Sun, sea, Santorini sunset

Officials worry as island is swamped in peak holiday season.

One of the most enduring images of Greece's summer travel brand is the world-famous sunset on Santorini Island, framed by sea-blue church domes on a jagged cliff high above a volcanic caldera.

This scene has inspired millions of fridge magnets, posters and souvenirs. Now the queue to reach the viewing spot in the clifftop village of Oia can take more than 20 minutes.

Santorini is a key stopover of the Greek cruise experience. But with parts of the island nearing saturation, officials are considering restrictions.

Of the record 32.7 million people who visited Greece last year, around 3.4 million, or one in 10, went to the island of just 15 500 residents.

"We need to set limits if we don't want to sink under overtourism," said Santorini mayor Nikos Zorzos.

"There must not be a single extra bed... whether in the large hotels or Airbnb rentals."

As the sun set behind the horizon in Oia, thousands raised their phones to the sky to capture the moment, followed by scattered applause.

For canny entrepreneurs, the Cycladic island's famous sunset can be a cash cow.