There are something like 450 churches and chapels throughout Santorini but the Three Bells of Fira is one of the best. If you only see one church, make it this one. Located along the walking trail between Fira and Firostefani, it’s very easy to get to. If you are doing the Fira - Oia Hiking Trail, you’ll walk right past it. However, what you see from the path is not the famous Instagram image. You can’t see the stunning blue dome or the white bellcote from here. All you see is the relatively unexciting cream coloured facade. In fact I nearly walked past without realising that this was the famous Three Bells church. To get the very popular shot of the bells and the dome’s silhouette against the Aegean Sea, you have to follow a slightly roundabout path up to a viewing point at the back of the church. It’s not obvious where to go at first. However there is a sign next to the church’s front gate. I’d recommend taking a photo of this before you head off. To get there, keep walking along the path towards Firostefani, and you will come to a Greek restaurant, Mama Thira. Take the staircase beside Mama Thira, then head around to the right, climbing up to a small car park above the church. It’s a short walk and takes less than 5 minutes. Some signs will start to appear after Mama Thira’s. These are not formal or offical signposts but look more like A4 size sheets of paper and are randomly stuck randomly on to walls along the way. It’s worth noting that the church may appear on a map under one of its official names, the Catholic Church of the Dormition or the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Greek name is Koimisi Tis Theotokou.

This iconic viewpoint is a must-see when in Fira, Santorini! It is along the famed hiking trail from Fira to Oia; look out for a whiteish coloured flight of steps just next to Mama Thira Tavern, you should also see a small parking space. Head up the flight of steps and turn right, you should see Santorini Palace ahead of you (on the left). Head up the slope to another small parking space and you should see the iconic blue dome and three bells just ahead. You can also walk along the main street in Fira (comparatively lesser steps than the hiking trail); I landed up in Firostefani and backtracked to the three bells from there. I visited the area in October, and think that the afternoon sun (past noon) will work best in terms of lighting for good pictures of the dome and bells. I tried the morning sun (you get a bit of shadow from the dome), and setting evening sun, which is the worst because you get the backlight.

We stopped by this church briefly as we did the Fira to Oia walking trail. There is a great view of the water below, the volcano and the west coast of Santorini. There are a couple of benches in the area too if you want to take a quick break. There is signage which leads you to the viewpoint so you can see the blue dome and three bells which is a postcard view. There are some statues of pigeons in fun positions nearby and when I visited I met a very photogenic cat.

Getting there is not easy from your ship. You have a choice of waiting in the heat for hours to take the cable car up to Fira or you can walk up hundreds of stairs which are shared with donkeys. Once at the top, the town is beautiful. The church has a beautiful blue dome and 3 bells. The views are breathtaking. The church was built in 1757 and survived a majr earthquake in 1956 and had restoration done after that. Wander around the town to the many shops.

This famous symbol appears on postcards and calendars, so everyone wants to visit it. Of course, we do, too. We were staying near Fira so we walked around the town several times and saw this 18th century Catholic church. It was closed , we coludn’t go inside. It's worth looking for photo points and taking photos from there.