Beautiful Santorini

Idylic and tranquil, Santorini is the IT destination at the top of everyone's list. The postcard perfect blue and white enclaves along with the surreal, scenic views make for a memorable vacation that has you dying to go back. The crazy part: it really looks exactly like it does on the ‘gram.

SANTORINI SUMMERS

3 DAY ITINERARY FOR THE PICTURE PERFECT SANTORINI, GREECE

WHERE TO STAY IN SANTORINI

Choosing the best place to stay in Santorini can be daunting since each neighborhood has its own charm. Here’s a little cheat sheet that can help you decide:

OIA

Located on the northwest portion of the island, Oia is known for its hillside views and restaurants. It tends to be a tourist favorite to stay but can often be packed during high season.

FIRA

Somewhat centrally located on the west coast of the island, Fira (Thera) is arguably Santorini’s most instagrammable locale with tons of shopping, excellent eateries, and the ever famous Three Bells of Fira. Much Like Oia, Fira is also quite packed during high season. If you are looking for a convenient location that is walking distance to restaurants and views and you don’t mind the crowds then Fira is for you!

IMEROVIGLI

Known for its breath-taking sunsets, Imerovigli is also located in the central portion of the west coast of Santorini - just north of Fira. This quiet, honeymooner-favorite features many hotels, apartments and AirBnB’s quietly nestled into the caldera hillside. While there are some fantastic restaurants in this region, its more for those looking for a relaxing getaway away from the crowds.

PREKAS APARTMENTS (Imerovigli, Santorini)

RATING: 5/5
PROS: Convenient location in the Imerovigli region of Santorini which is quiet, gorgeous caldera views of the water from the balcony, spacious rooms, good wifi
CONS: as with all of santorini this place requires traveling some on foot up/down a hill on cobblestone paths - large suitcases are not recommended, breakfast is not included, small bathroom
NOTES: late arrivals require prior planning so that someone can let you into your room - the front office closes after normal business hours, travel with carry ons not large suitcases as these are hard to get up and down the cobblestone walkways

FOODIE FAVORITES

Since we paired our trip to Greece with Italy, we honestly were so focused on all the delicious pasta & pizza we would be eating in Italy that we didn’t even consider that Greece was going to a foodie destination. Especially for (dare I say it?) vegetarians. Yep. Santorini was extremely vegetarian-friendly y’all!

These were our favorite spots:

AVOCADO (Imerovigli, Santorini)

RATING: 5/5
PROS: seriously I (really all four of us) could not recommend this place enough. The service, staff, food, and ambiance was perfect.
CONS: Not a single complaint. In fact we loved it so much we ate here twice (in three days) because we loved it SO much.
MUST TRYS: the vegetable risotto was so delicious that my meat-eating bestie got it the next day. Also get the tzatziki, hummus and fresh pita. O.M.G. were these so good. Lastly, be sure to give the staff some hugs from us. They made this place so memorable!

CASA DI TE (Fira, Santorini)

RATING: 5/5
PROS: Romantic al fresco dining with views of the town, great staff & excellent service, delicious food, blankets available when the nights get chilly.
CONS: None.
MUST TRYS: Mushroom + truffle risotto was fantastic 👌🏽

LUCKY’S (Fira, Santorini)

RATING: 5/5
PROS: Vegetarian gyros available, Inexpensive, “Fast” food (ish), fresh & hot, delicious
CONS: line out the door, while there isn’t a “falafel” wrap the vegetarian potatoes gyro is very yummy!
MUST TRY: the veggie (potato) gyro. get it with tzatziki yummm

We just passed this little nook on the street and stopped to take a picture. The island is overflowing with striking fuchsia bougainvillea everywhere!

FINDING THE MOST INSTAGRAMMABLE SPOTS

Its no secret that Santorini is the Instagrammer’s paradise. The abundance of colorful bougainvillea against the stark white stone architecture and blue domes are just a series of #NOFILTER posts waiting to be documented - but where are the best places to take pictures and how do you find them? We will let you in on our little secret - don’t be afraid to explore.

Because Santorini is a traveler’s favorite, it can be pretty hard to avoid the crowds and really enjoy the scenery. Most of the fan favorites like the Three Bells of Thira are pretty much always packed during normal waking hours. Its best to visit these sites early in the morning to avoid the crowds and get the best pictures. That being said, we found that the best blue dome pictures actually came from just wandering. Chance is a wonderful thing, you never know what you will find.

We love a good twirl (Santorini, Greece)