Words simply cannot describe the beauty of Santorini, and all that lies within this picturesque island. After several late nights in Mykonos town, Nitin and I were looking forward to some R&R in Santorini. We took a ferry between the two islands, enjoying the beautiful views and sea of endless white buildings that filled our sights. I couldn’t resist this super cute Topshop Swirl Print Playsuit for the ferry ride, loving the fun and playful pattern. Upon arriving in Santorini we were escorted to our hotel, where we settled in before heading to the town of Fira for some exploring, followed by dinner with friends who were also visiting the island.

 

Fira is a toned down version of Mykonos town, but it shares the same, narrow cobblestone paths which are an enemy to high heels around the world. The views in Fira are spectacular, especially in the evening when everything is lit up. On our first night in the town, Nitin and I strolled around, popping in and out of shops, enjoying a little appetizer of fresh gelato prior to dinner at Argo Restaurant (details Argo Restaurant can be found in my post GREECE TRAVEL GUIDE (PART 1) – BEST PLACES TO EAT IN GREECE). We shared a lovely dinner with our friends, and after dinner we traveled back to our hotel to rest up for a busy day ahead.

 

Our first full day in Santorini was amazing! We met up with our friends again and ventured out onto the sea to enjoy a tour of the Santorini hot springs, and hike up the volcano. It was super hot that day (as were most days in Greece), so this flowy Design Lab Lord & Taylor Embroidered Paisley Print Dress was the perfect, lighweight piece. Since Greece, I’ve found myself reaching for this dress on hot days – it feels like I’m wearing nothing! From the town of Fira, we had to make our way down to the old port to catch the sailboat for our afternoon excursion. There are a few ways to get to the old port which I talk about in my previous post; donkey ride, cable car or walking. While Santorini is known for its donkeys, I strongly advise against riding them. Once you see the condition in which these donkeys are kept and treated I have no doubt you’ll agree with me. If you choose to walk, you’re taking the same path the donkeys travel on, soiled heavily with manure. For our group, the fast and comfy cable cars were a no-brainer. We enjoyed the view heading down, a couldn’t resist snapping a few selfies along the way. When we arrived down at the old port we headed to our boat and set sail.

 

When we arrived at the hot springs, many people opted to stay on the sailboat as we were cautioned numerous times that only strong swimmers should make their way to the hot springs. Nitin and our friends decided against joining me, so I ventured to the sulphurous springs of the volcano solo. Because of the shallow water near the springs, the sailboat cannot pull up too close. Once I dived off the boat I had to swim a few minutes before reaching the springs, but once I arrived I was able to stand on the rocky, uneven surface below me. There are certain pockets of water hotter than others, and it was fun to explore the area. Because of the sulphur, your jewelry and bathing suits can get stained, so leave your accessories back at the resort for this excursion, and pack an old bathing suit. In terms of the swimming level, I do agree that you should be a pretty strong swimmer for this adventure, but with that being said there were people of all ages enjoying this excursion.

 

After the hot springs the sailboat made its way over to the volcano, where we climbed to the top, stopping every 10 minutes or so with our guide, enjoying surreal panoramic views. There are parts of the climb that are steep, but nothing too crazy. If you have a fear of heights or any health related issues that prevent you from walking through steep, uneven trails, this may not be the best excursion for you. I recommend wearing good shoes, or at least not flip flops, and ensuring you have a fairly large water bottle on you since it’s quite hot. Remember, you are on a volcano, so there isn’t anywhere to refill your water bottle. Overall, we spent three hours at the hot springs and volcano (including travel time), which is the perfect amount of time as we still had the rest of the afternoon to eat, explore the town, and did I mention eat ;)?

 

The rest of our days in Santorini were spent visiting the black sand beach in Perissa, (you can read more about that in my GREECE TRAVEL GUIDE (PART 2) – BEST BEACHES IN MYKONOS & SANTORINI + TOP 10 THINGS TO KNOW WHEN TRAVELING TO GREECE), exploring the city of Oia, shopping of course, and enjoying the Santorini sunsets. I love this bright pink H&M dress for Santorini- perfect pop of colours against the white background. If you’re like me, when you think of Greece you picture beautiful white buildings with blue domes, and this is exactly what Oia is home to. Nitin and I loved wandering aimlessly around the city, discovering the most picture-perfect views at very turn. I don’t think I can count the number of times I said to Nitin, “This is JUST like the postcards!” Santorini is so beautiful that you can’t help but dance on the streets and want to embrace every second of your time there. The town is filled with little shops and resorts, similar to Fira, but it’s a more upscale part of the island. If you are looking for luxury and charm, I recommend staying in Oia.

 

 

The sunset is Oia is unbelievable, but be prepared for busy streets, crowded with people trying to get a perfect view of the sunset. Nitin and I preferred to be away from the chaos during sunset, and opted for a romantic little nook near a Santorini windmill and small field. It’s said that the Oia sunset is the best in Europe, and while I haven’t seen every sunset in the continent, this one would be pretty hard to beat!

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!

xo, Kiki