Hello, hello! I am finally sharing all the details from our magical trip to Santorini, Greece! We went to this breathtakingly beautiful island to celebrate our 10 year anniversary and it did not disappoint. It was seriously everything I could have imagined and more. Also, Jeff and I ranked it as one of the best places we’ve ever visited – it may even be our absolute favorite.
Today, I’ll be sharing some of the photos we took on the trip including a few outfits I wore. The pictures speak for themselves – Santorini views are next level gorgeous. But, I’m sure you’re looking for more details! Head to the end of the post and I’ll share our itinerary as well as my personal recommendations.
First photo: Blue pleated dress / Sunglasses
Above: Embroidered shirt dress / Sunglasses / Speedy bag / Sandals
Below: Pom Pom Dress / White Resin Earrings
Where to Stay in Santorini
First, a little clarification. When I thought of Santorini, I pictured a small island with only one town. I even read a few other blogger reviews and didn’t fully realized they were staying in different towns all over the island. What I did gather is that two things kept popping up: One, of all the places throughout the island, everyone seemed to visit the town of OIA at least once. Two, the views you want are of the caldera {the body of water created by a volcano eruption centuries ago. This is also thought to be where the ancient city of Atlantis was located}.
With that knowledge, we choose to stay at the Andronis Boutique Hotel in Oia. For us, we wanted total relaxation and not have to travel by cab to the best places to eat. Plus, as you can imagine, taking winding roads on an island in the Mediterranean is not for a faint stomach. We like to walk to restaurants and meander home after dinner so this location was perfect.
Our hotel was centrally located in Oia, right in the heart of town. What makes this part of town so beautiful and charming is a marble pedestrian pathway, filled with shops and restaurants. All cars and motorcycles stay on a street outside the city, so make arrangements with your hotel because you’ll need help with your luggage if you stay here!
I have to say, after the logistics of arranging our families to watch our kids, getting on an airplane to fly so far, the connections, and airport transportation, we were really tired and questioning if this trip was worth it. But, when they opened the gate to the Andronis and we were greeted by Maria and the staff, we saw those views and instantaneously felt: yes! this is beyond amazing.
The rooms at the hotel are caves built into the mountain and overlook the caldera, just deep blues as far as the eye can see. I’ve never slept in a cave before and this was really cool! It felt so peaceful and natural. We also had a hot tub on our balcony, which was just what we needed after a long day of travel. We enjoyed our first bottle of wine, taking it all in, and watched as the hotel staff set up dinner for Lauda, the super fancy restaurant at our hotel.
Speaking of the hotel staff, I can’t even begin to describe how top notch, extraordinarily amazing they were. Maria, the hotel concierge, took care of us every single day. Asking about our previous night’s experience, confirming reservations and pick ups, and making suggestions along the way. Everyone was so happy, friendly, nice, and willing to make every moment of our stay a dream.
A few things to add on Oia to see if this is the right spot for you….
- It gets very crowded during the day and especially at sunset. You’ll see lots of tourists from bus tours, maybe cruise ships, flooding the streets starting around 9 AM. What we loved about Andronis was that even though we were in the middle of the action, we had no idea how crazy things were on the street! It was always calm and quiet.
- There are SOOOOO many steps. You can get a workout without even trying. I didn’t see any elevators so you will work off all those extra vacation calories pretty quickly!
- You won’t have to worry about rain, but it does get really windy!
Where to Eat in Santorini
OMG, the food was soooo good! To be honest, we’re type A planners and wanted to line up every meal in advance. But honestly, we wished we just let Maria tell us exactly where to go. Here are the places we ate in Oia:
- FINO: One of the best food experiences of my life. We went here our first night and it was a short walk from the hotel. We kinda felt like salmon swimming upstream on the walk over since almost everyone is headed to the sunset. FINO had the best food, an incredible cozy open air atmosphere, but warning, you won’t get caldera or sunset views here. Our first night was so memorable we were torn about going back again. Would it be as good as it was that first night? Were we just on a vacation high? Well, I can tell you that we not only went back a second time. We were there a third night. Do yourself a favor and visit this gem! {Food favs: the greek salad, lamb, octopus and the drinks are phenomenal!!}.
- SUNSET at AMMOUNDI BAY: This is where you get those views! I would make a reservation in advance to get as close to the water as possible. Here, they are literally pulling fish out from the bay and serving it up for dinner. For us, the views and experience were better than the food, but I would still recommend it. Also, this is not easy to get to. There are 250 stairs to descend to get down to the restaurant. The stairs are ancient and some spots are covered in donkey poop {seriously, the restaurant owners need to make a plan with the donkey ride people}. While I felt very absorbed in Santorini culture on this trek, I also wore sneakers to ensure I didn’t slip and fall.
- AMBROSIA: I read a few travel guides from some of my favorite bloggers and many mentioned this place. I’m including a picture of the view below, because is it beautiful. That said, this was our least favorite meal. We actually went back to Fino after. Why? Well, they are basically overcharging for mediocre food because of the view. A view, we actually had every day from the Andronis. If you are staying in another town on Santorini, I can maybe see the appeal of eating here. But we should have listened to Maria and dined somewhere else.
- LAUDA: This is the super fancy restaurant in our hotel. While we didn’t actually eat dinner there, we had thier breakfast every day and a few lunches at the pool. Everything we ate was great and like I said, the staff goes above and beyond to make your experience memorable.
- CATCH: We ate here the last night of our stay in Oia. It is actually close to Fino, but has rooftop seating so you get a glimpse of the sunset. The food was really enjoyable. I ate the Pasticcio and loved it!
- PITO GYROS: Now we get into the late night food. This was Jeff’s stop for a few lunches and before heading back to the hotel at night. It’s on a side street close to Andronis and is packed with people.
- MELITINI: We went here for lunch one day. It’s super casual with great food, mostly mezzes. If you’re close by in Oia, this is a great spot for a light meal.
House of Harlow dress / Wedges
What to Do in Oia
Our main objective on this trip was to relax and reconnect. So while there are many things to do on the island, I would highly recommend keeping things simple. We loved everything we did and glad we didn’t over do it.
- Take a Hike: There is a walking path that takes you from Oia to Fira, the capitol. One morning, we hiked about an hour and half out. It takes longer to go the full way, but we had our fill when we reached the highest point. I would recommend going as early as possible/once you wake up. It starts to get really hot once the sun is in full force. Another great option is taking a cab to Fira and walking towards Oia – it’s more down hill that way.
- Catamaran Cruise: We did this and it was our favorite day! There are usually two times the boats set sail: Morning and Sunset. I would go sunset all the way. You leave the harbor at 3 and return at 8 just as the sun is going down in the water. The one we used offered food and unlimited drinks {wine and beer} making it a bargain. We really enjoyed our catamaran company, Vista Yachting, however, we didn’t realize it departed at the most southern part of the island {Oia is the most northern}. Since we went semi-private, there were about 12 other passengers on the boat making it just enough people to share a cruise with. Plus, it was nice to chat with other couples, many of whom were on thier honeymoon. That said, we were the first pickup and were in the transport van for almost an hour. It did allow us to see the entire island, even catching a glimpse of the black sand beaches, which honestly, was enough for us. Staying put in Oia was all we needed. The company operating out of Oia is called Sunset Oia.
- Explore the Shops: There are many souvenir stores on the main marble drag. We found pretty bowls and pottery, unique earrings, and paintings.
- Wear Blue and White: You don’t need to tell me twice to wear blue! As you can see from my outfits, I wore blue or white every day.
Well, there you have it! I hope you enjoyed all the information here. Seriously, if are contemplating any Greek Island, Santorini is a must. Once our time here ended, we flew to Paris before heading home. Check out my post on 36 Hours in Paris.
Have you been to Santorini? Comment below on your favorites!
Shop My Santorini Outfits:
