Europe

Santorini island is the ideal paradise

July 1, 2019
Girl three domed blue church in Oia Santorini

Santorini island is definitely an oasis – this was my most relaxing stay during this trip to Europe. We flew Olympic (operated by Aegean Air, one of my favorite airlines) to the small airport in Thira on their one-a-day 7:00 am flight. When we arrived I realized I’d screwed up our airport transfer but thankfully there’s a company Yafy that will take you to Oia for 12 euros per person, which was cheaper than the 35 euro transfer I’d booked but only operates for arrivals (if you book a return it is 45 euros). I definitely recommend Yafy!

Our hotel was super central in Oia, the picturesque town you imagine for Santorini island. There are other areas like Fira and Imerovigli but we didn’t make it to them during our short stay. Although if you have the time there are public buses that operate between the villages and I would have liked to hike to Skaros Rock. Oia is filled with luxury cave hotels but I think our choice of accommodation, Oia’s Sunset, worked out perfectly. The hotel has a nice pool and bar area and rooms come with a private balcony, which was perfect for reading.

On the first day we walked all over Oia. To the right we walked as far as we could and ended up in the windmills area. To the left we walked past all the luxury hotels and restaurants. We located the famous three dome church photo spot, which was PACKED at 4pm, so we decided to come back early in the morning. We also had an afternoon drink on a rooftop bar – so perfect. Santorini also has some great nightlife options.

For dinner I had read about vegan baked feta at Katharos Lounge so we made the trek down to the beach (about 45 min walk outside of the village). Unfortunately it was closed! They were renovating to open back up for summer in a few weeks. So we walked all the way back up and then settled on Blue Sky near our accommodation. This restaurant had the friendliest staff! The Greek dish Briam was a vegetable casserole with potatoes, zucchini, eggplant and more that my mom particularly liked. I had a vegan pasta dish with a Greek salad feel (olives, onion, tomato sauce, etc). You can get several pieces of pita bread here for a euro. We made the mistake of trying a different restaurant the next night that had a trendy, rooftop feel and ended up leaving to go back to Big Sky. During the day I highly recommend a vegan chickpea burger at Z Burger, complete with a charcoal bun. The local craft brew from Santorini, Crazy Donkey, pays homage to the history of donkey transport on the island.

As I’m sure you will read everywhere… Oia is CROWDED. The nicest times to walk around are from about 8am to maybe 11am and then in the evening. Starting at noon huge groups of tours arrive off coaches and clog the narrow streets. It is super unpleasant, but we were so relaxed in our accommodation it wasn’t a huge deal to not be able to walk around at this time. Oia village is small and it is possible to see whatever you want in just a few hours in the morning.

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  • Reply
    Amanda
    July 1, 2019 at 7:07 pm

    The blue sea and white architecture make every photo so inviting. I love the windmill also.

  • Reply
    Mijia Eggers
    July 13, 2019 at 11:47 pm

    I love he this place on a day trip from the cruise. I went up 6000 stairs next to the donkeys. It was such a beautiful place to enjoy the sun rise and sunset!

  • Reply
    Maureen
    July 14, 2019 at 12:27 pm

    It’s too bad you didn’t get to any other parts of the island. I agree Oia is packed. I found 5:30 am best for photos, and then sunset photos from my private terrace. But there’s a great wine tasting tour, the Red Rock beach in the south is nice to see, and the village of Pyrgos is also well worth the bus trip

  • Reply
    Paula
    July 14, 2019 at 7:43 pm

    I love everything about Greece! I have not been at Santorini yet, but I have been to several other islands. They are all beautiful but like we all know, Santorini is definitely legendary so I want to experience it soon. And, the food is great in Greece too!

  • Reply
    Jane Dempster-Smith
    July 15, 2019 at 3:33 am

    We love Oia. We have spent about 6 weeks in total in a small studio in Oia. Your article brought back beautiful memories of our stay there. You are so right when you stated that you need to visit before 11am and in the evening. We would look out across the caldera and if we saw more than 3 cruise ships in we would just enjoy our studio for the day till they left. I am missing baked feta!

  • Reply
    Pooja
    July 15, 2019 at 8:26 am

    Greece has been on my list for so long. I always wanted to visit Santorini and Mykonos. Oia looks so peaceful here even though its known to be crowded. I love Greek food especially the Greek salad. The vegan chickpea burger looks tempting.

  • Reply
    Jackie
    July 15, 2019 at 5:10 pm

    It’s crazy how crowded the world is becoming through tourism! I love the look of this Greek island, but would take your advice about sightseeing earlier in the day or later in the evening. (I might even try to visit during shoulder season, but I bet a place like Santorini is busy year round.) It’s been more than 30 years since I’ve been to Greece and I am due for a return trip. I appreciate your honesty about the mistakes you made along the way (wrong transfer, restaurants closed) because I think more often than not that is the REAL travel experience! Most times, it’s a little bit of serendipity and you discover something you would have otherwise missed. Loved reading and look forward to putting your tips to good use. Thanks!

  • Reply
    Amar Singh
    July 16, 2019 at 7:42 am

    I had the chance to visit this stunning destination last year and it has left memories of a lifetime. You can only capture the real beauty when you experience Santorini yourself but your visuals are amazing. The sunset at Oia is one of the highlights of your visit to the island but can get very crowded during the peak season. There are some really beautiful beaches around Santorini and they can be a great getaway from the crowds of Fira and Oia. Thanks for sharing a great post.

  • Reply
    Ami Bhat
    July 16, 2019 at 11:43 am

    This is the 2nd time in the last 15 days that someone is advising me to avoid the crowds by going in the morning in Santorini. I guess it has become so popular that everyone wants to get there. And no wonder, given its gorgeous landscape and the quaint old town feel. Loved your pics here.

  • Reply
    Shreya Saha
    July 17, 2019 at 7:57 am

    Santorini island is a paradise, indeed. Those white washed walls with a backdrop of crystal blue sea is all that I need to vacay at now. Plus, the vegan baked feta from Katharos Longue you mentioned is something I am looking forward to, as I am a vegan. How amazing it is to find vegan options in Santorini blog of yours.

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