Greece seems to be the one place on EVERYONE’S dream travel list. It’s been on mine since high school, but I honestly wasn’t sure when it would ever happen. I definitely didn’t think it would happen in 2021!!! (I was pretty sure I’d wait to travel internationally again for another year.) But, when it opened up to vaccinated US visitors, and things were still pretty affordable (and available) for September, which is a key month to go!, and I had the flexibility this fall (!!!!NEVER HAPPENS!!!)…. wellllll, here we are!!
Santorini is probably the best known islands in the Cyclades, at least to American tourists. It’s actually quite small, but it’s gained popularity thanks to the many movies filmed there. Not to mention, the many cruise ships that dock there daily…. Santorini is no stranger to visitors. Even for it’s smaller size, you could easily spend a week there! My friend Kinsey and I were only there just over a full day, so we did what we could and left feeling like we could have spent another day there, but still content with what we saw.
Above: we got in to Greece Monday morning at 8am, went through customs & rechecked our bags into our small flight with Aegean. Our plane landed on Santorini, we found our taxi driver out front, and he dropped us off at our hotel (below image). Jet Lag is the wooooorst (insert Jean Ralphio here!) so we forced ourselves to walk around Fira, the town we stayed in, before a short nap and then walking back in for dinner.
our first dinner in Greece— yummy gyro from a local shop!!
the view from the road by our hotel. INCREDIBLE! Took my breath away the first time I saw it, when I took this photo. The sunset over the caldera is like nothing else.
Day Two: Fira and Oia, Santorini
We woke up relatively early, and headed in to town around 8:30am to find something to eat and coffee. Streets are perfectly empty and quiet in the morning, I could have wandered them during sunrise for days to my heart’s content. Breakfast at Iriana was so good, I had waffle with ice cream, and Greek coffee was a surprise (I forgot that they have the grounds at the bottom of the cup!).
After breakfast & the above photos, we determined to figure out the bus system. It wasn’t quite as hard as expected, thankfully, and we boarded a local “KETL” bus to Oia!! The ride is about 20 minutes, and you can just wander as you please once they drop you off in the town. I’m so glad we decided to get out of our comfort in Fira to explore this classic city with immaculate views. Fun fact: they filmed some of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants films here!!!
We chose to visit Oia earlier in the day, to avoid the heat but also because we predicted it would be busier as the day went on with tourists. I loved exploring the winding streets, drooling over the sea and cute window displays alike. Hearing multiple languages spoken was also enjoyable! Dutch, French, German, Hindi… there were travelers from all over. A tiny glimpse into Heaven!
Above, sitting on the edge of the castle (fort) wall! Great views from a pinnacle section of the city.
lunch on Santorini at SKALA Restaurant in Oia (probably my favorite meal)
Above: Everyone hangs dry laundry here. The islands are pretty strapped for resources already (they are islands, after all!) so water and electricity are especially precious. Honestly, America could learn a few things from our neighbors across the way!!!
Below: The cutest boutiques and outdoor market. An art lover’s dream!
After a crowded KETL ride back to Fira, we laid out at the pool to read/nap/swim. It was windy, so not as hot as it could have felt but still nice enough in the sun to be in a bathing suit!
In hindsight, we should have done some research on where to eat dinner. The restaurant we chose had a decent view of the sunset (although we had a table in the back, so it was obstructed). However, for a dinner that cost 25€, I think the shrimp risotto should come with more than 4 pieces of shrimp! So, it’s a no for me for Rastoni.
Wednesday was a travel day to our next destination, so I’ll be sharing about that in the 2nd blog post! Stay tuned!