Santorini – home to crystal blue water, stunning sunsets, white-washed towns, and the infamous blue domes. Santorini is one of the most photogenic places in the world. Every view you see is on a postcard somewhere, but this island is even more beautiful in person. Read this guide and then go see for yourself!
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Know Before You Go
Best Time to Go: Santorini is open from early spring to late fall. I recommend going during the shoulder seasons (April-May or September-October) if you want milder weather and fewer crowds. High season is from June-August, and temperatures (and prices) skyrocket!
Currency: Euro, but most places accept US cards (Amex can be a bit iffy).
Language: Greek, but since this a very touristy island English is widely spoken.
Power: C and F power outlets. I got my power converter here.
Getting There and Getting Around
Getting There: You can either fly into Santorini Airport or take a ferry to the port. In my opinion, flying is a bit easier and faster, but ferries are often cheaper (especially if you have a lot of luggage).
Santorini is a small island and you can get from one side of the island to the other in about 45 minutes via car. If you’re planning on exploring much of the island, I would recommend renting a car.
However, many of the cities in Santorini (Oia, Imerovigli, Fira) are all walking cities – in fact most don’t even have roads for driving. We stayed in Oia and used a taxi to journey down to Imerovigli and Fira for a day, which we found to be an easier and more affordable option than a car rental.
Where To Stay
The three main cities in Santorini are Oia, Imerovigli, and Fira.
Oia: The busiest and most popular part of Santorini. Located at the northern tip of the island. Includes the famous three blue domes, Ammoudi Bay, and Oia Castle.
Imerovigli: Similar in appearance to Oia with fewer crowds. Located in the heart of the island on the Western edge. Is very picturesque, but has fewer “must-see” spots.
Fira: The capital of Santorini, just south of Imerovigli. Much more casual and less luxurious – you will find more budget friendly options here.
So where should you stay? We ended up staying in Oia our whole time in Santorini. While we loved Oia, we did get a bit sick of the crowds. I would recommend splitting your time in Santorini – stay in Oia for half, and Imerovigli or Fira for the other half!
Cocoon Suites - Imerovigli
Get panoramic views of the caldera right from your private hot tub or plunge pool at this five star hotel. Cocoon offers 9 different luxurious cave suites to choose from.
Andronis Luxury Cave Suites - Oia
Andronis is an award-winning, well renowned luxury hotel in Oia. It boasts 33 stunning suites and villas, offering private plunge pools, cave pools, and hot tubs, all boasting views of the Aegean Sea. While this hotel will cost you a pretty penny – it’s well worth it.
Pegasus Suites and Spa - Imerovigli
Pegasus boasts beautiful views of the Aegean at about half the price as the two previously mentioned. Many rooms do include a plunge pool or hot tub.
Strogili - Oia
While not quite as luxurious as some of the others on this list, this is one of the best options in Oia if you’re on a budget. It’s located just at the edge of Oia, which makes it a bit more private than some other accommodations. Some suites do offer private hot tubs here as well, at a fraction of the cost.
Airbnb
Another great budget option in Santorini is staying in an Airbnb. Most of the hotels in Santorini are luxury “honeymoon” locations, but Airbnb offers many affordable options! Here’s my Airbnb wishlist for Santorini.
What to Do
Explore Oia
A trip to Santorini isn’t complete without visiting Oia. Here’s some things to see and do in Oia:
The Blue Domes
You knew this was coming! This is probably one of the most photographed spots in the world. You will most likely have to wait in a line for these photos even if you get here early (we waited 45 minutes), but the results are well worth it. Make sure you pause to enjoy the view- its breathtaking.
Oia Castle
Oia Castle sits at the highest point of Santorini – meaning you will get the best views of both the cliffside and caldera from here. This is also an incredible spot to watch the sunset – but beware, people start lining up here for sunset around 4pm.
Kastro Oia Houses
These famous houses have been photographed a million times. The contrast against the white-washed buildings behind them makes them even more beautiful.
Hike Down to Ammoudi Bay
Ammoudi Bay is situated at the base of Oia. The walk down is pretty easy, but the hike back up all the stairs might test your endurance. The restaurants in the bay have the freshest seafood on the island. Once you’ve hiked all the way down to the bay, take a left to venture out to a little cliffside beach. There’s some cliff jumping here too for my adrenaline junkies!
Take a Catamaran Cruise
This was one of our highlights from Santorini! We did a sunset catamaran cruise with Sunset Oia and it was unforgettable. I definitely recommend spending a bit extra for the diamond cruise, you’ll share the boat with about 15 people rather than 50. These cruises leave out of Ammoudi Bay, so we chose to take our cruise on the same day we hiked down to the bay which made for a perfect day.
Explore Imerovigli
Lesser known and equally beautiful is Imerovigli, Oia’s cousin. The streets here are much quieter and make for a wonderful stroll through the city. We just got absolutely lost in the streets here. We only spent a few hours in Imerovigli, which I regret. I definitely recommend spending at least a day or two here!
Explore Fira
Fira is the capital of Santorini, and is a bit more casual and affordable than Oia and Imerovigli. However, it doesn’t have that Santorini “vibe” that the other two boast, so we didn’t spend much time here. There is a beautiful walk along the cliffside between Fira and Imerovigli (about 30min or so), and its well worth it for the views!
Eat and Drink
Go for a Wine Tasting at Santo Wines
We booked a tour and tasting at Santo Wines and it did not disappoint! While the winery is a bit off the beaten path (located in Pyrgos), it’s worth the trip down. The wines are delicious and the tour guide is so friendly and knowledgable! You get priority seating when you book a tour as well, so you get to enjoy your wines with a front row seat overlooking the sea.
Have Sunset Cocktails at V Lounge
This cocktail lounge in Fira was one of my favorite places to watch the sunset. The cocktails were fantastic, and while they don’t serve dinner, they do have cheese/meat boards and giant bowls of ice cream to snack on. Make a reservation to get one of the primo spots up front!
Ammoudi Fish Tavern
Located in Ammoudi Bay, this fish tavern is famed for having the best seafood in Santorini. We ordered the seafood platter, which was quite a bit of food but we managed to finish it all. Reservations aren’t mandatory but I do recommend getting one! This was one of our best meals in Greece.
Thalami
This beautiful restaurant boasts gorgeous caldera views and an extensive menu. Their pastas are fantastic! We didn’t get the best service here, but the food was delicious.
Lotza
Another restaurant with beautiful views of the water, Lotza has a casual menu with traditional greek dishes. Their greek salad was mouthwatering and the meat was so fresh!
Terps in Oia
We had brunch here a couple times, and were impressed every time! First, the views here are amazing – you can actually see two of the blue domes from their patio. Second, the food is incredible. We ordered everything from açaí bowls, to loaded waffles, to salmon avocado toast, and everything was delicious.
TIP: For all my lactose intolerant friends forced to drink their coffee black when in Europe – look no further. Dairy free alternatives are offered here! Perhaps that’s one of the reasons we kept coming back.
Pitogyros
Since Santorini is made up of mostly high-end restaurants, there are far fewer grab-n-go spots than on other islands. However, we found delicious (and cheap) gyros here. The lines can get a bit ridiculous, but these gyros were worth the wait!
TRAVELING TO GREECE? CHECK OUT MY ULTIMATE GUIDE TO MYKONOS NEXT!