Hi everyone, thank you so much for following along our greek adventure. If you enjoyed reading the last two articles, I hope you’ll like this one even more!
After Athens, Mykonos, and Paros we headed to one of the most magical greek islands: Santorini. The most difficult part of planning our Santorini stay was choosing a hotel since there are so many! They get very expensive during the summer and we were determined to find the perfect hotel with a gorgeous view of the infamous Santorini sunsets. We chose to stay in Oia, which rests on a cliff at the very end of the island, at the Thirea Suites and we were amazed upon arriving to our dreamy suite. Not only was the design clean, typical, and spacious, but we had a huge, very private terrace with our own dining table, jacuzzi, and lounge chairs with a postcard-perfect view.
One thing to note after having stayed there is that most of Oia doesn’t actually get a sunset view. Due to the island’s natural crescent shape, Oia faces south even though it’s on the west side of the island, so you have to walk to the end of town to get a full sunset view. Walking around the village of Fira, however, which sits a bit higher on the cliff and right in the center of the west side, we realized it would have also been a great option. The hotels seemed just as nice, and we would have been able to enjoy the sunset from our terrace. Nevertheless, it’s impossible not to have a wonderful time in Oia.
As soon as you arrive in Oia you are in a different world, there is such a wonderful, calming vibe. I would advise to arrange transportation with your hotel directly when you arrive at the port it’s easier since it’s not near downtown and you have to climb a lot in order to arrive on the island since Santorini sits on a cliff. Keep in mind you might have to go down 100 steps to get to your hotel, a nice everyday work-out but so worth it!
Our first day was pretty laid back. We had the best 4euro gyros of our life at Pitogyros and familiarized ourselves with the streets of Oia. And, of course, we made sure to spend some relaxing time on our terrace looking at the deep blue of the Aegean Sea.
Santorini is definitely an island full of surprises, you even get to choose between white, red, and black sand beaches! Of course, we went to all three! The black and red beaches were our favorite because of their dramatic palette and picturesque landscape. On our way to Kamari Beach, one of the black beaches, we grabbed lunch at Milopetra, a delicious traditional greek bakery minutes from the beach.
We then went to explore the central village of Pyrgos and enjoyed a nice sunset drink with a stunning view at Franco’s Cafe. We ended the day with a delicious dinner at Kantouni, a very authentic restaurant.
For our final full day on the island we were eager to explore! We found ourselves making a stop at Megalochori to stroll its charming streets on the way to the prehistoric town of Akrotiri:, an ancient port town on the southern tip of the island that has been excavated and preserved as a museum. Believe it or not, this town was home to the world’s first known vineyard, it’s only a 10min walk to the red beach! We loved everything about our last day, even while driving on the craziest Santorinian roads on the edge of the caldera in the tiniest car ever.
We ended our day by watching our last sunset in Oia, at a viewpoint on the edge of town with everyone else that came to observe a truly special moment.
Another way to experience the golden hour is to take a sunset cruise on one of the catamarans that tour around the island. We didn’t plan for it this time, they’re not exactly cheap, but we decided next time we will discover Santorini by the sea.
Have you been to Santorini? What did you like most about it? Please leave a comment below!
