The most famous Greek island with blue domed buildings and a stunning caldera with views all over. Here I am going to talk about where to stay, the best photo spots and how to get around.
When you search for Santorini holidays online you are instantly offered expensive accommodation in Oia with infinity pools and good sunset views. However, Santorini has so much more to offer and you are able to see it in a much more affordable way. These infinity pools are not as cool as they seem. The public footpaths run right next to your pool and tourists can literally dip their hands in them and they provide no privacy.
When to visit
You often see Instagram vs reality videos online where you can see how busy Santorini gets during the summer. The streets are packed with tourists taking photos and in the evening there are always huge crowds waiting for a good view of the famous sunset. I visited in early April. There were never any crowds and the streets were so quiet. Obviously when you come at this time you can’t expect it to be hot enough to be sat outside in the sun all day. However, the temperature was around 18 degrees Celsius everyday which was perfect for walking around and exploring. It was a little breezy on some days so if you are planning to go at this time of year I’d recommend taking a cardigan/jacket.
Where to stay
I didn’t stay in the same place for the whole week. I actually stayed in 4 different places. This is because it means you can stay in incredible places for a third of the price. I book all of my accommodation through booking.com. I managed to stay in accommodation with large private pools and beautiful views. It was obviously a bit cheaper as it was off season, but a lot of villas offer cheaper stays if you book on their “between nights”. Between nights are the available nights hotels have remaining between bookings – it may only be one or two nights but they make these cheaper so they can fill them.
I spent two nights in Pyrgos, two nights in Amoudi Bay, 2 nights in Megalochori and one night in Thira. I travelled with a friend and our total accommodation cost each was £350. All of the towns are very close together – the island is actually very small. It doesn’t really matter where you stay, as long as you have a way of getting about you will still see everything. If I was to go back I would definitely stay in Imerovigli – it looks very like Oia minus the crowds.
- Pyrgos: Blue White Villa – huge apartment with a private pool.
- Amoudi Bay: Secret Gem Suites – stunning location, hot tub with views of the sea. https://www.booking.com/hotel/gr/secret-gem-suites.en.html?aid=7978733&no_rooms=1&group_adults=2
- Megalochori: Suites of the Gods – amazing view of the caldera and a private pool
- Thira: Anna Pension hostel – super budget (€25 per night). Shared pool and lovely double room.
Check out this link to make a booking: https://www.booking.com/index.html?aid=7978733
How to get around
The streets in Santorini are very narrow and are often cobbled which can put some people off hiring a car. However, hiring a car makes your holiday extremely flexible and everything is on your own time. It takes only 40 minutes to drive from one end of the island to the other. We rented a car for £120 for the week. You can also gets taxis (no journey costs more than €25), hire an atv or use the public buses.
Best photo spots
There are hundreds of photo opportunities all over the island. A lot of the famous photo spots are actually in private areas and it is very important to respect the locals and ask for permission. A lot of the locals encourage you to take photos in front of their beautiful houses. We even had one local lady FaceTime her family to show us taking photos outside her house. Many photos you see online are of influencers standing on church roofs which the locals see as super disrespectful and therefore I would not recommend anyone doing this.
- The famous blue domes (Anastasis Church)
Possibly the most photographed place in Santorini. There are often queues of people waiting to have their photo taken here. I recommend going very early in the morning – we went just before sunrise and there was only one couple there when we arrived. There are many locals that live around this area so if you are there early please be respectful and quiet whilst taking your photos.
- Oia Cliffside
There are so different places where you can take this famous photo. The white buildings set into the cliffs are so beautiful. I headed over to the Byzantine Castle ruins. Here was a great view of all the houses without any crowds.
- Kastro Oia Houses (orange building)
This is actually a hotel. It is one of the most featured hotels on Instagram. The building is so different to all the other white buildings around it which is why it is so popular for tourists to visit and have a photo with.
- Amoudi Bay
I think this is one of the most underrated areas in Santorini. It is SO beautiful. The turquoise waters and the red cliffs are so picturesque. You are never really that close to the water when in Santorini, you are always high up in the cliffs. This is why I think a trip to Amoudi Bay is a must! There are lovely fresh fish restaurants all along the waterfront, places to jump in and swim and amazing views. There are also day and sunset catamaran trips leaving from here.
Best excursion
Volcanic Island Sunset Cruise with Hot Springs
This was a five hour long catamaran trip. The boat took us to the red beach, the hot springs and around the caldera. On this trip we got to see a beautiful sunset, go snorkelling, eat a freshly barbecued Greek dinner and drink from the open bar. All of this was included in the price of £100pp. The boat picked us up and dropped us back off in Amoudi Bay.
Food
There are restaurants all over the island. Most of them are pretty reasonably priced and normally always have an available table without booking. The only exception are the restaurants that offer a sunset view with dinner – these you will need to book in advance. If you are travelling on a budget there are local gyros takeaways which will set you back only €3 and the portions aren’t small!I recommend going to PK Cocktail Bar for a drink at sunset – very beautiful location/views. It does get busy but tables to come available quite quickly so you shouldn’t have to wait long.
Polly in Paradise 
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