I’ve never wanted to NOT come home more in my life until I visited Santorini. One of the most gorgeous places I’ve ever been with even more incredible food and charm. I had the most amazing time in Fira and Oia and wanted to share a full Santorini travel guide with you should you ever want to make the trip. From where I stayed, ate and adventures we had, below is a fully detailed list of our travels. You can click through the slideshow to see some of my personal favorite highlights from this trip as well.
Where We Stayed
Where We StayedCosmopolitan Suites – The hotel was our biggest splurge of the trip since we booked pretty last minute, we really didn’t have much of a choice. There were only a handful of nice hotels to choose from and the pool sold us. Cosmopolitan Suites were incredible and were set overlooking the sea with a stunning infinity pool. This boutique hotel (only 10 rooms total) was located right in the heart of Fira. Many people either stay here or in Oia and personally, I’m really glad we stayed in Fira. It felt a little less touristy and busy, although still definitely both of those things.
Staff at the hotel were incredibly hospitable, helpful and kind. We were greeted with champagne and a bottle of wine. The hotel was decorated in a traditional Greek style which was truly my only complaint, I prefer a more modern or contemporary hotel. It’s a personal preference and I know, super silly, but that was the only downfall in my opinion. The hotel offered daily breakfast with a huge variety of options. I did Greek coffee every morning along with Greek yogurt with sour cherries and yogurt with muesli. Ever since, I’ve been on the hunt for a similar muesli since I’ve grown obsessed.
We headed to Oia on our last day bright and early to see the town a little more quiet and less busy. It was totally worth it and loved getting to see these views again.
See the full outfit post featuring this dress here.
All over Paris were colorful giant doors. But Greece had the cutest small doors with way more character. We found this cute one while trying to find a caffeine pick me up in Oia. Someone needs to make a coffee table book full of all the Greek doors because I’d buy it in a second!
See this full outfit post here.
What We Did
Just about each day was mostly spent by the pool relaxing followed by a little shopping and dining. We explored Oia for an afternoon after our catamaran tour and again the morning before we left to see the town without the crowds. I highly recommend getting to the towns early in the day to get a real feel for it without a million people everywhere.
Santo Winery – Greek wineries are not what you think they’d be if you’ve ever been to Tuscany or Napa. It’s completely different but definitely an experience. We didn’t plan this part out very well and missed the tour by about 20 minutes. Instead, we decided to do a wine flight and take in the views.
Black Sand Beach – Santorini does not have any of the usual sand we’re familiar with. This beach was all tiny pebbles and was difficult and painful to walk on. Bring water shoes if you want to get in the sea. This spot was only about a 10-15 minute ride by car.
Catamaran Tour – We chose to do the daytime catamaran tour to see the whole island, swim by the volcano in the hot springs and were dropped off at Oia so we could spend the rest of the day there. This tour was 5 hours long and 150€. It included a homemade lunch which was one of the best meals we ate in Greece. If you think you may get sea sick, take something before hand or we chewed travel gum. The first 30 minutes were definitely rocky due to the wind and being on the east side of the island. However, once we turned the corner at the bottom of the island, the winds calmed as they were blocked by land. It was very pleasant after that.
Don’t get me wrong, we did not skip our hotel breakfast, instead we just ate this as an appetizer one morning. This egg, feta and salami crepe was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. Creme de le Crepe also had these incredible espresso freddo’s which I craved every single day.
Where We Ate
FIRA
1500 BC – This was our priciest meal and although it was delicious, I don’t know if I would’ve gone back. I’m perfectly fine eating casual food and would rather keep my money in my pocket but this was still a great meal. We had the fresh fish of the day which was caught that morning and baked in salt (something I’ve always wanted to try). This restaurant did not have sunset views unless you were sitting in their lounge area which was actually closed off. So I believe there’s no sunset views unless you get up from your table to go see it.
Naoussa – Traditional Greek cuisine in a casual setting. Sunsets from here are stunning and reservations are recommended. We ordered one fish entree and shared it along with a Greek salad and it was way more than enough food for the two of us.
Argo – One of the nicer restaurants we ate at, this spot had incredible sunset views. Be sure to ask to sit on the roof to take it all in. We ordered the stuffed calamari and a spicy pasta and seafood dish that was delicious. Reservations recommended.
Creme de la Crepe – We tried one of their breakfast crepes and devoured it in seconds. I also discovered espresso freddo’s which are iced espresso with foam. You’ll see these in the slideshow, delicious!
Souvlaki, Pita, Gyro and more – Located right in the square, this was the BEST gyro and greek salad I’ve ever had. Food was super inexpensive and very filling. We shared the greek salad as it was huge and I think our total bill with two gyros was only 12€.
OIA
Lolita’s – A gelateria serving up yummy flavors. I’m not a big gelato fan, but this did taste good. It came highly recommended as a must visit so I opted to try it. I prefer ice cream or nothing at all but this place was cute and had lots of seating.
Lotza – A tiny restaurant overlooking all of Oia. This was a great stop after our catamaran tour and we just ordered a few appetizers to hold us over until dinner. The views were incredible.
I was not okay with the idea of riding one of these cutie pies. When they walked past us I couldn’t help but fall in love with them instantly. They’re actually mules and not donkeys, but either way they’re adorable.
The post card shot as they call it. The trio of these domes is an incredible sight to see. We went super early one morning to get a better shot of them without a ton of tourists in the photos. It was well worth the alarm clock we woke up to. There were several great viewing spots to get the perfect shot so be sure to explore around the city to find these domes at all angles.
It’s no surprise I took a million photos of these gorgeous trees. I’m still in awe of them and how these beautiful bright magenta ends are actually leaves, not flowers! We found this stunning tree right when you got into Oia. It seems to be perfectly placed and like it was meant to be right there among the white structure.
Things To Know
Currency – Euro €
Electricity – Two prong outlet (love this converter)
Getting Around – Cabs and busses are readily available in the square of Fira and Oia.
Tipping – Included on your bill so only tip a little extra (5-10%) at fancier restaurants if you see fit.
