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| Oia, Santorini |
Ahhh, Santorini, the romantic island of Greece. In 2023, my friend and I took a trip to Santorini, and it is just as picturesque as portrayed. I wouldn’t include this island in one of those “Instagram vs. Reality” reels on social media. I have seen some negative reviews of Santorini by tourists, but I find this to be inaccurate. Keep in mind, not every inch of a country is going to be perfect— and in a way that's part of the fun of a new experience. Also, avoid traveling to Santorini during peak season for a more pleasant time.
We arrived at the airport in
anticipation of the experience. There are a few taxis on the island and the fare is expensive.
Rideshare services are not available. We took a taxi to what seemed like the summit
of the island—our hotel in Imerovigli. Most tourists stay in Oia or Fira but
we found a cheaper hotel in Imerovigli which is between those two towns. Even
though we had not slept in over 24 hours, We had to stop and stare at the breathtaking
views before entering the hotel. Our hotel was on a cliff along with hundreds
of other white buildings with blue domes. We stayed at Akra Suites, which was
aesthetically pleasing both inside, and out. They have an amazing
restaurant and spa.
The island is small, but there are
many excursions I recommend trying. We booked the ATV tour, which was absolutely
thrilling. The excursion included transportation to the location and a short training
session. After this, we geared up. The tour lasted a few hours,
and it felt like we had traversed most of the island. Our tour guide taught us some
of the history of the island and showed us a beautiful church. We rode in the
countryside, next to the goats in the fields. Another highlight of the tour was stopping at an overlook to see the vast sea. They served us lunch and a mini wine tasting at a local
café while the tour guide serenaded us on the piano. The tour guide was
enthusiastic and seemed to love his job. The other excursion we booked was a
dinner cruise on a catamaran boat. It offered another viewpoint of the island.
The boat would anchor at different locations in the coastal waters to allow for
swimming, experiencing the hot springs and eating dinner. It was an
unforgettable experience.
Staying a total of five days on the island was perfect. The days we did not have excursions were spent walking around Oia and Fira. Oia has great shopping, excellent restaurants, and more of the iconic blue domes. I only window-shopped there because the stores were quite pricey. Shopping in Fira was a bit cheaper with many little alleyways of shops.
When we went in early May, the weather was cooler than we expected, and we were told by locals it was unusual for that time of year. The temperature was in the upper 60s to low 70s (°F) during the day. The warmer months— June to August —are peak season so it was nice to dodge the crowds of tourists. Next time, I would visit around late May to experience warmer weather.
We stopped at a beach on the ATV tour, but only for a few minutes, and it wasn't warm enough for swimming or sunbathing. One fact about the island, and not a myth, is not being able to flush toilet paper. Since the island is small and they get crowds of tourists the sewer infrastructure cannot support it. We found this to be an inconvenience at first, but we easily adjusted to using the trash can.
The locals are delightful and are so proud of their island. Our tour guide for the ATV excursion told us, “Don’t worry, be happy”. The trip was so refreshing and unforgettable. If you get the chance, I encourage you to visit this beautiful place with its beautiful people.
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