4 Days in Santorini
Santorini was our fourth and last stop, for 3 nights, on our 2 week Greek Island hopping trip. Santorini was the most scenic island we visited in the Greek Islands. A volcanic eruption formed this rugged landscape with an underwater Caldera (crater) and unique colourful rock formations. Popular villages sit on the volcano rim with spectacular views: However, some of our highlights were in lesser known villages. This is how we recommend you spend your time here.
Exo Gonia Restaurants
Venetian Castle Oia
Amoudi Bay
Oia photo spots
Black beaches (Koloumbo, Perissa and Perivolos)
Imerovigli
Skaros Rock
Wineries
Red beach
Megalochori
Pyrgos
How to get here?
Santorini was our last stop on our Greek Island Hopping vacation. We were previously on Milos. The ferry took us to the port of Athinios. From here we got a hotel transfer to Oia which cost us 55 and took about 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can take a bus which will cost between 1-3€.
There is an international airport on the island so we flew back to Stuttgart Germany from here. The transfer from the hotel to the airport was 40€.
How to get around?
We rented a quad bike through Vazeos in Oia for 1.5 days and it cost 75 Euros. Alternatively, there are cheap buses from Fira to Oia, Imerovigli, Airport, Kamari, Perissa, Pyrgos, Akrotiki and Athinios Port.
Where to stay?
Oia and Imerovigli are the most expensive areas to stay. Oia is on the Northern peninsula of the island and a walking path connects other towns along the volcano rim. Oia is quiet for most of the day except for sunset. Oia is famous for its beautiful white washed buildings, blue domes and sunset views. Imerovigli is quiet, full of luxurious hotels and has spectacular views. Cheaper accommodation can be found in Fira. Fira is the capital of Santorini and the busiest place on the island.
We mention a some more lesser known villages in this blog. Exo Gonia, Pyrgos and Megalochori could have good and cheaper options.
Where to eat?
We got 2 restaurant recommendations from a local. The restaurants are called Metaxi Mas (first photo) and Anemoloos (second photo). These 2 restaurants are located on the same street in the small non touristy town of Exo Gonia. Both have an outdoor patio on the hillside with beautiful sea views. Make sure you reserve a table before going. We were here for lunch and it’s difficult to say which restaurant we preferred. We tried many different traditional local dishes.
Our stay
We stayed at the Old Castle Hotel in Oia. The hotel was outstanding, we spent a lot of time here during the heat of the day. Our room had a jacuzzi and balcony with a spectacular view. They were very flexible, allowing us to check in very early and gave us breakfast at no additional cost. Also, our flight was leaving late in the day and they allowed us to use the pool, jacuzzi and the toilet until we had to leave.
Hundreds of people gather above the hotel at the Venetian Castle to watch the sunset. We had a similar view but it was much more relaxing by the pool and better for photography. For these reasons, we think that the Old Castle Hotel is the best located hotel in Oia.
The hotel is located near the top and directly on the path that takes you from Oia down to Amoudi Bay. Only people and donkeys are allowed on this steep winding path but the hotel staff can help you with luggage.
Amoudi Bay
From Amoudi Bay there is an epic view up to Oia with its white washed buildings and red cliffs. There are a few restaurants on the water here. The path continues South around the coastline where there are some swimming spots.
Oia photo spots
Sunrise is the best time as it is calm. Oia is known for its blue domes. There are many spots where the domes can be captured with the ocean in the background. Click here to see our favourite spot on google maps.
Other beautiful spots include:
Click here to see the location of a similar viewpoint next to the 3 Church Bell Towers
Photoshoot
Through Instagram we found an amazing photographer called Michael Kouvalis. We booked a sunrise and sunset photoshoot and got some lovely photos to remember the trip. For sunrise we went to a hidden spot on black pebble near Oia called Koloumbo Beach and we were the only people here. It was unlike any other beach we had visited and the black cliffs had unique formations. Further South, there are other more popular black beaches called Perissa and Perivolos.
For sunset later that day we met in Imerovigli. We walked from the luxurious hotels on the crater rim down to Skaros Rock. We walked around Skaros Rock and further down we found a little Church. People were allowed on the roof next to the blue dome and church bells so it’s a very photogenic spot.
Wineries
There are many wineries on Santorini and after some research we decided that Estate Argyros was the best. It sits on a flat land near the East Coast. A tour guide gave us a private tour and explained how the wine is produced followed by a wine tasting. It was very different from other wineries we had visited. Because of the volcanic soil and windy conditions, the vines were forced to grow in a circular way close to the ground. This made the wine more acidic and the wines were excellent. The Santorini vineyards are well renowned for Assyrtiko white wines. Driving around this area made me feel like being back in Australia as the past winery owner had planted Eucalptus trees along the road. The winery tour and wine tasting cost us 20 Euros each.
The next day we visited another Winery called Venetsanos. It was the first industrial winery on the island and is located above the port of Athinios. From the outdoor patio we had a magnificent view while enjoying a superb wine. From here you can see Fira and Imerovigli. The structural design is unique as it was constructed on the top of the cliff face and moved downwards. They used gravity to make it energy efficient as there was limited access to electricity. In the factory there are tools on display that they used to produce wine with. There is also the option for a tour and wine tasting here.
Red Beach
Starting early we drove to Red Beach on the South Coast. In the morning this beach is in the shade so the colours weren’t as vibrant as they would have been later in the day. The path down to the beach is rugged and they had roped off sections of the beach close to the cliffs as it’s susceptible to falling rocks.
Megalochori
We stopped in Megalochori and found a nice cafe called Traditional Kafeneio Megalochori. We had breakfast here right next to the Bell Tower. We walked under it and chose which side to take photos on depending on the light direction. It is a beautiful village and we followed signs to find a traditional cave house to see how they used to live.
Pyrgos
Pyrgos is a charming hilltop village, surrounded by vineyards. It is the highest village on the island and has panoramic views. It was the former capital of Santorini and the best preserved medieval settlement on the island. We loved exploring the steep medieval alleys and found some lovely wine bars, galleries and boutique shops. We followed the sound of music and found a busker playing a traditional guitar in a covered walkway. Pyrgos is underrated, it is calm, less picture perfect and relatively untouched by the tourist industry.
