Location: Imerovigli , Santorini, Greece
Where we stayed: Grace Santorini
When: October 1st – October 5th
Favorite Meal: Dimitris
Favorite Activity: Private Sailing Tour
Would I go back: In a heartbeat
Where to Stay
I absolutely loved our hotel, Grace Santorini, and its location, Imerovigli. Most visitors who stay on Santorini stay in Thira or Oia. These are the biggest towns on the island, which also means they are the most crowded.
Oia is where you’ll find the iconic buildings and photos you see of Santorini. We went there twice, and I have to say I am really glad we didn’t stay there. October isn’t even their busy season, and it was packed with people.
Thira was actually closer to where we were staying, but after visiting Oia we were over crowds so we didn’t make the trek to Thira. Even though we didn’t go, one thing you should know about Thira before staying there is this is where the cruise lines come in, so it is also packed with people on a daily basis.
If you’re really into shopping, night life, and want more restaurant options without having to drive, Thira and Oia might be a good choice for you. I was wanting something a little more secluded and romantic, and Imerovigli was exactly that.
Things to Do
Go sailing. Do it! There are a lot of different sailing tours to choose from — most of which you can book through your hotel — we opted for a private sailing tour. I would highly recommend doing a private tour if you’re able. The tour included: all three beaches, swimming, sailing across the entire …., the hot springs (which I personally think was overrated), and lunch on board the boat. It was perfect.
There is a fantastic hiking trail that runs from Thira to Oia. We hiked the trail from our hotel to Oia, and it took us about 2.5 hours. I’d highly recommend it. The views from the trail are breathtaking. Couple things to note:
- Start in the morning to avoid the afternoon sun. There isn’t much shade, so it gets really hot!
- Make sure to bring water and cash. There are not a lot of places to stop for food and drinks on the trail, and the few that are near the trail only take cash.
- Wear good walking shoes or sandals. A large part of the trail is gravel.
Visit the fishing village, Ammondi. There isn’t a lot to do here, but I’d highly recommend making the trek for lunch or dinner. It is where we had our favorite meal on the island. Call ahead to make sure you get a sit right on the water. Once you’re done with your meal, you can either hike up the never ending steps to Oia by foot (this is what we did…) or rent a donkey for like $5.
Visit a winery! We did a tasting at Domaine Sigalas. It was really cool to see how they produce wine on the island since it is actually a dessert. It was also one of our favorite meals on the island.
Just chill and take in the views. We spent a lot of time in our plunge pool š
Where to Eat
Now thinking back… we didn’t eat a lot of places while we were there. Most mornings we had brunch on our balcony, a small snack in the afternoon, then dinner.
Avocado: This was a great place very close to our hotel. It was actually so good we went there twice! Great people, delicious food, and very reasonably priced.
Dimitri’s: This is in the fishing village and was our favorite meal on the island. I highly recommend NOT ordering off the menu, but instead being asked to see what is fresh. They will take you into the kitchen, so you get to pick out what you want! We had a whole grilled snapper — it was delicious!
What to Pack
- Swimsuit and sunscreen
- Cool (as in temperature) clothes, it gets really humid
- Sweater for the evening, especially if you’re going in the fall
- Hiking clothes and shoes
Getting There
We flew from Athens to Santorini on Olympic Air. The flight was about 40 minutes.
Other Things to Know
Taxis are expensive — like $30 for a 10 minute ride — but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend renting a car either. The roads are TINY and there are pedestrians everywhere. Our hotel had a free car service, so we used it when we could to get around the island and to any restaurants that weren’t within walking distance.
The amount of #instafamous and #instagramhusband activity is ridiculous. Everywhere you look people are posing for pictures, and you wouldn’t believe the number of drones we saw. We even had one staying in the room next to us. She was from Germany, and we started chatting a bit after she asked if we wouldn’t mind if they (her and her #instagramhusband) flew their drone off our balcony to take a staged video of her drinking a glass of wine… let’s just say, being #instafamous is not all that people make it out to be. Yes, she was getting to stay at the hotel for free, but she was there for less than 48 hours, had to work the entire time, and still had a full-time job despite having 75K+ followers.
Greeks eat dinner after 8pm. Also, restaurants get packed with tourists, so make reservations for dinner. You don’t have to make reservations before you get to the island, but you’ll want to stop by your concierge in the morning to make sure you have something planned each evening.
Resources We Used to Plan Our Trip
