3 Days In Santorini

Santorini Map

Among all the islands in Greece, Santorini is one of my top favorite travel destinations in the world and it’s fame is totally justified. Whether you travel for a relaxed romantic holiday or island hopping the greek islands, Santorini needs to be added to your travel itinerary.

Before we begin, you need to know a little bit about the geography of this island in Greece to plan your travels. It has small towns or villages as the Greeks like to call them. The capital, FIRA, is located in the mid-west coast which is where tourists go shopping, chill and enjoy good food or drinks. The ferry port is around this area as well. But the Santorini that we all know in Greece, the one with the blue domes and splashes of white marble is a village called OIA, located at the northmost tip of the island, known for its brilliant views and the world famous sunset.

Apart from these 2 main villages there are several other small ones all over the island each having a different feel to it, the island itself is not very big so going around and about won’t be a hassle. To give you an idea, one can drive from one end of the island to the other end in less than an hour, assuming you don’t get lost.

How to get to Santorini?

We entered Greece in Athens International Airport which is probably where you will be arriving in the country as well. Make sure to plan a day or 2 in Athens, there is quite to do there, including trying out my list of Must Try Food In Athens or a Greek Cooking Class, read about my experience of this class here. Anyways, from Athens there you have 2 ways to travel to Santorini:

• Take the ferry from Piraeus terminal in Athens to Thira in Santorini. This ride would typically cost between 20-80 EUR (depending on the season) and the journey will take about 5-8 hours depending on which type of ferry you choose. You can use https://www.letsferry.gr/en/ to book tickets and check the timings.
• The quicker 45-minute option is taking a flight. There are many airlines which operate between the islands whose timings and prices depend on the season. Obviously this option comes at a strong price tag, a maximum of 150 EUR (one way) in peak season. We selected this option and it costed us about 100 EUR for a Skyexpress flight including check in baggage.

Thanks to the strong winds, the flight was a roller coaster but on the plus side, the amazing aerial views of the greek islands compensated for this adventurous travel. We landed around 15:00 and met our hotel pickup a few mins after.

Where to stay in Santorini?

After a lot of research we had selected AMPELONAS APARTMENTS in Imerovigli (a village about 2 km from Fira) as our accommodation for the next 3 nights. At first we were skeptical about choosing accommodation away from the tourist areas, but the minute we got out of the car, we realized how wrong we were. The hotel was gorgeous, the views were amazing, there were also a couple of restaurants and convenience stores around, far from the buzz of the center to enjoy in peace, not far enough to cause inconvenience. Just perfect for this holiday. Get the best deals for Ampelonas Apartments here.

Ampelonas Apartments

What to do in Santorini?

Day 1

Santorini, here we are in one of the most beautiful islands in Greece, the skies were clear, the sun was out, the weather was amazing and all that was needed was a quick rest before we were out on foot to our first destination, FIRA. Traveling between the two main villages is quite easy, a walking path goes from Oia to Fira which takes about 2-4 hours and is considered to be one of the best things to do on this gorgeous island. Imerovigli being in the middle, it was convenient enough for us to join the path midway to Fira. The travel time to the capital was about half hour, mostly because we stopped a million times for pictures, which is something you will find yourself doing as well.

Fira

Fira, a village you could spend hours exploring. The streets were buzzing with tourists, shops filled with souvenirs, the aroma of the souvlakis luring you in every time and how can one miss, the donkeys of Greece. Yes, donkeys, Santorini offers donkey rides from the ferry port to the town of Fira, and it has somewhat become one of the things to do in Santorini, while some might find this exciting, we decided to skip it. Although the village can be seen in just an hour, one could easily spend a lot more to fully admire the magic of this village.

Fira

Fira

After all that exploring, a nap was needed before we returned back to Fira for our first proper Greek meal in a place called OUZERI. Delicious local food with local Ouzo, a great ambience and an excellent atmosphere, add it to your must do’s in ‘travel to santorini’ list right now. This restaurant was also among my top favorite places i ate in Greece and i literally ‘travel for food’. And guess what, the island is stunning at night too.

Santorini By Night

Summary

• Arrive Ampelonas Apartments
• Walk to Fira and explore the village
• Dinner at Ouzeri in Fira

Day 2

Breakfast with a View

ATV

God bless the staff of our hotel for the splendid breakfast with a view and also for helping us hire an ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) at our doorstep, they went out of their way to make our travel experience even better. ATV is one of the major means of transport for tourists in Santorini, in Greece in general, you will spot them within minutes upon your arrival. They’re affordable, easy to drive and make exploring the island a lot easier. Definitely, rent an ATV, prices vary according to season and since we were in the peak August, we paid 34 EUR a day for a 150cc, the highest rate of the year. ATVs are available for hire in most of the islands in Greece.

Our first destination of the day, KAMARI BEACH, a less commercial black sand beach. The winds were blowing, the sun was out and after a few kilometers of practice on the ATV, we managed to reach the beach in about 45 minutes, rented a sunbed, laid back and sipped on a nice cold fredo espresso.

Kamari Beach

The Donkey Brewery

Hunger struck again and followed another Souvlaki wrap at SOUVLIKE next to the beach before we strapped our helmets and rode off to our second destination, SANTORINI BREWING COMPANY, a small brewery not far from the beach known for the widely known donkey beer of Santorini, they provide free tastings at anytime and a wide selection of merchandise, ideal for a souvenir from Greece.

Locked and loaded for OIA. By now I was very familiar with the ATV and the driving habits of Santorini, yet it took a little more than an hour to reach this spectacular village. The views there were exactly what you see on those instagram posts and culture trip videos, even better in person. Every step was an opportunity to click and we took it every time. After spending about an hour or two exploring the narrow alleyways beating through the crowds, we braced ourselves for the ride back just before the peak hour. Oia is world famous for its sunset and naturally every tourist on the island wants to experience it, which means get to Oia and save your spot 2 hours before sunset unless you want to see the back of hundreds of heads. The perfect way to experience the sunset would be to reserve a table in advance at one of the many restaurants in Oia, but that does come with a very heavy price tag. In my opinion, the sunset at Oia is over rated, expensive and only worth it if you just want to check it off your travel bucket list, other than that, the sunset is spectacular from any western part of the island and way more convenient.

Oia

Oia

Oia

Oia

A good 3 hour nap was needed before we returned to Fira to satisfy our hunger, this time we chose a place on the spot, PAREA TAVERNA, and devoured some delicious greek dishes for dinner, Greek cuisine definitely goes among my top 5 cuisines in the world. I wouldn’t call this place a must try, but it is a very good option for sure.

The night was young and we were rested enough to enjoy some lovely cocktails at a cocktail bar in Fira called TANGO BAR. Recommended by a friend, this place had the perfect mix of a lively crowd, santorini views and good music, however it did come at a price. The bar had a 10 EUR per person entry fee, including a drink.

Summary

• Rent an ATV
• Drive to Kamari Beach
• Visit Santorini Brewing Company
• Drive to Oia and walk around
• Dinner at Parea Taverna in Fira
• Cocktails at Tango Bar in Fira

Day 3

Perissa Beach

One does not simply wake up easily after that night in Fira. We took our time to go to our second black sand beach, PERISSA BEACH. This one was a bit more commercial and crowded than kamari, but just enough to still let you relax and enjoy your holiday, views at this beach were better as well. If you are lacking time and have to pick one beach, this one would be it. Perrisa beach, must do, with another fredo espresso ofcourse.

Our plan for the afternoon was to relax in the pool of our hotel and then head to Oia for a sunset dinner at a restaurant-with-a-view we made a reservation at, just to have a been-there-done-that moment. However, the weather got the best of us and going through the Oia crowd was not something we were looking forward to, so we made a judgment call and enjoyed the afternoon in the pool and the beautiful sunset from our doorstep instead, best decision of this travel.

The hotel staff recommended us a restaurant within walking distance called ANOGI for our last dinner and oh my god, the food was insanely delicious. No matter where you are staying in Santorini, you really need to make a reservation and have atleast one dinner at this place.

Summary

• Drive to Perissa Beach
• Relax in the Pool and enjoy the Sunset from the Hotel.
• Dinner at Anogi

Other Things to Do in Santorini

• Take A Wine Tour – Santorini has some brilliant wineries in Greece and wine tours would be one of the best ways to explore the island or even experience the sunset. Find more info about Santoirini Wineries and Tours @ santorinidave.com/best-santorini-wineries
• Explore Ancient City Of AKROTIRI – If history is your jam then this is a must do. You get to experience the archaeological site featuring the ruins of ancient Akrotiri.
• Hike a Volcano – To the west of Santorini you will notice a small island with a volcano which is visible from all over Santorini, ‘NEA KAMENI’ and yes this place is famous for hikes. Ferries to this island depart frequently from Fira Port.
• Eat at DIMITRIS RESTAURANT – Take the steps down to AMOUDI BAY from Oia and experience the best local catch this place has to offer at this famous restaurant.
• Enjoy the Red Sand and White Sand Beach – Apart from Black sand beach you can visit the other beaches Santorini has to offer, some of them are not easily accessible. However, you could take a boat tour of the island which will go through all types of beaches and might also take you cliff jumping. One of the places I came across to book such tours Santorini Sailing.
• For more guided tours of the island visit Click Here

General Tips For Santorini

• • Driving an ATV
    • Safety – They are a very safe means of transport, driving them is very simple and if you are a regular driver of any kind of vehicle then use the same precautions and you will be fine. The only thing I would highlight is remember to keep to the right, Greeks generally drive fast so you will need to allow them to pass from your left, just keep a regular eye on your rear view mirrors.
    • Renting- There are rental companies all around the island. Pick up and drop off of the vehicle can be arranged at your doorstep, your hotel staff will gladly assist you with this. Note that you will need to deposit your driving license as collateral.
    • There is a wide range of ATVs to choose from depending on how powerful they are, starting from 100cc upto 300cc. I took a 150cc and it was perfect for a first timer like me.
    • Use Google Maps – The road signs aren’t the best in Santorini so the best option is to let your companion on the back seat guide you the way with Google Maps.
  • If you decide not to rent an ATV, you could rent a small car or the public bus system of Santorini is pretty good too and the taxis aren’t very expensive either. We paid 5 EUR for a a taxi ride from Fira Bus Station to our hotel in Imerovigli.
  • Choosing Accommodation – I strongly suggest you spend a good amount of time for this. Santorini has some spectacular options to stay whether you want to see the sunset from your private infinity pool, relax in your own jacuzzi, live in a cave house or sleep in a windmill. The prices vary depending on season though.

Booking.com

• • Traveling Solo is one of the best experiences when it comes to traveling, but remember that this island is mostly popular among couples so don’t expect to meet many solo travelers.
  • Pack some warm clothing even if you are going in the summer. The strong sea breeze gives quite a chill after sundown.
  • Souvlaki, wrap or skewers are basically grilled meat with pita bread and tzatziki sauce. They are super delicious and available everywhere for 2-3 EUR. Have as many as you can. So whether you are in Santorini or any other part of Greece, this is a must have.

Souvlike