As summer is fast approaching I am coming at you today with a Santorini travel guide in hopes to inspire you to book your summer holidays or getaways. It was this time last year that I had booked my bucket list holiday to the all beautiful Santorini. Never in a million dreams had I thought that I would be travelling to a 'honeymoon' destination with my friends and soaking up what the small island had to offer.
The booking process..
Santorini is the place to relax, unwind and experience the most beautiful sunsets. It was because of this we had decided to book a hotel and flight package through the website love holidays purely because we wanted to enjoy the hotel facilities during our stay.
Yes the rumours are true. Santorini is a very pricey holiday destination especially considering that it's located within Europe but it was worth every penny. Our endless search for the perfect hotel had come to an end when we stumbled across Andromeda Villas located in Imerovigli. It was situated between Oia and Fira where there was less tourists staying making it less busy. Our package deal consisted of flights from Gatwick, hotel stay, continental breakfast and an airport transfer there and back for 5 days and 4 nights which came to a grand total of £713 per person.
My first tip for Santorini would be NOT to book an airport transfer
If your on a budget and want to save those pounds there is a bus stop near the airport where regular buses travel to different parts of the island for about 3 euros maximum and everything is in walking distance from these bus stops. Although my airport transfer was only £15 for both ways (which if you think about it, it is a bargain) and in all fairness it does drop you directly outside your hotel but if you want to save those extra pounds catching the bus would be your cheapest option.
Flying to Santorini
My top tip for checking in carry ons with Easy Jet is that if your with the mobile network three you can check your carry on with the hands free option for free otherwise you have to pay £5 each way.
Where to stay - Andromeda Villas
Our hotel was absolutely stunning (insert love eye emojis here). I had always been sceptical of booking package holidays as it was unknown territory to me but I was mind blown as soon as I arrived. I was mesmerised by the hotel's simplicity yet fresh decor. The check in process was such a breeze and to our surprise we was upgraded to a more spacious room for our first night. Our hotel was situated right on the edge giving us the perfect sea view. My most favourite part of the hotel had to be the infinity pool overlooking the sea which was the perfect spot to watch sunset.
What to do:
1. Take a walk
In any new city or country that you're in, taking a walk is easily the best thing you could do. In Santorini you only have to take as little as 2 steps and there's breath taking views surrounding you. I was really fortunate that our hotel gave us the best view throughout our entire stay where I was surrounded by endless white washed buildings.
2. Take a bus to Oia
Getting around the island is pretty easy as there's regular bus stops dotted around the island. I would advise checking with the hotel concierge where your nearest bus stop is but most often its within walking distance.
A tip for the bus is to always have loose change on you for when catching the bus and you always have to buy your bus tickets as singles as there's no concept as returns in Santorini. Typically a bus journey will cost you no more than 3 euros. Finally, Santorini buses are more like coaches so you just can't miss them.
There is no doubt that Oia is definitely the most postcard location I have ever witnessed and definitely has more of the hustle and bustle than Imerovigli. Take your time when strolling around as there's so much to see and so many charming souvenir shops to visit.
3. Visit Atlantis Bookstore
If you're an avid bookworm then pop into Atlantis Bookstore and ponder around admiring the different book covers and even pick up a book about Greek history as a souvenir for your friends and family.
4. Take a dip in Amoudi Bay
To get to Amoudi Bay you have to take roughly around 218 steps downwards however these aren't your average stairs so I would recommend wearing suitable footwear as the stairs are quite deep and uneven (although I did the walk in my flip flops). Yes, this is quite a workout so I advise doing the climb down and getting a taxi to the top. You can do this by asking any sea front restaurant to call you a taxi costing 5 euros per person to get back to the top.
Amoudi Bay had the most crystal clear blue water and is the perfect place to take a midday break by sitting at the waters edge. I noticed that many people often took a swim down here with their snorkelling gear so if your an avid swimmer this is the most idyllic place to take a dip and cool down from the summer sun.
5. Get Ice cream from Lolita's
Besides taking a dip another way to cool down from 29 degree weather is with ice cream (what better way is there?) Lolita's is situated in Oia and have the most incredible flavours ever and have the nicest outdoor seating where you can enjoy your sweet treats.
6. Witness the most epic sunsets
When I was doing my holiday research pretty much 99.9% of the blogs I had read said that the best place to witness a sunset was in Oia. However this is incredibly disputable. Why on earth would you want to elbow your way through large crowds to watch a sunset when you can watch it from you hotel balcony? Watching the sun set for another day would be by far my favourite way to end the day and was literally something me and my friends would eagerly wait for. Andromeda Villas made our sunset experience unbeatable with their infinity pool allowing us to take an evening dip whilst the sun said goodbye for another day.
7. Get lunch at Pelican Kipos - Fira
Although we didn't spend much time exploring Fira (as with anything giving me an excuse to come back again) we ended up having lunch at this outdoor jungle paradise - Pelican Kipos whilst traveling back to our hotel. 99.9% of the restaurants in Santorini are outdoor but this one was by far my favourite as the plants not only provided shade but simultaneously added so much character.
8. Visit the Red Beach
Santorini is iconic for their red beaches so if you love doing nothing but soaking up the sun on a beach then this a free activity for you. Sadly I'm not the biggest fan of congested beaches but it was definitely a pretty site to see.
Something to take into consideration is that the beach is a pebbled beach so if you don't mind sunbathing on pebbles then this is the beach for you.
9. Grab an ice cream from confetti dessert boutique
This ice cream spot located in Imerovigli was only a few minutes walk from our hotel. So I recommend checking it out if your ever in that part of Santorini.
10. Explore the village of Pyrgos
Pyrgos was by far my favourite sight seeing day as there was little to no tourists (apart from us) which meant we had the whole place to ourself! This charming little village was easy to get to by catching the bus. The village is situated on almost like a hill where you have to work your way upwards to the highest point. I hugely recommend coming to Pyrgos for all your souvenir needs as they offered the best prices in comparison to the stores in Oia. Although there isn't a lot to do in Pyrgos it makes the perfect location to admire a different perspective that Santorini offers.
11. And RELAX...
Last but not least you can't come to Santorini and not get your tan on. So ladies and gents don't worry about not having a jam packed schedule because Santorini is that all important place to take a step back, unwind and appreciate what life has to offer you.
I hope my Santorini guide came in handy for your travels:)
