Santorini is one of the most beautiful Greek Islands. Tall, oceanside cliffs hang with white-washed villages and famous blue domed buildings. The village of Oia Santorini is by far one of the most photographed places on Earth.
Where to Stay in Santorini
As imagined, any place this beautiful draws crowds and cruise boats. The trick is to find moments of quietude. This is one of the reasons we chose to stay in Oia.
Oia is inundated by crowds in the evening for dinner and sunset. If you stay in Oia, the mornings are all your own. Oia is somewhat isolate from the rest of Santorini, a good 40 minute drive, but THIS is what you dream of when visiting Santorini.
We chose to stay at Chelidonia Luxury Suites. There were five of us, so staying somewhere nice was a lot easier when divided by 5!
Every morning breakfast was delivered to our porch and we enjoyed the morning quietude looking into the great blue caldera that makes Santorini the shape it is.
This is where the Greek yogurt and honey really ramped up during the trip.
The only downfall to staying in Oia is that you’ll be far from Fira and all the restaurants it has to offer. Staying in Imerovigli is a good in between spot.
What to do in Santorini
We spent 3 days in Santorini which kept us on the move. Since Santorini is known for cliffside beauty rather than beaches, basking in the sun wasn’t in our plan for this island.
- Day 1: Exploring Oia (1/2 day)
- Day 2: Sailing
- Day 3: Hiking from Oia to Fira
Sailing Around Santorini
A half day catamaran trip sailing around Santorini was quite possibly the best thing we did on the trip.
The Mediterranean was the perfect temperature in mid-June for a dip in the sea that was refreshing yet not too cold.
Crystal clear water, smooth ocean, gorgeous scenery and delicious food on the catamaran made this well-worth the money.
Hiking from Fira to Oia
The 11 km hike from Fira to Oia is fabulous way to spend time soaking in the beauty of Santorini. In June, the hot Mediterranean sun demands that you start early, which is sometimes tough when you’re on vacation!
Since we were staying in Oia, we walked this path from Oia to Fira. Obviously you can go either direction!
View this Hiking from Fira to Oia post to see all the photos of this gorgeous hike in Santorini.
You should start any trip by outlining the foods you need to eat. Or maybe that’s a food blogger thing… 🙂 Anyways, here’s a list of foods you should be sampling in Santorini + throughout Greece.
Where to Eat in Oia
Just up the walkway from Chelidonia is Skala. The food and service were amazing and the view was just perfect. I even got to try Santorini’s own IPA…didn’t expect the bottle to be that huge!!
For the classic gyro with fries and super budget friendly. A stop at Pitogyros is a MUST!
We really wanted to try Meltini, but couldn’t get a reservation.
Which is the best Greek island to visit?
This depends on what you are looking for. Every island is beautiful. Of the three islands we visited this is what I recommend:
- Santorini – for cliffside luxury, sailing and snorkeling
- Mykonos – for beaches and a happening night scene.
- Naxos – for beaches, beautiful rustic countryside, and quiet.
Travel from Santorini to Naxos >>
A quick one hour + 15 min ride on a Seajet and we disembarked on the gorgeous island of Naxos.
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