Most Romantic Greek Island
Santorini has been on my “Must visit” list for the longest time ever. I visited Greece several times and loved it so much, but have never been to Santorini. Since I visited Greece first time at the age of 16 ,with my school, I knew I wanted to go back. And so I did, several times, and so far had the pleasure of exploring places like: Athens, Thessaloniki, Paralia, Meteora, Crete, Hydra and loads of tiny islands. One thing is for sure, I really love Greek culture, Greek people and their food. Its probably one of my favourites in that part of Europe (ok, excluding my mums kitchen).
On this occasion I stayed in Oia, which is around 30 minutes away from the tiny airport in Santorini, which is located in the capital – Thira (also known as Fira) . I hopped in the car which I previously organised with the Hotel in which I was staying and started enjoying the tour. All of sudden I could see many churches, and few old houses. 15 minutes later, I could see the something that resembled Santorini which I saw on the pictures online. I loved it right away.
What to do?
Most of the people we met were their for their honeymoon or some other type of romantic holiday with their other half, other people were there to relax and I must admit that Santorini seems like perfect choice for both. Its is a very quiet, chilled island, and definitely not for people who are looking for a lot of fun and loud parties. However you can expect to see some romantic sunsets, dazzling panoramas and volanic beaches, all three which were pretty incredible for me.
There are so many things you could do in Santorini and I listed below few that I did:
1.Hiking – You can walk anywhere in Santorini, but keep in mind that the roads or the path can be pretty steep. Most of these are also used by donkeys so I would recommend some comfy closed shoes. Hiking is really fun in Santorini as you get to see a lot of it, I also loved getting lost in the tiny streets and finding some beautiful churches, there are so many different ones, and you definitely will not get bored of walking around the island.
2.Sunset Chasing – Find your perfect spot for sunset watching and expect a truly incredible experience. We found a view point close to the police station in Oia which was just perfect for watching sky change multiple colours. If you book a hotel whos infinity pool faces west, you will be lucky to watch the sunset from your sunbed, hopefully with a cocktail in your hand.
3.Swimming and Sunbathing – I must admit I didnt do much of this, but it was so nice to have a swim for an hour during the day. If you are a fan of beautiful and different beaches, make sure to visit red beach, which is pretty incredible. I have to add that Santorini isnt really famous for beach vacationing, as its a volcanic island, and most of the beaches are really dark or black. Keep this in mind if you are expecting white sand beaches
4.Food Tasting – Vine and Food tasting has to be one of my faves. We tried numerous restaurants so I will discuss that into more detail next.
Where to Eat?
I dont want to overwhelm you with different options, so will only list my absolute favourites. Food in Santorini isnt the best Greek food I had so far, as it was sometimes hard to find a fresh restaurant that is open. There was a lot of fish, and fish taverns, but here is what I would definitely recommend:
1.Restaurant Fino – Restaurant in Oia, which we ended up visiting almost every single day. They have all sorts, including burgers, Greek salads, stuffed aubergines and similar style foods. Pretty young, cool and modern comparing to everything else we visited until then.
2.Lolita Ice Cream – This is probably the best ice cream I ever had in my life. Right next to the Fino restaurant you wont miss it. Last month when I was there the owner was looking for a wife, so if you want to stay longer in Greece, here is your chance ;)
3.Armeni Restaurant – You have to take a boat to visit this place, and its a really good fish tavern and place with various foods. I loved the boat ride and the view, and their grilled squid was great. Service was wonderful too so I would definitely recommend you going there.
4.Sciza – This is more of a pop in, do some work restaurant. I would class it as a fast food, but is more of a cafe with some snacks, sandwiches, deserts and so on than a restaurant. We loved it for breakfast or quick bite between shoots.
Few Notes On What To Pack
As I recommended earlier, you simply have to go for a walk or two while in Santorini, try getting lost, finding secret passages, using random staircases and meeting locals. Pack something you will be able to walk in. In fact I didnt really require heels at all while in Santorini, apart from styling them for one dinner that I had in the hotel.
Your packing list should have:
1.Comfortable Shoes
2.Sunglasses
3.Many Swimming Suites
4.Mosquito or Insect Repellent
5.Hat
6.Dresses of All Sorts
I of course didn’t bring any comfortable shoes, but had to walk up the hill for 45 minutes together with some donkeys (I felt so sad to ride them, so ended up walking), and have to say that my Hermes Oran sandals with a small heel really didn’t need to see or experience that path. It was all worth it when we figured out that we really saw the most beautiful corners of this island. Rooms are made like caves, so they are very dark inside, which meant we always had our doors open. That of course resulted in having many mosquitos and flies in. Bring some repellents. Hats are also useful if you go for walks, as there isnt much shade around. I had to list sunglasses above, even though I know you wont forget them. However when you leave your dark room in the morning and experience the dazzling whiteness of the island you almost get blinded, so dont forget these.
Now few words about what I wore. I mainly opted for easy stuff, such as linen or cotton dresses and shorts with t shirts. Jeans and Denim skirts were not on my list this time. This Aztec print March II dress was sitting in my wardrobe for a while and I though Santorini was just perfect for it. I paired it with a boater hat and my new Jimmy Choo sunglasses called Jade. I love them so much and have to say they were my favourite during the trip. On my feet I had the red Hermes Oran sandals with a small heel, like I mentioned before. These sandals are so comfortable, but probably not the best for climbing up and down the stairs and hills, I much preferred walking in something with a bit of ankle support.
SHOP MY LOOK
FEW FINAL NOTES
-Dont think its a small airport and you only need to be there 1.5 hrs before your flight. Its the most unorganised airport I have ever been to in my life, and its definitely over crowded. Santorini sees 1.5 million tourists per year, so airport is super busy (an probably inadequate if you ask me). Make sure to get there at least 2 hours before your flight.
-Check out the old windmills, I absolutely love them, and they are situated in Oia at the end of the city centre area.
-Top places to stay are: Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli and Oia
Hope you enjoyed this post. Let me know if you would like me to write more of these trip recaps.
