Beautiful Santorini

Santorini has been on my bucket list for a while and I was so excited to be ticking it off. Hazel found a great deal on Easyjet which worked out under £600 each for 6 days. The Greek island is picturesque with breath-taking views.

Day 1

We had an early start with a 3am pickup time. The taxi arrived at 2.50 but I wasn’t ready. The journey to the airport was interesting with the taxi driver trying to play Vin Diesel’s role in Fast and the Furious. It definitely kept me awake. We arrived at the airport at 4am and it was packed. Hazel checked in her bag and we made our way to the departure gate. We sailed through security and made our way to Jamie’s Italian as we fancied a hot meal. I chose Eggs Benedict with Salmon and Hazel had an English breakfast with a nice cup of tea. The food was delicious and it disappeared before my eyes.

We grabbed some magazines and snacks for the plane and then headed to the gate. It was a fully booked flight so I guess Santorini is the place to be but it’s also half term which also explains it. The flight time was 3 hours 35 minutes which went by quickly.

When we touched down in Santorini the weather was beautiful (22 degrees) and the views were amazing from the plan window. Hazel’s bag arrived quickly in the baggage claims and we jumped in our taxi. The ride was only 15 minutes and only cost €10.

The hotel was beautiful and just as I imagined. The hotel staff were welcoming and friendly. The check-in was done in 10 minutes and we were in our room within 15 minutes of walking through the doors. Definitely a 5-star service.

The room was spacious with twin beds. The bathroom had a Morden style with a power shower. The view from the window was magnificent. The beautiful white building with the bright royal blue dome roofs.

We freshened up and changed into nice summer dresses and decided to walk to Fira which was a short 3-minute walk from the hotel.

There were a wide variety of restaurants and souvenir shops as well as places to book trips and tours around the island. We were spoilt for choice for food from waffles and frozen yoghurt to Chinese and kebab. We went for Chinese. I ordered Spicy chicken with steamed rice with a Fanta and it all came to €10. When places say spicy I never believe it. The food always comes out with a bit of a kick but this time I was wrong. I also added chilli sauce on top. Worst mistake. My mouth was burning and I almost finished my drink after 3 mouthfuls. Waffles here we come.

Day 2

7.15am. Another early morning as we have a trip booked to Thira, Volcanos and Oia. We went for breakfast which was a mixture of hot food; eggs, sausages and beans and cold; yoghurt and fruits.

After breakfast, we made our way to the pick-up in town which was a short walk from the hotel. We took the boat to the first stop which was the volcano. This was definitely a workout and I would definitely recommend wearing trainers as it’s stony. The tour guide advised it takes 30 minutes to get to the top but we made it 3 quarters of the way. Some parts are very steep. I will definitely get my 11,000 steps in today.

The next stop was the hot springs. The tour guide advised that you had to swim 30 metres to reach the springs as the boat was unable to get closer due to the swimmers. We decided to admire the view from the boat.

Next step was Thirrus. A small island with only 1 cafe and 1 restaurant. But the port there were several restaurants to choose from. We stopped for lunch at Capital Joe’s. I ordered chicken kebabs which came with chips. the portion was small so I had room for something sweet. We took a walk and found a lovely cafe which had a variety of crepes waffles and sandwiches. I chose a chocolate Baileys crepe with a Mango Bubble Tea with Passion Fruit bobo balls.

Next step was Oia which was my favourite. The amazing postcard views took your breath away. We arrived at the port and was advised to walk or take a donkey to the top. We opted for the donkey. This was the scariest experience of my life. I held the grip so tight my palms were red. I felt like I was going to fall over the side of the cliff as the donkey kept stopping. I was so happy when we almost reached the top. We still had a 5-minute walk to the top but I wasn’t complaining. My phone was constantly in my hand as there were so many beautiful spots to photograph. Once we arrived at the top there were an array of shops and restaurants. There were so many beautiful souvenirs and items to chose from. If you love to shop Santorini is the place to come from beautiful linen dresses to authentic plates and tableware.

We sat down and ate a meal at a lovely restaurant called Ferradi. The view was breathtaking. I had a black salmon burger with wakame salad and hazel had boneless lamb with orzo and vegetable We missed the coach back which was annoying but another tour bus took us back to our hotel and we just paid him a tip. Shower and bed for me.

Day 3

We had a lovely lay in after a long day yesterday. Shower and breakfast then relaxation with a good book. When we were reading in the reception area an American lady and her friend came over and gave us a 10% off voucher for a restaurant close to the hotel.

We decided to book the jacuzzi for 12 which is normally €10 for half an hour but today it was free. Bargain. It was quiet as it was raining so we had the Jacuzzi to ourselves. It was so soothing relaxing in the Jacuzzi we didn’t want to get out.

It was time for lunch so we decided to head to the town. There was such a great variety of varieties to choose from we opted for a nice kebab place. It was very popular with a long queue. we chose the Chicken souvlakia. It was yummy delicious and the chips bulked it up making it filling. It started to rain so what a perfect opportunity for dessert. We stopped off a lovely crepe shop. I had my favourite banana and Nutella waffle and Hazel had a sugar and cinnamon crepe.

We came back to the hotel and relaxed. We decided to check out the restaurant and it was only a 5 minute if that from the hotel. The restaurant was very authentic with dim lighting and a vintage style. We started off with a glass of Moscato which was lovely by a brand called Bianco Nero. It was an Italian restaurant so I chose the seafood risotto. I do love a risotto. The presentation was elegant and clean. The portion looked small but it was very deserving as I felt full after I finished it. The rice was cooked to perfection and the subtle flavours of prawns and mussels were delightful. We couldn’t leave without trying dessert. I chose the usual chocolate fondant which was amazing. Not too sweet with the toffee ice cream adding additional flavours. Overall the food was amazing and I would definitely recommend. We paid for the meal and then we realised we didn’t use the 10% voucher. Oh well, the bill wasn’t expensive and the food was definitely worth the price.

Day 4

Today we decided to take a short walk to town and explore the markets/shops. There were loads of souvenir shops as well as clothes stalls and foot spas. The architecture was beautiful with the historic buildings. On the way to the town, we came across a small museum which explained the history of Santorini. It was interesting to read the different stories and learn about the culture. All the walkways lead to different shops and I bought some bookmarks. There were some beautiful fuschia flowers as seen in the photo below. Next stop was the cable carts down to the port. Enroute we walked past beautiful clothes shops which only sold white clothing with traditional Greek designs and gold embroidery I thought I have to purchase a dress and I bought one for Mum too. I tried on a variety of maxi dresses and found a lovely one that fit just right. It worked out 35 Euros but I think it was worth the money with the gold embroidery details and soft material. It was a short wait for the cable carts. The views were breathtaking. We shared a car with an elderly American couple who were very friendly. I bought a gladiator style headband to pair with my Grecian style dress. The port was quiet with a few boats stopping to collect and drop people off. We found a little ice cream shop and sat down at a nice table with a view of the water. We ordered an ice cream and ate it as we took in the surrounding people watching.

Shops in Fira

By the time we arrived back into town, we worked up an appetite. When we first arrived I noticed a lovely Indian/Chinese restaurant called Momo. It was next to the crepe place and kebab place we visited the day before. The aromas were drawing me in. There was so much choice I couldn’t decide what to go for. In the end, I chose the Thai Green Curry with boiled rice. Haxel picked a chicken curry which was full of flavour I wished I ordered it instead. The green curry was tasty with a kick of chilli. The sauce was lovely and creamy and the chicken was lovely and moist. A lovely way to end the night.

Day 5

It was our last full place day in Santorini but we had accomplished a lot. Our hotel was in such a great location it was easy to get around. We relaxed by the pool as the sun was shining. The weather was beautiful and the temperature was just right.

In the evening we decided to try one of the restaurants in town with a beautiful view. There were so many restaurants to select which had amazing views but we went to Classico which was a seafood restaurant. We were seated at a lovely table which gave us a beautiful view which was picturesque. It was chilly so the waiter gave us blankets and we had a heater which definitely helped. I chose the seafood risotto again which was delicious but tasted different from the one I had previously.

When walking back to the hotel I looked up at the moon and it was red. Apparently, it’s a popular thing and it’s called the blood moon.

Day 6

Hometime. What a lovely holiday. The flight was quick which was a bonus.

I would definitely recommend Santorini if you want a relaxed holiday with beautiful views, friendly locals. The photos don’t do it justice. I would definitely visit again as it’s such a beautiful place.