Santorini Sunbathing, Sightseeing and Eating
Santorini
Sunbathing, Sightseeing and Eating
One of the Cycladic Islands off the south-east coast of Greece, Santorini is largely regarded as one of the most picturesque of all the Greek Islands. It’s small so you won’t need more than a few days to see the sights. A great way to get around is to hire a car as the road routes are easy to navigate. I went for a week which is the perfect length of stay for sight seeing and allowing plenty of time for sunbathing.The main places to see and visit are:
Thira
It’s the capital city and the main commercial hub of the island. Filled with shops, bars and cafes, many of the islands best restaurants are here, it also has a port so lots of cruises and boat trips set sail from here.
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| Santorini is a popular wedding destination |
Boat trip to the Caldera
Charter a boat and visit the volcanic Caldera. Trek to the top of the volcano, stop off for a swim in the hot springs and have lunch prepared for you by the skipper. Boats leave the port of Thira every morning, but think about chartering a yacht of your own for the day. Its more expensive, but totally worth it.
The Beaches
One of Santorini’s unique points is that the beaches have different coloured sand due to the volcanic nature of the island.
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| Black Rose suites and pool bar |
Black Beach
Formed from volcanic ash and rocks, yes you guessed it…the sand is black! Black Beach spans a large section of the south-east coast of the island. I stumbled across a great place for cocktails, the Black Rose Suites in Perivolos. It faces onto the beach, but behind it huge imposing hills make for a very surreal setting. I highly recommend the frozen margaritas!!
Red Beach
Is a small cove beach south-west of the island. It gets very busy in high summer and the walk to the beach is a mini trek over some rocky terrain. An easier way to get to it is on the boat cruises that take you to all the beaches. It’s a nice enough beach but don’t be too upset is you don’t have time for it in your schedule. It is near the ancient archaeological site of Akrotiri.
Eating
Santorini is a culinary island, there are so many fantastic restaurants here. Be warned it can get really expensive though, so make sure you check the price lists before you sit down. There are hundreds of Greek style traditional tavernas, I highly recommend these as most are cheap and delicious. Here is a run down of some my favourite restaurants in Santorini.
Set on a cliff side in the tiny village of Exo Gonia, Metaxy Mas is the ultimate traditional Greek Taverna, with a view. Frequented by locals and intrepid tourists alike the prices are low, service fantastic and tastes sensational!
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| Amoudi Bay, Oia |
Restaurants in Oia
In Oia you must visit Amoudi Bay, a tiny inlet housing 4 or 5 restaurants at the bottom of the cliff. Get dropped off at the top of the hill and walk down the cliffside, visiting quaint shops and galleries on the way, or just drive to the sea front. Pick your favourite restaurant, they are all delicious. Sunset is a lovely time to visit, you can watch the fishing boats return to harbour whilst sitting by the sea edge, dipping your toes in the water with a chilled glass of Santorini wine.
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| Me in Amoudi Bay |
Hailed as the Heston Blumenthal of Santorini, Nikos Pouliasis’ restaurant Koukoumavlos is renowned for its experimental menu. Think crayfish in white chocolate sauce, with ginger, lime, anchovy caviar and green apple carpaccio or try the Kataifi of cheeses, which is fine Greek white cheese, wrapped in hair angel pasta, flavored with rose petals in a watermelon sauce with mint and cucumber jelly.
Note, it is expensive and make sure you book in advance, but it’s definitely worth a try!
