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Author: foreverintravel

Cycladic white-washed houses stacked onto the cliffs, sunsets more magical than any you have ever seen, and food that is so heavenly you’ll begin to wonder if you could ever eat a different cuisine again. Santorini is one of those places everybody should visit – photos can never do this much beauty justice. We spent three days here – not quite enough time, but enough for allowing a leisurely pace. And we visited during a weekend. Do the same, and you’ll avoid the cruise ship daytrippers, and you’ll find it all the more pleasant because of it. We also spent time in Kamari, in addition to Fira and Oia – and we recommend you do the same for a more complete experience.

Kamari

The Acropole Sunrise is a reassuringly Greek place to start a Santorini trip, especially if you can haul yourself out of bed for that famous sunrise “better than the Oia sunset” as some people (falsely) claim. As we had arrived late the night before on a flight from Manchester, we hadn’t made the sunrise, but were looking forward to sitting down to the lovely Greek breakfast and planning our first day in Santorini. A couple walked into the bright and breezy dining room, the sun-kissed woman proclaiming loudly to the jovial owner, Stamatis, “Fourth sunrise today – I had to wake him up!” pointing at her equally sun-kissed husband, who was grinning sheepishly. I smiled at this. There is something about the guest that has been there longer than you, the new arrival. They exude confidence. They know the manager and staff, the manager and staff know them. They start to share in-jokes. The new guests can only watch in a mixture of fear and admiration. The breakfast was delicious – cooked to order and with generous helpings too, and lashings of coffee.

We chilled out taking in the panoramic views of Kamari from the terraces and lounges of the hotel. The Acropole Sunrise is blessed with a location set on a steep hillside some 15 minutes walk to the beach. We chatted with the larger-than-life Stamatis -who has that incredible Greek ability to chat away to you as though you are an old friend, to make you feel welcome, to make you feel as though he has all the time in the world to answer your many questions – qualities that are all the more apparent when you live in a place like Hong Kong, where such pleasantries are non-existent.

We walked down the incredibly steep hill down to the promenade, the Greek sun kissing us gently for the first time. There were lovely artisan shops on the way to the beach, and our wallets were already lighter when we stopped at Taverna Perugiali on the pebble beach for a delicious Greek salad and oh-so-fresh calamari. We walked up and down the promenade, and took some time out at Nexus Beach bar, renting a sunlounger on the black pebble beach, exerting ourselves only for a brief swim or to order another cocktail. It’s all very pleasant here in Kamari – it has a gentle vibe and seems to be the ideal place for families and more mature couples who don’t want the crowds of Fira or Oia.

We walked down to the other side of the beach, where every 40 mins you can get a boat around the rock to Perissa. We didn’t, instead stopping at Hook Bar under a delicious bouquet of bright pink bougainvillea and enjoyed a local rose (dry) and a sangria made with local red wine (drier). We sat here and people watched, then headed to Orchidea restaurant for a fantastic deal – 16.70 euros for dinner for two, a massive plate of chicken souvlaki, beef gyros, fries, salad, pitta, yoghurt (tahini)…Very scrumptious -and great service too. We washed it all down with a carafe of local white wine. The day ended with a nosy around the shops, then a steep climb back up to Acropole Sunrise, which burned off some of the filling dinner. Stamatis greeted us as old friends even though he knew we were leaving for Thira the next morning, and we already felt at home. Kamari is a very pleasant introduction to Santorini.

Fira

Watching the sunrise together over Kamari was a magical way to start the day. The couple who had burst in with ‘Four sunrises’ yesterday morning were already there enjoying their fifth. Over breakfast later, we chatted with an amiable Russian couple who lived in Pittsburg, the wife was a professor at a university teaching music there. We enjoyed a good breakfast conversation about travel and adventure. Had a good chat with Stamatis again too, the lovely, warm Greek with a twinkle in his eye – one of those people whose presence is as big as the room.

Stamatis got us a taxi for 20 euros to Thira / Fira, to the Alizea Villas and Suites. Nice place, bright, breezy, cute pool. Checked in, and were shown to the top floor. We had a balcony. offering (distant) sea views. Lots of light. Lots of what I now call ‘Santorini blue’. We headed out to Fira Town proper – a 10- minute walk from the hotel. Fira is a cobblestoned labyrinth of tacky souvenir shops, boutique fashion and accessories shops, and touristy restaurants and bars (yes, even the obligatory Irish bar) heading up to the cliffside, where hundreds of upmarket villas, swanky cocktail bars and restaurants have been carved into the cliffs. The town is a multi-layered tapestry of white-washed dwellings, and blue domes of churches, the small pathways worn down to a shiny marble by the hundreds of thousands of tourist feet that trample here every year. We wandered around, popping into churches, exploring the headland, taking photos of the stunning vistas. It was tiring work, but luckily there is always a cheap gyro shop somewhere to refuel. We spent the evening at the central square, where we found a place serving cheap gyros that had a good buzz and people watching opportunities. We then strolled back to the Alizea. Fira is everything you imagine it to be – just better.

In the morning we went to ‘Our Corner’ brunch spot to enjoy a Greek omelette, waffle, pancake, and filter coffee. Delicious. The woman who owned the place took great pleasure in helping us plan our day. Greek people are so friendly and eager to help. She gave us a map, showed us things to do, and told us to stop by the branch of ‘Our Corner’ in a little beach place close to Oia, owned by her brother Michela. Before we left she asked us to leave a review on Trip Advisor. Well, we didn’t do that – but if we had it would be 5 stars!

Fuelled up, we walked up to the cathedral, and down to the west, wandering around a maze of white stone passageways and steps, past blue and white-domed churches, luxurious villas, suites and hotels, posh restaurants and cocktail lounges, spectacular views at every turn.

Oia

The 5pm bus to Oia for a mere €1.80 seems to be a sensible option from Fira if you want to make the sunset with time to spare. The ‘bus’ was actually a tourist coach, and was packed. People needed to stand for the winding 25 min route across the cliffs to Oia, home of the most famous Santorini sunset.

Oia takes things to a different level entirely. Wide, Polished stone floors skim the clifftops, offering views down to a plethora of stunning cocktail bars, restaurants and hotels and villas with plunge pools, private yachts moored up in the sea beyond. Vero bought some cherries, which promptly stained my new white cotton shirt. It didn’t matter, nothing could taint the experience, neither the cherries nor the enormous crowds. As sunset drew near, there was a sense of panic amongst the throngs as they attempted to grab that all important sunset vista. We tried a few routes, battling through the crowds, before settling on a wonderful spot on some steps overlooking a church in front and the sea and cliffs beyond, and the curving townscape to the right with a windmill on top. There were small bars with terraces playing music, and a couple of mini markets selling cheaper booze to enjoy the sunset with. I got a big can of mythos and Vero a corona, and we sat enjoying the scenes. Yes, it was busy, but nothing like what it could be on a weekday (today was Sunday), when up to 6 cruise ships, each carrying 3000 passengers, descend on Santorini and all make their way here to Oia. And anyway, it was busy because we were also there, part of the problem, no point complaining about it! We were blessed with a truly beautiful sunset in these spectacular surrounds. A friendly red-haired Italian girl helped us take photos, and even took some with her flashy phone camera, which surely had Instagram-worthy pre-sets judging by the amazing results. She Wattsapped them to Vero later.

As soon as the sun set the crowds left, like a football stadium emptying. We stayed longer, as the sky changed to pink then deep red. We wandered back through the passageways full of jewellery and souvenir shops, and signs on the walls that read ‘this is your holiday, but this is our home. Please respect Oia.’ It’s easy to forget sometimes that real people live here, with real lives. It must be a nightmare having football-stadium sized crowds turn up everyday.

We waited in line for the bus to Fira. There were loads of people. We got on the third bus. Back in Fira we went to a Greek restaurant for excellent moussaka and feta cheese and pepper stuffed calamari, washed down with rose wine. Full and exhausted from beautiful experiences and wonderful food and drink today, we strolled back the hotel. An incredible day to remember forever.

Leaving Santorini

Three dream-like days had passed in a blur of white-washed buildings. blue-domed churches, sun-kissed beaches, sweaty gyros, and spectacular sunsets. It was time to leave for Mykonos. We were glad we had heeded Stamatis’s final words of advice before leaving Acropole Sunrise in Kamari. We went to the port early – we left at 8:15am. It took only 15 mins, but with only one winding road in and out of the tiny port, the road would quickly get congested with all the tour buses and there were tales of them taking more than an hour to get in from the final bend in the road. We were glad we were able to sit down in a cafe and enjoy a Greek omelette, filtered coffee, and a chocolate croissant before leaving the paradise of Santorini behind. We were satisfied – this place had been on our bucket list for years, and we had managed to do it completely on the fly, booking last minute flight and hotel deals – and in peak season too. It can be done. We were ready for the beaches of Mykonos.

Take me away!

How to get there

Direct seasonal flights from most of Europe (arriving in Fira / Thira).

You can also get there by ferry from Athens (Rafina port), and also from many popular Greek islands. Check ‘Let’s Ferry’ for more info on schedules.

When to Go

April to November – May to October has the best weather. Of course, July and August are great, hot, but super crowded.

Where to Stay

Kamari: A great list of hotels with maps is here.

Fira has some absolute incredible hotels chiselled into the cliffs. Out favourite is Angel Luxury Suites. A definitive list is here.

Oia is where the most incredible sunsets are. Stay at Charisma Suites!

A complete list of Ois hotels is here.

What to Remember

Choose to visit Oia for sunset on a Saturday on Sunday – days the cruise ships are not in port – it’ll still be busy but not overbearingly so (there are often 6 cruise ships, each carrying 3000 passengers, at a time. Imagine the extra crowds!

When leaving Santorini for the ferry port to other islands, GO EARLY! After 8:30 the narrow winding road gets choked with hundreds of tour buses. It can take more than an hour to get in to the ferry port from the final bend in the road!

Use Sea Jets ferries. Comfortable, good service, and the fastest!

Don’t sweat about booking hotels far in advance. We did everything last minute, just booking a different hotel the day we checked out of another. It’s not for everyone, the lack of planning ahead of course. But we like the unpredictability – and you can get some amazing bargains!

Eat gyros at the little stalls. Delicious and cheap – it’s easy to spend a fortune in Santorini, so give your wallet a break!

More information

Check this blog out!

Santorini Dave is pretty essential reading!

This is also a pretty comprehensive guide!