Santorini Travel Guide
Santorini is definitely the most famous Greek Island, and for a great reason! There is so much to do and see here! This island is absolutely beautiful, and there is so much history here! Keep reading to see everything we did while 'studying' here, so you can properly plan for your next trip!
Here is a map of Santorini so you have an idea of the location of where we visited!
Dinner in Fira, Santorini
Fira is located along the western coast of central Santorini. Our hotel, Hotel El Greco, was located in this beautiful town.
The first night we arrived in Santorini, we headed up to the top of Fira to find dinner! We settled for a delicious restaurant called Zafora.
No matter what seat you chose in this restaurant, you had an awesome view of the city of Fira! The view of the white buildings dotting the mountainside will never get old!
Day in Fira, Santorini
Just as I had mentioned with the town of Chora in Mykonos, Fira is another town with awesome shops!
In these panoramic views from Fira, you can see the only active volcano of the Santorini Islands in the center of the ocean.
All around Fira are handmade leather shops. We decided to stop here, because we could see the owner sitting in the front window making his shoes! Julia bought a really cute pair of shoes from this shop!
Another beautiful view of Fira, Santorini.
You cannot skip eating gelato while in Greece! We visited Zotos almost everyday while in Fira!
Day in Oia, Santorini
I wrote about the beauty of the town of Oia in my previous post Overall, Santorini was amazing. Oia is another city you could spend hours just wandering around! There are amazing shops, restaurants, and views! Oia is located in the northern point of the island, and we were lucky that we were only a short bus ride away from Fira.
With Maria Marren, and this outfit is from Overall, Santorini was amazing!
Atlantis Books is the oldest, and only book shop on the island of Santorini! This little shop is definitely one you need to visit! They have a ton of original copies of famous books, and they have every book you can think of. Not to mention, the inside of this bookshop is the coolest design you will ever see!
Oia is so beautiful, and these pictures do not even do it justice. As amazing as the cameras are, they don't capture the colors, and details that you can see in person.
Obviously, the best part of Greece is the food! Greek food is hands-down my favorite, and eating real Greek food was such an amazing experience. They have gyro stands that sell the most delicious gyro's for only 4 euros! I found the one above in Oia, right before we caught the bus back to Fira!
Laurel Biddy and I in Oia!
These are the shoes Julia bought from the handmade leather sandal shop in Fira.
Our first night in Oia, Santorini was actually chilly! I had brought this outfit expecting to wear it in London, but dug it out of my suitcase early. I bought this maroon vegan leather jacket from Zara in Boston last winter, so it is sold out, but I found some similar options here and here. I love the look of black and white stripes with a color like maroon, so I wore this Portofino Shirt from Express! I love the Portofino Express shirts because they can be paired with jeans and worn casually, or you can dress them up for work! I am also wearing my Tory Burch Miller Sandals, and my favorite jeans from Topshop!
Dinner in Oia, Santorini
When going to Oia at night, you need to make sure to choose a restaurant where you are able to watch the sunset. I mentioned in my previous post how gorgeous the sunsets are; however, I did not give too many details. Around 6:00 at night the streets of Oia become so congested and crowded with people trying to watch it, that you can barely move! Everyone knows they need to get there early to get a good spot. What my friends and I decided to do was choose a restaurant where we could sit, eat, and enjoy the world-famous sunset!
We ate at this really cool and delicious restaurant called Blue Sky! I ordered the Chicken Risotto, and I think this may have been my favorite meal of the entire trip!
Here are some pictures of our amazing view of the sunset!
Boat Tour of Santorini
On our third day we took a boat tour of the Santorini Caldera, and the islands that make up Santorini. Santorini was formed from ancient volcanic eruptions. Out of the four volcanic islands that make up Santorini, only one of them is still an active volcano, and we had the opportunity to hike it on our tour!
A caldera is a large crater that forms after a volcanic eruption. The Santorini caldera was formed from volcanic eruptions many, many years ago. This eruption has created the islands of Santorini: Thera, Thirasia, Aspronisi, and the Kameni volcanoes. You can sign up for boat tours that will give you the history of the caldera, while you are able to see it up close.
This boat tour left from the Port of Fira, and we visited the volcano Nea Kameni (which stands for New Burn in Greek), the Hot Springs, and Thirasia.
We hopped on these adorable boats and set sail in the Santorini Caldera!
The view of the volcano, Nea Kameni, from our boat!
The beautiful views from the top of the volcano! You can see Oia, Santorini on the left side of the main island of Thera!
Nea Kameni means new burn in Greek, and it was given its name because it is the youngest volcano in Santorini's caldera. This volcano is also where the hot springs are located. This is still an active volcano, and its last eruption was in 1950. Don't worry, scientists are closely watching the volcano, and keeping it safe for tourists to explore. You can hike up the volcano for only 2.50 euros, and it is definitely worth it! This volcanic island has beautiful views of the surrounding water, and the islands of Santorini. You can see smoke coming out from the active volcano, and can even smell the sulfur in some locations.
The views from the top of the volcano were unreal! This is an experience I still cannot believe actually happened! I mean, who has the opportunity to hike a volcano in Greece?
I wore this romper in Israel just over a year ago, seen in my Leafy Romper post. I bought it from Lord & Taylor, but I found some similar options here and here. We didn't realize we would actually be HIKING a volcano, so unfortunately we all wore sandals! Learn from our mistakes and make sure to wear sneakers when you go to Nea Kameni!
Our next stop on the boat tour were the Hot Springs! You can't go to Santorini and not swim in the natural hot springs! The hot springs, which are not actually hot, are located next to the volcano Nea Kameni. The volcano heats up the hot springs, creating a natural warmth in the water. The water only actually reaches about 27 degrees Celcius, 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The reason the hot springs felt warmer than they actually are, is because you have to swim through the freezing Mediterranean sea to reach it! If you look closely at the pictures above, you can see a small orange/reddish patch of sea water as you get closer to the volcano, and this is the hot spring. The hot springs are red because of the sulfur, which is known to have therapeutic purposes.
Julia Frohlich, Maria Marren, and I in the Mediterranean Sea!
I bought this bathing suit from Victoria's Secret during their blowout sale, so I found a similar option here!
Our next stop was the island of Thirasia! Thirasia is another beautiful island to visit off of the main Santorini island, Thera. This small island has only a little more than 300 inhabitants. This island has high mountains with a great view of the water, and the surrounding volcanic islands. This island is perfect for a short getaway during lunchtime. The cute restaurants lined up along the water serve fresh and delicious food.
We ate at this cute little restaurant sitting right on the water! The seafood was so fresh and amazing.
Julianna Musumeci, Maria Marren, Julia Frohlich and I on Thirasia!
On our way back to the Port of Fira on our boat, we passed by Oia, and somehow the city looked even prettier from below!
Red Beach
Not all beaches are created equal, and this is definitely not one you'll see everyday! The rocks surrounding this beach are all red from years of volcano activity and erosion. This site is very beautiful, and a must see when in Santorini! This is a large tourist attraction, so make sure you get here early to secure a spot!
The red mountains are absolutely beautiful!
I bought this bathing suit top from Hollister (similar here) and these bathing suit bottoms from Victoria's Secret Pink (similar here).
Akrotiri
Akrotiri is about a 10 minute walk from Red Beach, so this is very easy to do in the same day! This historic site is an ancient Minoan city that was destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 1627 BC. The volcanic ash preserved many of the buildings, frescoes, and objects. Admission for this site is very inexpensive, so there is no excuse not to visit it! It is also an indoor site, allowing you to escape the heat for a little while. I highly recommend visiting Akrotiri for its beauty and history. The excavated site goes back to the 6th century BC and under the buried ash, it's still in great condition. It is a very similar site to the ancient city of Pompeii!
Wine Tasting
Wine tasting in Greece is a must! The wine is made on vineyards located on the island, making it taste fresh and delicious. Wine tasting gives you the opportunity to try different types of wine, so you can figure out what your favorite is. This is a really great option for a big group of people! You are able to order different amounts, so you can easily share a large flight of wine. Our group visited the Santo Wines Winery! Greek wine companies have been giving tours and tastings for many years, so this is not something I would skip when you are in Santorini!
Julianna Musumeci, Julia Frohlich, Laurel Biddy and I after our wine tasting! Stay tuned because this dress will be featured in a post from London!