PM · 50 min | 268° W |
| April | 6:46 AM | 7:52 PM | 13 hr 6 min | 7:17 PM · 51 min | 283° WNW |
| May | 6:13 AM | 8:18 PM | 14 hr 5 min | 7:42 PM · 54 min | 295° WNW |
| June | 6:01 AM | 8:38 PM | 14 hr 38 min | 8:00 PM · 57 min | 300° WNW |
| July | 6:12 AM | 8:37 PM | 14 hr 25 min | 8:00 PM · 56 min | 298° WNW |
| August | 6:37 AM | 8:11 PM | 13 hr 34 min | 7:35 PM · 52 min | 288° WNW |
| September | 7:01 AM | 7:28 PM | 12 hr 27 min | 6:54 PM · 50 min | 275° W |
| October | 7:26 AM | 6:44 PM | 11 hr 18 min | 6:09 PM · 51 min | 260° W |
| November | 6:56 AM | 5:11 PM | 10 hr 15 min | 4:34 PM · 54 min | 248° WSW |
| December | 7:23 AM | 5:05 PM | 9 hr 42 min | 4:25 PM · 58 min | 241° WSW |
Find the months when sunset faces your spot
Pick the direction your subject faces the sky. Months whose sunset lands within ±10° light up in the table above. Disabled shortcuts have no matching row in this visible mid-month sample.
Each row samples the 15th of the month at these coordinates, so dates near a month boundary can differ from the printed row — around here day length moves up to ~2 min per day in the fastest season. Clock times follow Europe · Athens, including any daylight-saving change.
Full light and twilight schedule
Midnight to midnight
| Phase | Time |
|---|---|
| Astronomical dawn | 5:16 AM |
| Nautical dawn | 5:49 AM |
| Blue hour (morning) | 6:20 AM |
| Golden hour (morning) | 6:31 AM |
| Sunrise | 6:47 AM |
| Solar noon | 1:21 PM |
| Sunset | 7:54 PM |
| Golden hour (evening) | 7:19 PM |
| Blue hour (evening) | 8:10 PM |
| Nautical dusk | 8:52 PM |
| Astronomical dusk | 9:25 PM |
Seven local days in Santorini
The week ahead
| Date | Morning golden | Sunrise | Sunset | Evening golden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Aug 28 | 6:31 AM – 7:22 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:54 PM | 7:19 PM – 8:10 PM |
| Sat, Aug 29 | 6:32 AM – 7:22 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:53 PM | 7:18 PM – 8:09 PM |
| Sun, Aug 30 | 6:32 AM – 7:23 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:51 PM | 7:17 PM – 8:07 PM |
| Mon, Aug 31 | 6:33 AM – 7:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:50 PM | 7:15 PM – 8:06 PM |
| Tue, Sep 1 | 6:34 AM – 7:25 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:48 PM | 7:14 PM – 8:04 PM |
| Wed, Sep 2 | 6:35 AM – 7:25 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:47 PM | 7:13 PM – 8:03 PM |
| Thu, Sep 3 | 6:36 AM – 7:26 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:46 PM | 7:11 PM – 8:02 PM |
Moon and candidate vantage points
Context to verify
Moon on the selected date
The moon over Santorini is a Full Moon, 100% lit. Treat this as lighting context, not a visibility forecast.
Candidate vantage points
Use them only as map-search leads; they are not ranked recommendations. We have not verified current access, closures, permits, safety, or an unobstructed view. 283° WNW is the selected-date mathematical sunset bearing; if another composition faces elsewhere, use the bearing planner in the month table above to locate better-matched sampled months. The number is a planning aid and does not prove visibility.
Plan and calculation notes
Assumptions and limits
Plan this specific light
In Santorini, the evening golden hour window runs 51 min on the selected date and approaches from 283° WNW. Arrive 15 minutes before its start when that window occurs, then choose a position with an open view toward that bearing. Don't rely on the generic “one hour before sunset” rule here — the real window shifts with the season, so check the computed times for your date.
See the calculation method and limits before relying on the estimate in terrain-sensitive or safety-critical conditions.
Common questions
Golden hour FAQ for Santorini
- When is golden hour in Santorini?
- The reliable answer is an angle, not a clock time: golden hour is the span with the sun between +6° and −4° of the horizon, around sunrise and again around sunset. In Santorini the representative monthly span is 50 minutes in March and 58 minutes in December. The panel above computes it for the exact date you pick.
- Which direction does the sun set in Santorini?
- Roughly west, but the useful number changes with the season: 241° WSW in December versus 300° WNW in June in Santorini. That 59° difference decides whether a street or shoreline actually faces the light on your date.
- How much does day length change in Santorini?
- In Santorini, between 9 hr 42 min (December) and 14 hr 38 min (June). The month-by-month table above lists every month.
- Does Santorini get blue hour right after golden hour?
- Yes, with no gap: blue hour is simply the next slice of the same sunset, defined by the sun dropping from −4° to −6° after the golden band (+6° to −4°) closes. Planning a December shoot in Santorini? Budget 58 min of gold, then the blue window follows immediately — both computed per date in the light-windows panel.