Greece - Santorini

Santorini is one of the most picturesque and enchanting destinations in the world. The Greek island is renowned for its white-washed buildings, crystal-clear waters, and dramatic cliffs overlooking the Aegean Sea. Santorini is composed of several towns and villages, but Thira and Oia are undoubtedly the most famous ones. Thira, also known as Fira (and even Phira), is the capital of Santorini and is situated on the western side of the island. It is perched on the edge of the caldera, which is the result of a massive volcanic eruption that occurred over 3,000 years ago. The town is a popular spot for tourists due to its lively atmosphere, bustling streets, and numerous cafes and restaurants.

What did we do? Walk the trail from Thira to Oia. It's a 6.5 mile walk along the coast with breathtaking views of the caldera and the sea. It was tiring but well worth it! It seemed like it was more uphill than down... Unfortunately we were too exhausted to spend much time in Oia but did have lunch and some much needed water. Oia is known for being one of the most romantic destinations in Greece, making it a popular spot for honeymooners and couples. It is a popular place to watch the sunset. Somehow we managed to get in line for the bus back to Thira just in time.  

Started the morning with a beautiful sunrise

Three Bells of Fira

Church of St Mark the Evangelist 

Church of Anastasi

Skaros Rock 

Chapel of Saint Mark

Are we there yet?

Church of Prophet Elias

Which way do we go

Need a break

The Assumption of the Virgin
Mary Holy Chapel

Prophet Elias Holy Orthodox Church

Church of Panagia Akathistos Hymn

One of many flying dress photo shoots

Standing room only

Last seat 💺 on da bus

Hiked down 588 steps to the harbor dodging donkey poop, especially after hiking to Oia. One of the main attractions in Thira is the cable car that takes visitors from the port up to the town. If you're feeling more adventurous, you can take a donkey ride up the winding steps or walk.

Yes, she forces 💪me to take pictures

Museum of Prehistoric Thera and the Archaeological Museum of Thera.

Fresco

Clay Portable Oven

Bronze Dagger

Lead Balance Weights

Jug with a Linear A Inscription 

Amphora with elliptical mouth 
and a standard decoration

Ritual Vessel

ATV ride around the island. This was fun! We headed to Red Beach which was nice but don't recommend going out of your way to go there. We had a nice lunch and rode the back roads to Oia. We checked out the Byzantine Castle ruins and admired the crystal-clear waters at Ammoudi Bay. We rode along the coastal roads, through small villages, and up the hills to catch the best views of the island. 

Danger No Entry Falling Rocks
That doesn't mean us?

Yes I'm Cool!

Ammoudi Bay

Views to and from Byzantine Castle

Heading back

Doors - Sharon was into the doors. I think she took a thousand 🤔 pictures.  I'm only sharing a few.

Wonder where these doors lead?? 

Random pics!

NO! She did not get my credit card

Where did we stay? George and Joanna Suites (an AirBnB). Super nice! We had the Joanna suite which was a nice size room with a couch, kitchenette and 'hydro-massage' tub. After two nights the hosts told us they overbooked and asked if we'd switch to the 'Honeymoon' suite. Did you say, "Honeymoon suite"!?! Well... that has to be better than what was already a fantastic suite! It wasn't. It was smaller but it was still really really nice! Our hosts were super nice and very attentive to any issue we had (minor ones) and gave us a complimentary transfer to the port for our ferry ride to Naxos.

Joanna Suite was huge (for us) and we definitely took advantage of the jacuzzi.

TV  rotated to bedroom 

Hot tub, charcuterie and wine 🍷 
What more could a man ask for!
(That's rhetorical) 😃

Teo (Honeymoon) Suite is very cozy with a lighted shower 🚿.

This shower was awesome!

Chillaxin

How did we get here? We took a ferry from Athens to Santorini on Blue Star Delos. We booked Business Class which is totally unnecessary. There are three 'classes': Economy, Air Seats and Business. Economy and Business are the same seats on different levels and both first come, first seated. The only difference is Business has waiters cirulating to give you food and drinks. Literally. That's it. The air seats are small sections that give you first class airplane type seats. They looked the most comfortable but honestly, Economy Class is fine. Travel tip: if you need to store luggage, store it in the easiest to remove spot you can find.

Where did we eat? 

Blue Star Ferry

Cappuccino 

Coconut Muffin

Ham & Cheese Sandwich

Pelican Kipos was a suggestion from our host and was very good.

Phone eats first and I was hangry.

Bayiatiko Fast Food a 2 second walk from our room and really great prices. The fries on the Gyro were the best we've had. 

Gyro

Melenio Cafe

Spinach Pie

Lucky's Souvlakis food was good and we were entertained. We ate here twice, the second time I somehow managed to order 3 sandwiches.

 

Aestas Sushi and Cocktail Bar was recommended by our airbnb host. It was good and the service was excellent.

Edamme 

Spicy Tuna

Spider Roll

Free shot

Our view, not much of a sunset

Taverna Glaros

Tomato and Cucumber 🥒  Salad

Moussaka

La Scala is where we celebrated our Easter Dinner.  We scored ocean view seats without reservations.  It was no where near traditional and we definitely missed our family and friends.  Also, it was not Easter in Greece. We had a beautiful sunset!

Stuffed Calamari 

Seabass

No we did not order

When did we visit? April 5 through April 10, 2023

Santorini is a must-visit destination for anyone looking to experience the beauty of Greece. Thira and Oia are two of the island's most popular towns, each with its unique charm and attractions.

“a'estas Latin for Summer. A state of mind where you are dreaming with eyes open."