Is Santorini overrated or still worth it?
Santorini is not fake; the view earns its reputation. The problem is the machinery around it: cruise timing, peak prices, photo pressure and everyone wanting the same sunset at the same hour.
Answer
Santorini is at its best when you treat it as a spectacular but managed experience, not as a relaxed all-purpose island. The caldera towns can still stop people mid-sentence, especially early, late or from a quieter base. But the famous version is also the most pressured version: packed viewpoints, expensive rooms, cruise-day surges and a sense that half the island is waiting for the same photograph. Go if the landscape matters to you and you can design around the friction. Skip it without guilt if you want beaches, value and a slower island rhythm.