Santorini's cliffs and blue domes are instantly recognisable, which has made it a magnet for film and photography — but it's also frequently confused with a different Greek island's most famous film credit. Worth clearing up first.
The Mamma Mia myth
Despite being widely assumed, Mamma Mia! was not filmed on Santorini — the entire film was shot on Skopelos and Skiathos, two islands in the Sporades, several hundred kilometres away in a different part of the Aegean. If a "Mamma Mia filming location" tour is advertised on Santorini, it's marketing rather than fact.
What actually was filmed here
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life (2003) used Santorini's dramatic caldera extensively, including underwater scenes shot in the caldera itself, with much of the filming centred around Oia. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005) also shot key scenes on the island as part of its multi-location coming-of-age story.
Why photographers still flock here regardless
Film credits aside, Santorini's caldera villages remain one of the most photographed landscapes in the world for good reason — see our photography spots guide for where to shoot it away from the most crowded viewpoint.
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