Santorini Travel Guide
I had to save the best Greek island post for last. I absolutely fell in love with Santorini! I never thought I would actually lose my breath from a breathtaking view, but it happened here. Santorini technically consists of a group of islands that are situated about 1,000 feet above sea level. Most of the hotels that you see in the iconic Greece photos are located on one side of the island. The hotels also all seem to have unobstructed views of the ocean and the active volcano. So while we highly recommend our hotel below, you can’t go wrong when it comes to the views if you book somewhere else.
While Santorini is known as a couples island it’s also great for families and groups of friends. We met the kindest people here, stayed at our favorite hotel of the trip, and had some incredible food. Literally, the only downside of Santorini is that it can get really windy. So even if you are going here in the summer or warmer months, I’d highly recommend bringing a couple of sweaters to keep you warm. All of my recs are below.
Where to Stay
Seaside Santorini: After a couple of days of expensive but not-so-good food in Mykonos, we really needed a win and Seaside Santorini gave us just that. This was my favorite restaurant in Santorini! It is located on Black Sand Beach so book yourself a lounge chair at Seaside Beach Club (more on that below) and go here for lunch or dinner.
PitoGyro: This was by far the best gyro spot in Greece in my opinion. The food is really fresh including the pita and meats and you can tell in the taste. It’s located in Oia which was a bit away from our hotel so we were only able to go here once, but I would 100% have gone every day for lunch.
Skala: The driver who picked us up from the airport recommended Skala and it did not disappoint. We went here for lunch after our long hike from our hotel to Oia. We didn’t wait for a table with a view because we were so beat and hungry and ready to eat. The food is so good though! I ordered the green salad with peaches and a cheese platter.
Aktaion: Aktaoin has been around for 100 years! It has seen three generations of family owners. It definitely has the mom & pop vibes and the indoor part of the restaurant is cozy and familial. We sat outside and once again watched the sunset (it never gets old). The food was fantastic. I started with the greek salad and had the shrimp linguine. It was one of the best seafood pasta I had.
Aegean: This was one of the closest restaurants to our hotel with yet again incredible views. We went twice during our stay - for lunch and dinner. The food is delish and so is the Aperol spritz. If it’s close by I would recommend it. If you’re staying in Oia there are comparable restaurants closer to you.
Dimitri’s in Ammoudi Bay: If you love seafood, definitely have Dimitri’s in Ammoudi Bay. We only had drinks here because we came after lunch but the food looked delicious and was highly recommended. You will also be sitting right on the bay and will get a different but still beautiful view.
Where to Eat
Seaside Santorini: After a couple of days of expensive but not-so-good food in Mykonos, we really needed a win and Seaside Santorini gave us just that. This was my favorite restaurant in Santorini! It is located on Black Sand Beach so book yourself a lounge chair at Seaside Beach Club (more on that below) and go here for lunch or dinner.
PitoGyro: This was by far the best gyro spot in Greece in my opinion. The food is really fresh including the pita and meats and you can tell in the taste. It’s located in Oia which was a bit away from our hotel so we were only able to go here once, but I would 100% have gone every day for lunch.
Skala: The driver who picked us up from the airport recommended Skala and it did not disappoint. We went here for lunch after our long hike from our hotel to Oia. We didn’t wait for a table with a view because we were so beat and hungry and ready to eat. The food is so good though! I ordered the green salad with peaches and a cheese platter.
Aktaion: Aktaoin has been around for 100 years! It has seen three generations of family owners. It definitely has the mom & pop vibes and the indoor part of the restaurant is cozy and familial. We sat outside and once again watched the sunset (it never gets old). The food was fantastic. I started with the greek salad and had the shrimp linguine. It was one of the best seafood pasta I had.
Aegean: This was one of the closest restaurants to our hotel with yet again incredible views. We went twice during our stay - for lunch and dinner. The food is delish and so is the Aperol spritz. If it’s close by I would recommend it. If you’re staying in Oia there are comparable restaurants closer to you.
Dimitri’s in Ammoudi Bay: If you love seafood, definitely have Dimitri’s in Ammoudi Bay. We only had drinks here because we came after lunch but the food looked delicious and was highly recommended. You will also be sitting right on the bay and will get a different but still beautiful view.
Where to Drink
Bar to Navagio: This bar was right next to the Aegean restaurant near our hotel. It has such a great vibe. They serve great drinks (especially Aperol Spritz) and you can sit outside and watch the sunset. I wish we went every night after dinner. Where to Drink
Things to Do
Hike to Oia: This is one of two of my favorite things I did in Santorini. The full hike goes from the town Fira to Oia which can take anywhere from 3-6 hours. Our hotel was a little closer in from Fira so it took us about 2.5 hours. There’s not too much of an incline and it’s more of a long trail. I would recommend you go first thing in the morning before it gets really hot. We went around 11am and were definitely dripping sweat by the time we got to Oia.
Shop in Oia: After we hiked to Oia (pronounced “eee-ya”), we had a quick lunch and then walked around town and shopped. I absolutely loved the stores here. They have everything from souvenirs, to boutique clothing stores, to handbag stores.
Black Sand Beach: On our last day, we went to Seaside beach club Black Sand Beach and booked a daybed. This beach was more similar to something you would see in the U.S. and had lots of rocks and harsher waves. So it was not as nice as the ones in Mykonos but I still loved going here and getting in the water. The rental came with a bottle of rose and fruit and taco platter. So we spent the day eating, drinking, and relaxing. We also went to the restaurant Seaside Santorini (mentioned above) for lunch.
Eat, Drink, and Clif Jump at Ammoudi Bay: Walk down to Ammoudi bay and pass Dimitri’s and continue on the path around the point. You will usually see people walking here if you are unsure of where to go. You can hang out for a few hours and bring towels and food to hang out. I didn’t realize this and wish I was able to stay longer.
Sunset Cruise: We didn’t actually do a sunset cruise but it was highly recommended so I am adding it here. I’m definitely bummed we didn’t get to do it. I will definitely add this to my list if I ever go back to Santorini.