Discover Spirituality: Stunning Santorini Sunset

I am a very particular traveler. When I travel to distant places I look for and expect a different experience than what I am used to at home - such as encountering an exotic culture, soaking up a lush landscape, or tasting fantastic food. I would never think to travel to another locale just to witness a sunset. Everyone likes to view a beautiful sunset now and then, but I rationalized that sunsets are just a daily occurrence which happens everywhere throughout the world. They are really nothing very special, I thought.

While traveling in Greece recently, I kept hearing persistent rumours of the incredible sunsets which could be viewed on a particular Greek island. If you’re anything like me, you have heard about all the ‘must-see’ things to take in while traveling. I wanted to find out if viewing a Greek island sunset would provide me with a unique experience while traveling, or if this was just a sunset 'gimmick' to encourage more tourism on the island.

Faster than a tourist buying up souvenirs, I was off to the Greek Island of Santorini, also known as Thira. The well-known white cube dwellings, which appear to be stacked upon one another like shook up sugar cubes, were amazing to experience. This is a culture to which I was not familiar. I was also taken with the sense of energy given off by the island and its peoples. There was indeed a tranquility which took hold of me while I explored the buildings and looked out into the deepness of the ocean of this crescent-shaped island.

I heard talk everywhere of the sunsets being one-of-a kind on Santorini. There was a buzz on the island of people gathering before 8 p.m. to view this mystical phenomena. Not wanting to feel left out, I kept a close eye on my watch and carefully monitored the sky, trying to anticipate what was to come shortly. I planted myself firmly along an ocean-view lookout, among the scrambling stairs and cubed homes. I was not alone, as hundreds of other people also put down temporary roots along the winding paths and viewpoints which hugged the cliffs overlooking the ocean. We must have looked like a large ant colony tunnelling along the cliff-dwelling pathways of this beautiful island.

It was now 8 o’clock. The sky started to turn a brilliant bright orange. The unobstructed views of this gradual, yet overpowering sunset filled the sky. There was perfection here – in the color and shape of the sunset, which lingered in the sky, hanging for what seemed like forever. Everyone around me felt this perfection, as we all stopped in our tracks to appreciate what nature displayed before us. Suddenly, I felt a strange, but wonderful feeling. I was connected with every person watching the same spiritual event. We were all one, sharing in this experience. I felt a sense of gratitude that I was able to experience this sunset, as this has become one of the most enduring memories I have of my trip. It taught me about how we are all interconnected in this world, even if we just experience this feeling for a brief moment in time, for something common which exists everyday, like a sunset.