Alright I said it, in my opinion Santorini isn’t worth the hype! And there’s a reason why when you tell a Greek person you’re going to Santorini, they’ll basically spit in your face and ask WHY! This happened to us every time someone would ask where we were going next (okay fine minus the real spitting). Now before you take my (or their) opinion at face value or alternatively yell at me that I’m wrong…let me share my general criteria for a worthwhile destination:
Authentic experiences
Excellent food - at all price ranges
Accessibility
Good value / money - I understand not everything is going to be cheap but it needs to be worth the premium
Broad range of activities
Unfortunately Santorini just didn’t hit many of those for me, least of all 1 & 4. In comparison to other Greek islands I’ve visited on this trip, Santorini misses on the authenticity of the cute winding Greek streets and seaside tavernas. Sure there are winding alleyways, but you’ll be waiting behind hordes of people to walk through at a snails pace. And any food you’re finding is going to be at least double to triple the price of what you find on another island, and from what I experienced, not as good. Plus the beaches are just not accessible and neither is getting from town to town unless you’re willing to pay 40-50 euro each leg of the trip, or rent an ATV / scooter and maybe risk your life. The driving here was insane! And we’ve ridden motorbikes around the craziness of the likes of Bali. We stayed in Oia and barely left because of this, so take that into consideration as well.
BUT that doesn’t mean it was all bad. Obviously Santorini is world famous for a reason. Here are some highlights and suggestions if you do make the trip to Santorini:
The stunning views of the famous blue domed churches and caldera in Oia. Because of Santorinis unique perch on top of hills, the views of the towns built into the cliffside and outwards are very beautiful, especially at sunset. You’ve likely seen photos of these towns and views on Instagram. To find the blue domed churches simply google Blue Domed Church Santorini and the location will pop up for you to Google Maps directions to. Beware: a chance to get a photo at one of these locations can mean waiting in a line of hundreds of people for one snap. I’d recommend doing what we did - wake up at 5:45 am to get over to the blue dome churches by 6 am. Even at that time there was a line of 8 people, but it went quickly and we had time to get great photos. Plus the colors of the sky at sunrise are so beautiful.
Catamaran trip around the island. This was my favorite day on Santorini! We used the Santorini Sailing Center which was recommended to us by our AirBnB host and it was great! It’s a 4 hour tour that picks you up at Ammoudi Bay on the Oia side of the island and then cruises you around the famous swimming spots and beaches around the island. We stopped at the base of the Santorini Volcano to swim in the Sulfur Springs, then docked at a cove for swimming and lunch (grilled meats, dolmas, greek salad and pasta - it was delicious) and refreshing Greek white wine. The catamaran sailed along to Red Beach and White Beach and then dropped us off at a port on the other end of the island. Transportation back was included. It was a great way to see the island and spend a day. They also do sunset tours which look beautiful.
Catamaran tour with Santorini Sailing Center
Wine tasting! I never miss an opportunity to do some wine tasting if it’s on offer, and Santorini is definitely a picturesque place to do it. We went first to Vassaltis Vineyards then Santo Wines. Vassaltis was by far our favorite with a very modern and peaceful tasting room and a great guided experience that included 4 “bites” to pair with the wines. I honestly wish we had skipped Santo Wines for another more local winery like Gaia Wines or Gavalas Winery. Santo Wines was extremely beautiful, but way too touristy (think dozens of large tour buses and groups walking around with cruise tour stickers on). A good reminder that the top reviewed option isn’t always the best one.
Top 3: Santo Winery. Bottom 6: Vassaltis Winery
Some good eats! Our favorite dinner was at Fino Restaurant and Cocktail Bar in Oia. The cocktails were delicious, and the tapas style food was really incredible, plus our waiter was awesome. We also ate at Pelekanos in Oia, which has a perfect sunset view from the rooftop, but was in my opinion a bit overpriced (20-50 euro for an entree and 18 euro for a cocktail). Sunset restaurant in Ammoudi Bay is really incredible and might have had one of my favorite dishes (Uni Pasta) but again, very expensive! I was imagining Ammoudi Bay as a little fishing village but it is definitely very built out. For some cheaper eats, we had some good souvlaki at Nikos Place Grill and good pizza from Restaurante Pizza Edwin.
Fino Restaurant
Overall, Santorini truly is a beautiful island, but if you’re not willing to spend a lot and don’t want to constantly battle crowds, I would recommend skipping it for another of the 227 islands in Greece, like Tinos or Paros.
Watching the sunset from our Airbnb. Not pictured: hundreds of people standing right below the wall for the same view
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