SANTORINI - Sivan
07.13.15

SANTORINI

My honeymoon became real when we arrived on Santorini. We were alone at last and the place is just breathtakingly beautiful. It’s almost unfair how beautiful this island is. Like every other Greek island I’d been pinning for years, I was ready to be the most overboard on this island based on everything Pinterest had been depicting the island to be. Meaning: I would basically stop every 5 steps to take a picture of a building, door, view, etc. And spoiler alert to my next destination that I will cover, I was the same way in Lake Como. Talk about a bored husband. But no, actually my husband is pretty sweet about my obsession with pretty architecture and my need to get barefoot on top of buildings for pics.

Santorini by far had the most beauty among the islands I’d traveled to. This is a place you come to to take countless photographs and lay by a pool. Seriously though, that’s all you do. My best piece of advice for those traveling to Santorini would be to have a substantial amount of money ready and available for your hotel. At this location your hotel is like an investment, as you will most likely stay there for the most part, so you will probably spend a pretty penny. Just make sure you pick one that has 1) an incredible pool (maybe a private dipping pool if you’re really willing to splurge), and 2) a view (most hotels will).

Continue reading below for more on this gorgeous island.

Santorini

-Santorini is not a beach island. There are a few red and black sanded beaches, but if you speak with any of the locals they will tell you not to bother, as some of them leave residue on your clothing. Also, most tend to be more pebbly (not soft sand) and rocky. Not the best for laying out.

-A pool (preferably a private infinity dipping pool) is kinda crucial. They also make for awesome photo ops.

-I stayed at the Grace hotel in Imerovigli and let me tell you, I’ve never felt more glamorous in. my. life. This place was simply unbelievable–the view, the pool(s), the drinks, the food, the 4-course complimentary breakfast, the endless (free) champagne, the rooms, the decor, the chairs, the service, the atmosphere…I can go on for days.

-Oia is the most popular part of Santorini. There’s lots of restaurants and shops and TONS of beautiful architecture. You know all those colored buildings on a cliff you see on Pinterest? Yeah, that’s there. BUT, around 4:30pm / 5:00pm ish cruise ships pull up and drop off 100’s (no exaggeration) of tourists. They swarm and stampede around, clogging the already too-tight roads. It’s nuts. Too overwhelming for my kinda enjoyment.

-Lolita’s gelateria (in Oia) is a must. They have a rosewater & pink pepper gelato that is out of this world. I honestly don’t even know what pink pepper is but I fully intend to embark on a mad hunt for it out here. And even more honestly, I fully told my husband I’m down to open a gelato spot in LA that’s purely rosewater & pink pepper, banana, dulce de leche, and black cherry flavored. Thoughts?

-Now that I’ve talked so much shit about Oia let me just say the place is gorg but Imerovigli (the middle of the island / crater) is a much calmer place to explore. There are less shops and restaurants but it is purely white and a little more modern. So stunning it’s not normal.

La Maltese is a hotel with an incredible restaurant overlooking the caldera. Some might say it has a better view than some spots in Oia. The food here is incredible and again, the service never disappointed anywhere in Greece.

Avocado–another great restaurant in Imerovigli–was delicious and affordable. Plus, they served hummus! A rarity in Greece.

-Santorini was the most expensive island of the 4 I visited. Totally worth it though.

-Beware of the stairs. They are everywhere. Like, if you want to go to the bar of your hotel get ready to trek up about 221 steps first. Forget about going to dinner. You better have memorized a route back down to your hotel because there are little lights and absolutely no signs. I think it’s safe to say we were very lost after each dinner and often had to hop over people’s balconies to reach our hotel. We got yelled at once or twice…

-Restaurants tend to offer 2-3 reservation slots that revolve around the sunset. 7:00pm for the early birds, 8:00pm for those who want to get started pre-sunset, and 8:30pm for those who want to sit down right as the sunset is starting.

-3 days seems to be the right amount of time on Santorini (realistically). With little to do you will have a lot of relaxing time and that was just fine with me.

-Santorini grows a cucumber-melon hybrid that is used in specialty cocktails and there isn’t much I can say other than TRY IT! So good.

I don’t know if I’m in love with this place because it was my honeymoon or if it is really just that spectacular, but my entire experience on Santorini was so positive and beautiful I just can’t imagine it was all a facade. The views and sunsets are unreal and I’m not the biggest sunset girl. I could not imagine visiting Greece again and not coming back to Santorini. It seems like such a sacred place I urge everyone to visit there at least once.

And a look into our ridiculously gorgeous hotel views:

Grace Hotel Santorini