Fall in Love with Santorini, Greece
If you're wondering where to travel next, just drop all other plans and head to Santorini, Greece. It is truly heaven on Earth. Years ago, I saw one picture of the blue domes and calderas and immediately fell in love. I remember immediately googling for flights from LAX to Thira and the $3k round trip ticket confirmed that Santorini will have to be admired from afar. Last year when Chris and I started to plan our honeymoon, we were determined to find a way to Santorini without spending our entire wedding budget.
WHEN TO GO
We heard the best time to visit is late June to September, their "high season". We planned to go right after our wedding (late-October) so we were worried that the weather would suck, but I am SO happy we went when we did. I would highly recommend going towards the end of the season, but not off season. Restaurants, shops, and their best hotels are closed during the off season.
Great weather. It rained once for 10 minutes. All other days were sunny and breezy. Great for walking around and hiking. Warm enough to get in the pool during the day.
More affordable! The hotel prices decrease significantly once November hits. We paid full price for the last few days of October and saved a whole bunch on the November days.
Way less crowded. I've heard the streets (especially in Oia) can be so crowded you barely have room to stand when watching the sunset from the calderas. We had plenty of space!
HOW TO GET THERE
A straight flight to Greece is simply out of the question unless you're ballin'. We searched for the most affordable tickets from LAX to Europe - London! We flew to London, spent a day there, then took a budget European airline to Thira. From Thira, we stopped by Rome on the way back to LA. For all tickets, we spent the same amount we would spend to visit NYC!
WHERE TO STAY
While all of my friends recommended Imerovigli, we opted to stay in Oia. I loved it although I think staying in Imerovigli would have been just as lovely. The reason why we chose Oia was because we were determined to stay at Andronis Luxury Suites. My goodness. It could not be any more perfect. Definitely exceeded our very high expectations for our honeymoon.
Views. All rooms have a private jacuzzi and patio with a beautiful view of the caldera.
Service. A1! They assign you a personal receptionist throughout your stay. Not only was she sweet and welcoming - she also made our dinner reservations, arranged for transportation, recommended activities/restaurants daily. All other staff members are extremely kind. They really go above and beyond to deliver a stress-free yet fun-filled vacation. Definitely the best hotel experience we've ever had.
Breakfast. Every morning they deliver a breakfast (that you choose the day before) to your private patio. The breakfast is far from ordinary. You have a choice of an entree (i.e. Eggs Benedict, omelettes), AND waffles/pancakes, bread basket, jam, fresh squeezed fruit juices, elixirs, smoothies, coffee/espresso, yogurt- the list goes on.
WHAT TO EAT
We loved every meal we had in Santorini and I'm not exaggerating. Mostly every restaurant has an epic view of the caldera and/or water. It's hard to choose favorites, but if I had to...
Lycabettus - $$$$, but worth it. So romantic I literally cried. At the edge of the cliff - known as the best balcony of the world. We sat at the very end of the restaurant (the special pink chairs) for my birthday. Highly recommend reserving that table for a special evening. Cocktails were fabulous.
Amoudi Bay - A small strip of casual seafood restaurants right on the water. The locals told us that you can't go wrong! I wish we could've tried all of them, but only made it to one.Sunset, Amoudi Bay - LOBSTER SPAGHETTI. One of the best meals I've had in my life. I seriously crave it at least once a week and look up ways to recreate it - unfortunately I don't know how to cook. Fresh lobster, sauce is made with fresh oranges and ouzo (Greek liquor).
PitoGyros - The best gyros and super affordable!!! Small casual shop in Oia very close to Andronis Luxury Suites. We must have grabbed a snack from here once a day. We also decided to have our last meal at PitoGyros.
WHAT TO DO
Besides staring at the caldera and eating delicious food (which is more than enough in my opinion), there are lots of other relaxing activities to enjoy in Santorini.
Winery - There are several wineries on the island-it depends on the vibe you're going for. I would recommend asking your hotel for their recommendations. We visited a local favorite per our hotel recommendations - Domaine Sigalas. It's casual, relaxing, and very affordable.
Hiking - Oia to Fira/Imerovigli - It's about 6 miles, but it is so worth it. The views are spectacular. It took us about 3 hours, but that is with plenty of stopping to take pictures and admire the caldera. It is really awesome to see Oia and Imerovigli from afar.
Photoshoot - We didn't originally plan for a photoshoot, but after experiencing Santorini's beauty for a few days, we were sure wanted professional pictures. Our hotel recommended a local photographer Panos Barous. He is excellent! We spent an hour taking pictures in Oia and they turned out great. I'm really happy that we'll have these beautiful memoirs to remind us of our perfect trip forever.
Sunset Cruise - Absolutely recommend Caldera Cruises. They have a choice between daytime and sunset, which was a really hard decision for us! You truly can't go wrong. We were glad we chose the daytime cruise because it was warmer during the afternoon and we made it back in time to enjoy a sunset dinner in Oia. The cruise takes you to different parts of the island while hearing about the history. You get a different perspective of Santorini from the sea- that alone is worth it.
