Ah yes, Monday, once again, comes too soon. If you need a little distraction, today I’m sharing my Santorini recommendations. We only stayed for three days, as it was the final destination on our honeymoon, but it was sheer perfection.
breakfast spot at our hotel
Where To Stay:
We chose to stay in Imerovigli which is much less touristy that Oia. I cannot recommend Altana enough as it was once of the best hotel experiences I’ve ever had. We initially found Altana through Airbnb but you can also book through their website, too. From the second we landed in Santorini, they took care of everything. They picked us up from the hotel, welcomed us with fresh drinks and delivered our bags to our room. If you haven’t traveled to Santorini, there are many steps- so having luggage delivered is a treat.
sunset from our private balcony
Breakfast, for our reservation, was complimentary and incredible. Fresh greek yogurt, figs, eggs, greek pastries- you name it, everything was incredible and perhaps my favorite part of the stay. I am still day dreaming waking up to THIS breakfast every morning.
Where To Dine:
Anogi – you won’t get a front seat to an oceanside sunset as this restaurant is inland but the incredibly friendly, local atmosphere is one you won’t want to miss out on. The food is traditional, local greek food. In fact, the night we ate there, several local girls were having their birthday dinners there- and my favorite places to eat when traveling is wherever the locals are.
The Athenian House – stunning views and even better food. I would consider this the most “gourmet” greek meal we had. Their tzatziki is made with truffle instead of garlic and it lives up to the hype as the best tzatziki you’ll ever have. If you have late reservations, blankets are offered once the sun goes down. Talk about a cozy way to dine.
Domaine At Sigalas Winery – amazing food. We were really only expecting wine but holy cow I’m glad we came hungry. Fresh octopus, greek salad, saganaki to die for.
fresh octopus at Domaine
my last meal request on this earth would be this greek salad
If you stay at Altana, do yourself a favor and have a late lunch or snack there. Just as fabulous as their breakfast.
cucumber & watermelon salad accompanied by a crisp assyrtiko
Where To Drink:
Buddha Bar – super fun drinks and atmosphere for late night partying
Sigalas Winery is a must! Try the local assyrtiko, there are 7 different regions around the island that grow the assyrtiko grape. If you aren’t a fan of white wine, don’t worry- they have delicious reds as well. Grapes grown in volcanic soil taste different than what our palette is used to – but personally, its my favorite. We brought several bottles home with us!
One of my favorite places to have a drink was on our balcony at our hotel. We stopped into a nearby market, picked up a bottle and sat outside as the sunset. The island is so picturesque that you don’t have to go to a bar or restaurant to soak up the atmosphere.
What To Do:
Santorini Sailing– a MUST! We booked a semi private day cruise which includes pick up and drop off to your hotel, half day sail around the island and to all beaches & hot springs, plus a fabulous lunch. Did I mention Assyrtiko? We had such a ball and would highly recommend – it’s a great way to see the island.
Sigalas Winery – on top of incredible wine, this place has unbelievably fresh & delicious food. Plan to rent a car or scooter to get there.
Visit Oia – There is a very specific way to do this. We made the mistake of driving up to Oia (the most touristy part of the island) around 4:30pm. Oia is the most northern point of the island, infamous for it’s sunsets. People start gathering in Oia in mid afternoon to get a spot for the view and it becomes horribly crowded. If you want to visit this area, my suggestion is, go first thing in the morning before it gets hectic. It’s a beautiful area of the island but you can’t take advantage of it when it’s wall to wall with people.
Have you been to Santorini? What did we miss?
Cheers
ps. a BIG happy birthday to my fabulous dad today! <3
