Santorini Guide : A Perfect Day on Santorini
For travelers who have never visited Greece, Santorini is probably the only recognizable island name. (Although its official name is actually Thera.) And for good reason, the picturesque town of Oia covers the pages of travel magazines and Instagram posts. It is a travel must-see for so many people. But the island of Santorini is so much more than its famous cliffside town. Read below to hear all about how we would spend the perfect day on Santorini.
SLEEP : Stay at Hippocampus Hotel in Kamari. The hotel is located just a short walk from one of Santorini’s famous black sand beaches! We loved our stay at this small, quaint accommodation. (We paid about $150/night which for Santorini standards is pretty inexpensive. Especially for the location!)
EAT : One of the most famous spots on the island to enjoy a meal is Metaxi Mas. Perched high up on a hill, it would be an ideal sunset location. Make sure to book a reservation. If you couldn’t snag a reservation, head there at 2:30 when they open for a late, post-sightseeing lunch. Our favorite spot on the island was Fistikies. Walking distance from the Hippocampus Hotel, this restaurant is beautiful. White, blue, and wood decor mixed together in that gorgeous Greek way. The food was some of the best that we had in Greece. But the real highlight? The restaurant has a playground. Which means that we could dine (almost) alone and complete full sentences while our children happily played. The whole family loved our meal so much that we gladly repeated it on the second night.
DO : The number one reason to travel to Santorini (for most people) is to see the town of Oia. I had dreamt of seeing it for years and years. It is beautiful. It’s also crowded and expensive. Packed with people trying to get the best photo. Nonetheless, it was still so exciting to see it and check off that bucket list item! Here are a few tips for your visit. Arrive early! This is tried and true advice for any sightseeing location. Find a spot to have lunch or just some appetizers and wine. It gives you a break from the crowds and usually restaurants have wonderful views of the town and the sea. We loved our meal at Elinikon overlooking Amoudi Bay. Find a spot on the outskirts to get a better view. When you’re in Oia you can’t take in that view that you’ve seen in photo after photo. You might need to work for it a bit more but traveling further out will help achieve that moment if it’s one that you have your heart set on. Santorini Dave, a fantastic website for anyone traveling to Greece (or Japan!), has a list of the best views in Santorini.
PLAY : Other islands may have more beautiful beaches, but Santorini has some unique ones! Black sand beaches, red sand beaches. Our favorite was Kamari Beach, a black sand beach, which was only a block or two away from our hotel. Compared to the beaches on Paros, it’s not our favorite overall, but it was memorable. Many places to grab some lounge chairs from a restaurant on the beach, enjoy a drink, maybe some ice cream, and play. If your version of play is a bit more active then there is also a wide selection of hikes along the island to some beautiful spots. If we could go back in time, I would have hiked the caldera path between Fira and Oia.
TREAT : Stop into any number of gelato shops in Oia. Dessert aside, you could always treat yourself to a drink! Pop in for a tasting at the Santorini Brewing Company. Their donkey beers are good (not great) and some of the only craft beers that we found on the Greek islands.
Is the town of Oia on your bucket list? If you have been to Santorini, what places did you love there?
