Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would have the opportunity to visit Santorini, Greece. It’s been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember — even before my husband and I moved to the Netherlands and began traveling significantly more.
And it just so happened that my husband and I were able to travel to Santorini solo [without our 2.5 year old daughter]. While we enjoy traveling just as much when she’s with us, it’s nice to have the opportunity to just relax and not focus on parenting duties :).
p l a n n i n g y o u r t r i p .
When we planned our trip to Santorini we had a couple of options — stay in one place on the island the entire time, or visit other cities throughout the island. It didn’t take us long to decide that we wanted to stay put in Oia [pronounced eye-uh] for our entire stay. This famous little clifftop village is very walkable [although steep at times!] which we loved, and it was one of the most relaxing places we’ve ever been. So naturally we wanted to spend our time meandering the village streets, sampling all the local food and drinks, and taking in the breathtaking views.
s t u n n i n g O i a , S a n t o r i n i .
Deciding on a place to stay in Oia was surprisingly difficult. Without having been there it was hard to decide specifically where we wanted to stay in Oia, what kind of accommodations we wanted, and what level of service we were looking for. In the end we booked our villa through booking.com and we could not have had a better experience, or a better location! If you’re looking to visit Oia and want specific recommendations on where we stayed, I would be more than happy to share! Just send me an email.
We visited Santorini in early May, just before the popular tourist season picks up. If you have the opportunity, I would highly recommend visiting around this time, too. The prices are slightly less [Santorini is a very expensive destination!], the weather is perfect [not too hot and even gets a little chilly at night which was so nice!], and the streets and restaurants weren’t as crowded so we could pretty much stop to eat or have a drink anywhere we wanted — and we weren’t rubbing shoulders with people while we meandered the narrow streets [which can happen during peak tourist season in June – September].
l o v e a t f i r s t s i g h t .
The first thing that comes into mind when I think about our time in Oia, Santorini is how picturesque and perfect it is. It literally looks and feels just like the pictures you see online — simply stunning. And Oia is very well-known for their spectacular sunsets! Whether you find a spot at a restaurant with a roof-top deck, make your way down to Ammoudi port, or head to the Oia Castle [thought to have the best view], you’re bound to get quite a glimpse of their famous-for-a-reason sunset.
A m m o u d i P o r t s u n s e t .
Another thing that I love so much about Santorini is how friendly the Greek people are. We were taught one of the easier words to pronounce in Greek — “Kaliméra” which means good morning — and truly every morning was a good one there! Last but not at all least, the food was outstanding! Fresh tomatoes, the highest quality olive oil, Greek salads, feta cheese and the freshest seafood. It’s all delicious, and for the most part super nutritious which I love — even when were on vacation!
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In Oia, it almost feels as if time stands still. You don’t have to be in a hurry to do anything. You simply need to open your eyes wide and take in all that is this stunning Greek village. There’s plenty of locally owned shops to browse, and even more windey, narrow cobblestoned streets to get lost in. Walking and taking it all in was what we did a lot of. In addition, to laying out on our private sun deck and soaking in the views of the caldera and the Aegean Sea.
e x p l o r i n g t h e u n i q u e b a c k s t r e e t s .
r e l a x i n g o n o u r p r i v a t e s u n d e c k .
We may be biased, but we feel we had one of the best locations on the island! It had a perfect balance of a wide open sea views as well as a beautiful backdrop of unique whitewashed Greek villas. The walk down to our villa wasn’t too steep either, and we felt we had quite a bit of privacy compared to some other villas.
If you’re looking for more adventure while visiting Santorini, there are lots of options like renting ATVs to cruise the streets from village to village, or hop on a sail boat to take you around to some other islands and swimming spots. We opted to stay put where we were and couldn’t have been happier to have made that decision.
For a little exercise, I highly recommend walking the many, many stairs down to the Ammoudi Port. There is an amazing restaurant that we had a sunset dinner at called Sunset Taverna [more on that later!]. If you’re not feeling like making the trek back to the top, there’s always the option of riding the donkeys back up. We preferred to get our blood pumping a bit though, so no donkeys for us!
b e a u t i f u l c r y s t a l c l e a r w a t e r A m m o u d i P o r t .
o p t i o n t o t a k e a d o n k e y r i d e t o t h e t o p .
Here is just a glimpse of the steep path from the water to the top of the island. It winds up and around so it’s not a complete straight shot to the top — thank goodness because that would be steep! It’s not an easy walk, but the views are beautiful and it’s quite satisfying one you make it to the top!
t h e l o c a l f a r e — w h e r e w e a t e .
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we were lucky enough to walk right past this little mini market on the way to our private villa. So if we needed to grab anything to munch on, we had access to this. In addition to produce, you could buy anything from sunscreen, to bottled water to a bottle of wine. We found it very useful!
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This was our first meal in Santorini and it absolutely did not disappoint! Bryce and I shared a veggie tart, and we couldn’t pass up a Greek salad! In fact, I think we ordered a Greek salad at almost every restaurant we ate at! The food here was fresh and flavorful — and the views looked out on the Aegean Sea which was such a treat!
L e f k e s R e s t a u r a n t .
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We were given recommendations to go to Lefkes by our villa host. It was a little off the beaten path away from the center of Oia, but the walk was so completely worth it! The restaurant almost appeared out of nowhere because it seemed as though we were just walking through neighborhoods until we arrived. The ambiance was perfect, the staff was super friendly and helpful and the food and wine was superb. I ordered the shrimp risotto and it was delicious.
The views from this restaurant aren’t your typical Oia Santorini views with rugged cliffs and the Aegean Sea in the background, but that didn’t matter. There’s really not a bad view on this island. Everywhere you look are the typical Santorini whitewashed houses with deep blue accents that I just love.
P e t r o s i a R e s t a u r a n t .
l u n c h , s n a c k s , d i n n e r .
We visited this restaurant more than once during our stay in Oia. Once for lunch, once for drinks and snacks and another night for dinner. Each meal was wonderful, and of course, this place had a view too! The restaurant is separated by the pedestrian walkway, so one side of the restaurant has a wonderful sea view, and the other side of the restaurant has a upstairs patio with views of the sunset.
This particular meal was probably one of our favorites! Chicken souvlaki and a Greek salad. Simple, delicious and the perfect Greek lunch.
A p s i t h i a R e s t a u r a n t .
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We stumbled upon this restaurant as we made the trek down the hillside to another port on a different side of the island. Making the commitment to walk down to the water and then all the way back up is just that — a commitment.
We were happy to take a seat at this restaurant, enjoy the view and just relax. And this tuna salad was some of the best I’ve ever had. It was fresh and flavorful — and a side of Aperol Spritz was just the refreshment I needed.
S u n s e t T a v e r n a .
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On our second night in Oia our gracious villa host made a reservation for us here at the Sunset Taverna. She must have a special “in” with the staff because she got us the most spectacular table — literally right on the water with the best view of the sunset! Just the atmosphere, ambiance and views put this restaurant over the top. And the food was wonderful too! The lobster pasta is what they’re known for, so we had to try it. I hardly ever order lobster, but we decided to splurge, and I’m glad we did. It was delicious — and filling! But we walked all the way from the port back to our villa that night so I’d say we earned it!
l i t e r a l l y t h e b e s t v i e w s , a n d s o c l o s e t o t h e w a t e r .
Oia, Santorini was so good to us! There is not a second of any day that I don’t feel extremely grateful to have gotten to experience all that Santorini has to offer. It was literal perfection. The laid back vibe, the gorgeous views around every corner, the food, the wine, everything.
If you’re thinking about planning a trip to Santorini, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I love sharing my experiences and giving recommendations.
And if you’re reading this, thank you! Thank you for taking the time. Thank you for supporting to me.
Don’t forget to check out the travel section of my blog for more of my travel guides. I’m continuing to update them as we continue to see the world.
Cheers!
xoxo,
Angela
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