Stuffed with Wonder: 3 Days in Santorini

From Mykonos, we made our way to Santorini, another large island in the Cyclades. Santorini is a magical place. Created from a giant eruption in which the volcano collapsed and created what is called a caldera, the island of Santorini is a beautiful geological formation. The island is in crescent shape with beautiful cliffs falling into the calm ocean in the volcano's crater. The Santorini eruption, estimated to have occured in the mid second millennium BCE, was one of the largest volcanic events recorded in human history. It is believed to have devastated several Minoan settlements in the area at the time. This devastating eruption from thousands of years ago has left us with a visually stunning tourist destination. Just check out these incredible pictures a novice like me was able to capture:

Getting There:

I mentioned in my previous post about Mykonos taking the Blue Star Ferry, one of the larger slower options. From Mykonos to Santorini, I opted to book the faster SeaJets ferry to allow more time on the island. Let me tell you, the Mediterranean Sea is a very windy spot, and traversing it on a tiny ferry is like being on a plane that has constant turbulence. When we boarded the boat, there were many people who had been on since Athens, and just about everyone had already been seasick. Talk about terrifying, as I get motion sickness easily. Unlike the Blue Star Ferry, where you could walk around and pick where you wanted to sit, the SeaJets ferry had assigned seating like on an airplane due to the small amount of space on board. It was hard enough getting to our seats, but once we were there, I strapped myself in, found a space on the seat in front of my to stare at, and did not move for the entire trip. The 2 hour trip was absolutely miserable!!! To those that have any chance of getting sea sick, I highly recommend either flying or taking the larger ferry between islands. We chose to fly from Santorini back to Athens, and it was amazing! Santorini has a tiny airport with very little wait, so unlike big city airports, you did not have to arrive as early. Boarding went really quickly, and the flight was incredibly short to get into Athens. If your budget allows it, flying is the way to go to save time and your stomach!

Where I Stayed/ Getting Around

Unlike Mykonos, where most everything besides the beaches are centered around Mykonos Town, in Santorini you have a few different options of where you can stay. Fira is by far the largest town on the island, but I opted to stay in Oia (pronounced ee-yah), its smaller more picturesque counterpart. Oia was beautiful, but if I were to go again, I would probably choose to stay in Fira where there was actually a nightlife to speak of. After sunset, Oia pretty much closed down for the day. Besides that, the lodgings in Oia were incredible! We stayed with Delfini Villas in a cave room. Cave houses were carved into the cliffs of Santorini by indigenous people to protect from the strong winds. Now, most are converted into hotels. We were lucky enough to be upgraded from a basic room to a suite which included our very own hot tub. It was amazing to come back to our hotel at the end of the day and soak in the hot tub with a view of the caldera. Our views were amazing, and we were extremely comfortable. Like in Mykonos, our breakfast view was fantastic! When the hotel noticed us moving around in the mornings, they would leave us a breakfast on the table in front of our door, and then we'd come out to a lovely spread of food with an even lovelier view. I'd highly recommend checking out staying in a cave house in your stay, and choosing Delfini Villas as they were so great and helpful during our time there. They assisted us in choosing the best day tours, and booked everything for us. My favorite part of our stay in Santorini was the boat trip we took, which had been recommended by our hosts.

View outside of our door

Breakfast on our patio

Shared Pool

Cave Suite

Our own hot tub!

Getting around Oia is done primarily by foot. The main pathway is for pedestrians only, making the city even more picture perfect. Buses routinely run between Fira and Oia.

What to Do:

A Boat Tour: If you have limited time in Santorini, do this!! The boat tour we chose was an all day tour on a brand new catamaran. Since it was early in the season, we only had to share the tour with about 10 people. To top it off, the weather was amazing! I felt like a celebrity, cruising around the island in luxury. Our tour made a stop at the hot springs created by the volcano, the red beach, and a nice little cove for snorkeling. Unlimited wine and a delicious lunch was also provided on our tour. This was the highlight of our Santorini trip, and I cannot stress enough how great it was. I am not sure which tour company we went through, as it was booked through our hotel. I'd recommend booking a tour with your hotel when you arrive!

View of the volcano from the boat

Unlimited wine

Hot Springs: To get this hot springs, you have to swim to it as it is in the middle of the caldera. You'll eventually feel the cold sea water slowly get warmer and turn from a beautiful, clear turquoise to a cloudy orangey-red color. The water will also get shallower until you can stand up directly in the muddy waters of hot springs. Be sure to rub some mud on yourselves and have a luxurious mud bath.

The crystal clear waters turning muddy as we swam closer to the hot springs
Red Beach: The volcanic eruption created beautiful colors on the cliffs, and also this red hued beach. There is not much to this beach besides the red sands, but it is cool to see nonetheless.
Snorkeling: Honestly, having been snorkeling in coral reefs in the Caribbean, snorkeling here was not that exciting. But in the crystal clear waters, you could see some fish swimming around.

Perissa Black Sand Beach: This was my favorite beach on the island. Not only did it have the cool black coloring from the volcano, but there were friendly stray dogs to play with! I don't know if the dogs are there all year long, but they sure were friendly when we went. The beach chairs and umbrellas here are free if you order something off the restaurant menu. We had a nice lunch and spent quite a bit of time at this lovely beach.
Ammoudi Bay: We spent an evening here eating seafood and watching the sun set. To get here from Oia, you either have to take the hundreds of steep stairs down, ride a donkey down the cliff, or take a cab. We made the trek down once; however, to get back to Oia, we took a cab, as walking up in the dark seemed pretty ominous.

Steps between Ammoudi Bay and Oia

Oia on top of the cliff with Ammoudi Bay on the bottom
Photo Safari: Oia is a magical place with a great camera shot in every direction! The best thing to do here is to grab your camera, and start walking! You'll notice as sunset is nearing, people start crowding around the best viewing spots. Some say that the Oia sunset is the most beautiful in the world.

Tourists waiting for the sunset

Oia sunset
Shopping in Fira: Fira, the larger town on Santorini, has amazing shopping! You'll find tons of jewelry and clothing stores to stop in and buy souvenirs. I bought a super great evil eye necklace here; you see the evil eye everywhere in Greece!

Fira at night

Where to Eat:

Seafood at Ammoudi Bay: Any option here will be super fresh and delicious!
Skiza: This cute coffee shop and bakery in Oia was incredibly delicious. We stopped here 2 or 3 times for their delicious desserts. Try the ekmek kataifi- you won't be disappointed!
Skala: Right next to the steps down to Ammoudi Bay in Oia, this had a great view of the donkeys making their way up. Here was where I had the best moussaka I had ever tasted. It ruined other moussaka's for me for the rest of the trip! Their fava dip, a Santorini specialty, was also really delicious, and it was the only place we found Santorini's craft beer: yellow, red, and crazy donkey.

Moussaka

Craft beer made in Santorini