Santorini, this white and blue perfect island, has been since forever on our travel bucket list. However, we've seen several videos and read lots of articles that talked about how crowded the island tends to get...and usually, we are not fans of crowded places.
But in the midst of the Covid19 pandemic and with all the travel restrictions for several countries, we found the ideal time to finally visit Santorini.
WHEN TO VISIT
Santorini is an ideal destination for almost the entire year, with great weather from mid April until early November. I would however avoid July and August as it can be way too hot for exploring the town during the day. We visited Santorini mid September and it was still torrid in the afternoon.
HOW TO GET THERE
You can either reach the island by plane or by ferry (from another island of course). The ferry is very connected and you can use it as a safe means of transportation to visit several greek islands. We took the ferry from Mykonos and it was 270 euros return ticket for 2 persons.
Here is where you can find the ferry schedule, prices and more information: Seajets.
WHERE TO STAY
There are three main villages in Santorini: Fira, Imerovigli and the most famous of them all, Oia. As Oia is the most popular one and as most of the attractions are here, accommodation on this village is a bit more expensive than on the other two.There are tons of great hotels to choose from in Santorini and you can find some at very reasonable prices! We could not decide on just one hotel so we stayed in 2 different ones, each with a different view.
CHARISMA SUITES
Location: One of the best in Oia
Room: *****
Breakfast: Excellent. Great assortments to choose from.
Price: $$$
Best thing: Without a doubt, the best thing was staying in the windmill room. Such a unique experience!
OLD CASTLE OIA
Location: Great location, close to the main attractions.
Room: *****
Breakfast: The breakfast could use some improvements, but overall it was good.
Price: $$
Best thing: The view! Without a doubt this hotel has one of the best views in Oia! And another great thing is that you get to experience it from their heated pool!
THINGS TO DO IN OIA
1. GET LOST ON THE ALLEYS
Wherever you set your eyes in Oia looks like you are admiring a perfect white and blue painting.
The hike between towns is quite spectacular, although it's more of a walk than hike, it can be quite exhausting in extreme heat.
If you don't feel like hiking, you can still easily get to each town by bus. For example we only hiked one way and we took the bus back to Oia. Make sure you check the bus schedule before hand.
Without a doubt one of the most iconic places in Oia. It tends to get crowded, so I would recommend going in the morning.
4. THE PINK CAVE HOUSE
5. ADMIRE THE SUNSET
Sunsets hit differently in Santorini! Before sunset the streets turn to life and tourists gather in several hot spots to admire the famous Santorini sunsets. You can choose to watch the sunset from the famous viewpoint of Caldera, a sunset bar or from the comfort of your plunge pool.
6. CALDERA VIEWPOINT
7. AMOUDI BAY
Also known as the exercise of the day! There are 300 steps leading down to Amoudi Bay and if going down is relatively easy, getting back up has it's charm. However, it was clearly worth it as the view from down there is spectacular!
Even though this route takes you to the seashore, you won't really be able to swim there. Overall I would not say that Santorini is a beach destination.
The pictures really don't do justice to this stunning greek island! Without a doubt my favourite place in Greece and I for one, cannot wait to return one day.
Hugs,
O
