overlooking fira

when we managed to pull ourselves away from our gorgeous boutique hotel, there was so much to see and do in santorini, we couldn’t fit it all in. but we did our best… here are my favourite things to do.

we spent hours getting lost in the winding, cobbled streets in the main town of fira, keeping cool with gelato and gazing at all the sparkling jewels on offer in the many jewelry stores (if you go, my favourite store was chrissilato, they had the most unique and beautiful designs and we picked up a few baubles to take home).

oia

quad biking

we spent a whole day in oia, the northernmost tip of the island marketed as enjoying the best sunsets. we rented a quad bike and zipped up to the picturesque town.

as usual, lunch was at the front of my mind, so after a little exploring we walked down the 218 steps to little amoudi bay, where we enjoyed some unforgettable lobster (more on that later in the week).

winding streets

we walked off lunch by climbing over the rocks around the bay and stumbled upon a gorgeous little cove.

with other visitors stopping at a port nearby, we had our little patch of rocks all to ourselves, and spent the next few hours diving into the crystal clear, indigo and turquoise waters and sunbathing in complete seclusion.

overlooking oia

a secluded cove

we swam the hundred metres to a rock island big enough to fit the teeniest of chapels and the perfect plateau for jumping off (with just the slightest hesitation on my part… i talked myself into it eventually).

once we’d geared ourselves up for the return journey back up the stairs (we couldn’t get on board with riding those poor, tired-looking donkeys), we made it back to the town in time for sunset. it was one of the most perfect days i’ve ever had.

a dip in the med

the perfect day

the 218 steps down to amoudi bay… and back up again

in oia, every vantage point is filled with crowds for the sunset. we watched the breathtaking scenes from the old castle.

while it was jaw-droppingly beautiful, i will always prefer to take in scenery away from the crowds and with a drink in hand, and we spent most evenings away from the masses in one of the many ideally located cocktail bars around the island (the views are just as lovely from fira and firostefani in my opinion).

every possible vantage point for oia sunset fills up early

watching with the crowds

stunning

but without a doubt, the most incredible, unforgettable sunset we witnessed was from the sea.

on our final day in santorini we took a catamaran cruise with santorini sailing. We visited red beach, white beach and little bays around the caldera, where we dove into the deep blue med.

most nights we avoided the masses by taking refuge in a cocktail bar

catamaran cruise

we pulled up next to the volcanic formations to swim in the warm springs and moored at amoudi bay for dinner.

george, our chef, cooked the most wonderful feast (one of best meals on the island, and that is quite a feat). barbequed pork, chicken, salads, tzakiki, eggplant and taramosalata.

volcanic warm springs

cute caldera scenes

our chef george cooking dinner on board

finally, we set sail for the sunset. cocktails in hand, we watched in awe as the sky turned a deep pink, then red, before setting on our last night in santorini.

we saw some of the most indescribably beautiful scenes, swam in brilliant blue waters and zoomed around on our little quad bikes. an unforgettable holiday.

my final post from santorini is on the food (didn’t think i’d leave that out did you?) … coming up soon.

sunset beers

pina colada for me

sunset from the sea

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