One of the places I was most excited to take Christian to was Santorini. We almost didn't make it due to some crazy flight issues but the travel gods were with us and we made it, even if it was an hour later than planned. We got to our airbnb just before 1am so it was straight to bed so we could  get started "early in the morning."

I chose our airbnb for the view and the fact that it wasn't in the center of the tourist area. If you guys want the link let me know and I can add it! We stayed in Imerovigli, a 15/20 minute walk from Fira, the main hub of Santorini.  The buses to most locations originate in Fira so we would walk to Fira rather than waiting for a bus at our local station (easier to know where the bus was going!)


We visited 4 areas on our trip - Akrotiri, Kamari, Fira and Oia.

What to Do

Enjoy the Sunsets

Sunsets in Santorini are nothing short of breath-taking. Our first night we watched from a restaurant and on our second night we planned on getting back to our airbnb early so we could enjoy it from our little porch. If you get an airbnb with a view I HIGHLY recommend making sure to enjoy at least one sunset from your place, that's why you paid extra for it, right?

Kamari Beach

The first time I went to Santorini we skipped the beach; this time we made sure to take half a day for the beach.  We walked to Fira on our second day and took the bus to Kamari, the bus lets you off just a couple streets away from the beach so it couldn't be easier! We brought a small towel from our airbnb to dry off and I bought a pocket blanket so we would have something to sit on.

The only mistake we made was forgetting water shoes because the beaches are not sandy, they're rocky. I didn't realize it would be that painful to walk on.  After we ate we walked around the boardwalk to find a place to eat and settled on a place with waffles.

Akrotiri

For you history lovers out there, you'll want to make a trip to the other side of the island to see the Buried City, Akrotiri. The bus ride from Fira will be about 20-25 minutes and tickets are €12. Akrotiri was destroyed by a volcanic eruption and the city was buried. It was uncovered in the late 1800s and the excavation continues today. Just in the 4 years since I had last visited more of the city was uncovered.

Atlantis Books, Oia

Atlantis Books is one of the coolest looking stores in Oia. There are quotes and books all over the exterior and the store is overflowing with books. Some are new, some are very old and rare. They are mostly in English but you'll find some other languages too. Definitely check it out.

Athina Gallery, Fira

This is my favorite store we went to while in Santorini. Both times I visited (2015 and this trip) we stumbled upon it by accident.  In 2015 I ended up buying a beautiful necklace for my Mom for Christmas and this year we bought something for Christian's mom and I got a cute necklace with a branch, olive leaf and pearl.  There are so many beautiful pieces of jewelry and also home goods made from real olive branches, leaves and pomegranates. (Covered in silver, copper, etc.)

Ammos, Oia & Fira

If you want a pair of my favorite sandals, by Ancient Greek Sandals, Ammos is where you'll need to go while in Santorini. They won't have a huge selection but you'll be able to find something! I lucked out while we were there and the store in Fira was having a 30% off sale for the end of the season. They carry clothes too but after I spent all my money on sandals I didn't dare look.

Get a Massage

We didn't do this on our trip because Christian isn't a massage fan, but when I went in 2015 my friend and I did a sunset massage at Caldera Massage Studio. It was very relaxing and after we were given champagne (which we didn't drink, haha) and enjoyed the sunset from a viewpoint they provide. Technically it is a couples massage but we wanted a nice sunset view so we did it anyway. Who says it has to be a romantic couple, right?

Explore

Last, but not least, just walk around and explore! Most of our time in Oia and Fira was spent walking around and popping into a few stores here and there. Enjoy all the beautiful blues and whites Santorini is known for.

Where to Eat

Meat Corner Grill, Fira

We randomly stopped here for lunch on our first day because we decided to have lunch before heading to Akrotiri and I'm so glad we did. The food was DELICIOUS and very affordable. I just had chicken souvlaki and Christian had a chicken gyro. We spent $15 on both our meals and drinks, not too shabby!

Argo, Fira

We picked this restaurant purely because it had a fun name, luckily the food was good as well! We were also lucky to get a table, we had tried to get a sunset reservation by emailing the day before but they were booked through mid-October. But we walked straight up and they magically had an open table, just not one with a perfect sunset view. Christian tried their lamb and I had mixed souvlaki (minus the lamb, ha ha.)

Varkes, Kamari Beach

We ate here after spending a couple hours on Kamari Beach. We weren't sure what we were in the mood for so we walked all along the boardwalk looking for something and then saw the magic word - WAFFLES!  I got the apple pie waffles and Christian had the waffle with banana and oreo.

Lithos, Fira

On our second night Christian and I were hunting for a place to have an early dinner before heading back to our bnb for the sunset. We had walked by Lithos and I didn't want to eat there because I had an awkward experience there during my 2015 trip. To make a long story short, I ordered fried fish and the waiter came out and motioned with his hand to say it was just a little fish. I thought he meant small piece so I said "sure that's fine," they came out with sardines. I just couldn't bring myself to eat it so I awkwardly had to ask them to take it back. On the plus side we did have an amazing baklava there so I knew that in the least Christian and I would enjoy that!

I got a simple pasta dish for fear or ordering fish and having another sardine issue. Christian had what would be his favorite meal in Greece - Moussaka.  He said it was AMAZING and proceeded to try it 2 more times in Athens, but none lived up to Lithos' version. So pro-tip: get the moussaka and have baklava for dessert.

Patisserie Melenio, Oia

Once again I lucked upon a place I loved from my first trip but couldn't remember the name of. This is where I had the most delicious chocolate cake in 2015 and when we happened upon it on this trip I knew we had to have it! We opted to take it to go instead of sit down and eat it because it was half the cost, so this picture is from my first trip, haha.

Caper Santorini, Imerovigli Delivery Service

Our flight to Athens wasn't until 1:30 on the day we left so we planned on having a leisurely last morning before our car arrived at 12. We weren't sure what we were going to do for breakfast but as we looked through the information booklet our host left there was a breakfast delivery service we could use. It was a bit pricey but we figured it was worth it to have breakfast delivered to us so we could eat on the little porch.

We had to order one "package" and could add on other items. We got "The Caper" which came with a bread basket, omelette, yogurt, some jelly & butter and 2 drinks. As an add-on (for me ) we got pancakes (we ordered the blueberry ones but it came with chocolate sauce, oh well!) As we expected, the food was a tiny bit cold when it arrived but it was still good. And worth it for a private breakfast with an amazing view!