Tips For Visiting Santorini

Is Santorini really all that it’s hyped up to be? Yes! A million times YES! Everyone should experience it at least once, and I’ve honestly been trying to plan a return for a while. For all you Instagram lovers out there, it’s a place filled with picture opportunities around every corner and the most perfect colors—a dream location! Below are some of my quick tips if you’re visiting the island.

What to bring

Bring the right shoes because there are A LOT of steps and much of the ground is cobblestone, so the more you walk the more it hurts like hell.

Bring a good quality camera. Though I didn’t take my own advice back then and only had my iPhone, I cannot wait to go back with a real camera and properly capture the glow of the night and the sharpness of the colors of the island!

What not to do

Don’t rent a car! Try a scooter if need be, I saw plenty of places to rent those. To explore the island you will have to park on an outer street and walk anyway because there aren’t many spots where cars are allowed. Plus, if you’re driving on the outer road instead of walking through their gorgeous white streets you’ll miss all the picture opportunities like these:

If you want to go to any of the beaches (which you should) the bus service is really simple to understand and comes frequently. But it does get PACKED. They only had one bus company when we were there, so just plan ahead. When you come in from the airport, you’ll get dropped off near the local bus stop where you can pick up a bus schedule at their customer service desk.

What not to miss

Do not miss the sunset in Oia. It’s famous on travel lists and one of the “must do” things in Santorini. Many people gather on this outer tip of the island to watch the sun go down. Pretty awesome experience. However, I must say you can catch the same sunset from almost anywhere on the island, but I still recommend checking it out in Oia because why not? You’re in Santorini! Explore it all!

The hike to Oia is beautiful but hard and it’s a lot further than it seems from the main town of Thira. Remember that Santorini is made up of steps, lots and lots of steps! We foolishly thought it’d be no big deal, but halfway through we jumped into a taxi because there was just no way. But who knows, it may be a breeze for you. Give it a whirl and let me know how it goes!

Eat the crepes. You won’t be sorry.

Where to stay 

Stay in Thireas Hotel, it offers one of the most incredible views of Santorini. I researched tons of hotels to ensure I was getting the absolute perfect view of the island. I was not disappointed. Since it was our anniversary, we did get an upgrade with a balcony! They will bring you breakfast every morning as you enjoy the view. It’s perfect. It’s also pretty affordable, I’d say midrange, but if you’re more on a budget you can always look into Airbnb’s!

Where to eat

Eat at Naoussa restaurant, which is right by Thireas Hotel. We had to wait a few minutes for our table so they immediately brought us complimentary wine. Yay! After we were seated and our order was taken, the owner came to see how we were doing. He chatted with us about Greece and even sat down at our table as we asked him questions about the island.

We had so much fun that we’ll always remember it as the best service we’ve ever received.

The food was incredible, and you can also request a table with a view. The dinner was topped off with complimentary homemade limoncello! So what are you waiting for?! The euro is low and this island is heavenly, let’s start planning this trip!

source naoussa-restaurant.com