Santorini Travel Guide

The last stop of our Greece trip was beautiful Santorini. Leading up to our trip I think I was most excited to visit Santorini because of how picturesque it is and everything I’ve heard and seen about it. It’s one of those places that has been on my bucket list FOREVER. And I never really thought I would have gone until I was a bit older so I was so so excited to visit.

To get to Santorini, we took another ferry from Mykonos. This one was a little bit longer because we had to take another route due to the wind speeds (this is apparently very common in Greece). Our ferry took about two hours and once we arrived to the port, a driver from the hotel was there to greet us and take us to our hotel. Booking the transportation with our hotels made it extremely convenient because the port can get really crazy and busy with everyone getting off the ferry.

We booked our stay at Cavoo Tagoo, one of the most famous hotels in Greece. If you ever come across travel Instagram pages or blogs, you are bound to see photos from Cavoo Tagoo because it is SO gorgeous and a hot spot for a lot of travel bloggers. It is a boutique hotel with only 13 rooms, situated on top of a breathtaking cliff in Imerovigli. When booking our trip, we were torn because we wanted to stay at Cavoo Tagoo, but it is not in Oia. Overall looking back, I was obsessed with our hotel and loved it so much but I do also think staying in the heart of Oia has a lot of benefits because there is more to do there (esp. at night), more restaurants and places that are walkable, and if you’re looking to take photos before the crowds come, staying in Oia makes it much more convenient. Regardless, we loved our stay at Cavoo Tagoo. Nothing beat the view you get when laying by the pool. The service was amazing, the staff was so friendly, and the food was delish! They also offered complimentary breakfast every morning of our stay which was a huge plus. The breakfast was amazing!! Although the hotel is more secluded, it was still a dream and I would 100% recommend it if you’re okay not being in Oia!

WHAT TO DO IN SANTORINI:

• Visit Oia: Oia is the most famous spot in Santorini (and the world). This is what you see all over Instagram, TV, online, wherever someone is talking about Greece! Oia is where you will find the most picturesque views, with the stunning white buildings situated all along the hillside. If you think it is stunning in photos, just wait until you see it in person! It is a DREAM. When visiting Oia, it can get extremely crowded, especially when the cruise ships dock, so I recommend getting an early start (esp. if you want good photos). We got there around 10 AM and it was already getting busy! Once it was noon, it was madness. So many people in all the narrow streets. It gets slower again after 5-6 pm, but until then it is pretty crazy with tourists! When in Oia walk around all the streets, explore, and shop. I recommend grabbing a drink or lunch at one of the cute restaurants overlooking Oia.

• Have a sunset dinner: This is a MUST! We did a sunset dinner two nights, one in Oia and one at our hotel in Imerovigli. It is the most romantic thing you can do on the island and it was one of the best times of our trip! Our first night we had a sunset dinner in Oia at Petra which is located at Canaves Oia Suites. The food was delicious, the ambiance and view was breathtaking, the service was wonderful, and they also had a live saxophonist playing the entire time which was so romantic. I recommend making your reservation there a little earlier before sunset and get there about 10 minutes before so you can pick the best seat in the house! We were one of the first parties there and got a table right at the end of the restaurant, overlooking all of Oia, without anything in our way. It was beautiful! On our second night we had a sunset dinner at the restaurant in our hotel, OVAC. In my opinion, the sunset at our hotel was even better than in Oia because you really see the sun set into the ocean, while overlooking the gorgeous water, and Oia in the distance. OVAC had amazing food, the ambiance and view was again unreal, and it was just so so romantic. I highly recommend doing dinner here one evening!

Petra

OVAC

• Visit Ammoudi Bay: This is in Oia, and a spot where you can hike down to and get close to the water. Here you will find restaurants and bars and you are looking up at Oia. Its a completely different feeling and a really cool place to explore!

• Explore Fira: Fira is another beautiful place on the island with white buildings as well. Here you will find a ton of shops, restaurants, nightlife, museums, and so much more. There is a lot to do in this area and it is fun to explore! They also have a tram from the bottom of Fira to the top which is where tourists usually come from the cruises. It is a fun place to explore, especially at night! Another great place for dinner or lunch as well. Fira is definitely more of a party town compared to Oia so if you’re looking for busy bar and clubs, I recommend coming here at night.

• Take a sunset crusie: This was another one of the most memorable moments of our time in Santorini and I really recommend it. Book a sunset cruise (they also offer morning ones, but sunset is much better IMO) and spend the entire afternoon exploring the island by boat. Ours stopped at 4 different locations, and during the stops you can go for a swim, snorkel, or just enjoy the views and relax on the boat. The cruise offers a traditional greek meal which was so yummy! The cruise starts on one side of the island and ends in Ammoudi Bay in Oia where you will watch the sun set. It was such a breathtaking and memorable moment. There is nothing like seeing the sun set into the ocean from a boat. It was unreal! FYI: I highly recommend wearing dark colored swimsuits because if you decide to swim in the Hot Springs near the volcano, your swimwear can get stained by the sulfur in the water. Also, don’t wear any expensive jewelry because it can get ruined as well.

• Go on a wine tour: Unfortunately we didn’t have time to do this but I have heard great things about it! Santorini has a lot of wineries and if you love wine tasting, definitely look into doing a wine tour.
• Rent an ATV and explore the island: Another thing we didn’t get a chance to do but a lot of tourists rent ATVs and explore the island with it. Santorini has much wider and less crowded roads so I believe it’s easier to get around with an ATV here vs Mykonos.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON SANTORINI:

• Santorini high season is in the summer, May-September. However, according to the locals, the weather can get very windy in September. When we were there end of July, the weather was great! It was warm but not too humid or windy which was perfect.
• If you want to get photos in Oia without crowds of people in your way, I recommend getting there as early as you can, before 9 AM for sure. The cruise ships come in around 10 AM.
• Santorini is another expensive island. From accommodations, to dining, and getting around, it’s definitely not cheap. The nicer hotels on the island can start around $500 USD per night during high season, our transportation was around $20 USD each way, and the fine dining is a bit pricey. If you’re looking to save more money on accommodations, I recommend staying in Fira or looking into Airbnbs and rental properties.
• Santorini is not a party island, it is much more romantic than Mykonos, and a great place for couples and honeymooners. Although there is some partying and nightlife in Fira, it is nothing compared to Mykonos. I would recommend Santorini to anyone, but just know it is a more romantic and calm island.
• I would recommend spending 3 nights in Santorini. That is what we did and I think it was perfect! If we had one extra day I would have probably spent it wine tasting, but we were still able to do everything we had hoped for so I think 3 days is perfect.
• Pack comfortable and light clothes and sneakers or flat sandals. Santorini is full of bumpy streets and lots of stairs so you want to make sure you’re comfortable!

So that pretty much covers Santorini! If you have any questions I missed or didn’t cover, feel free to leave them below and I will answer them there! Don’t forget you can always refer to my Instagram page for my Greece highlight stories to catch all the videos from my trip! As always, thanks for reading!! xx, S.

 

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Mykonos Travel Guide