Scintillating Santorini

I had been pushing off a trip to Santorini for a long time. Had heard of countless horror stories of the overtourism prevalent here and was in no hurry to make a trip out there. However I couldn’t push it out any longer, it has been on top of my wife’s wishlist for a long time and we decided to check it off the list for her big 30th birthday.

A lot has been said and written about this picturesque island, formed because of the volcanic eruption of Thera (also the original greek name of this island) about 3600 years ago which left behind a huge volcanic caldera. It is one of those destinations that you’ve heard, read and seen so much about that some of the charm of actually visiting the place kind of gets lost.  I was wary of the hordes of tourists that everyone had told us to expect, the cacophony of cruise ship visitors and the humongous crowds during sunset. But oh well, I was also curious to see if Santorini truly lived up to its hype.

We had planned a weeklong sojourn in Central Europe (since we were getting some killer airfare deals to Vienna) and inserted a 4 day/3 night trip to Santorini right in the middle. I’ll cover the rest of our adventures from this trip in separate posts.

The best way to reach Santorini is by air if you’re coming from mainland Europe though there are ferries amongst the Cycladic islands if you’re island hopping in the region. The flight from Vienna was uneventful and we landed in JTR airport on a sunny Tuesday afternoon.

Santorini has a capable public transport system in place and you really do not need a car to get around. The roads are windy and stray animals will wander onto the road from time to time, I would advise against renting a car unless you are comfortable driving in such conditions. We had requested our airbnb to send a cab to pick us up from the airport, this is highly recommended so that you don’t waste time and money looking for a cab outside the airport. There is regular AC bus service all across the island with service every 20 mins on most routes. We stayed in Imerovigli and bus fare was a flat 1.80 euro to either Oia or Thira (which is the terminal and has connections to other locations across the island)

Santorini has a myriad of accommodation styles available, from ultra-luxurious cottages with personal plunge pools to backpacker friendly hostels. The upscale places to stay with the surreal views of the caldera are located mainly in Oia and Imerovigli, while those on a budget would look more towards the capital of Thira or some of the southern beach towns. That being said, Santorini is a romantic destination and if you are here to celebrate and can splurge I’d highly recommend booking in advance and getting a room in one of the many whitewashed cottages facing the caldera. There are some amazing airbnb’s that are perched right on the cliffs, though you have to book them months in advance because of the popularity of this island! 

We were a bit delayed in planning the dates of our trip so we couldn’t find a suitable place in Oia so we settled for a modest Airbnb in Imerovigli (not the one in the picture above! Sigh!). In hindsight, I think that was a great decision. Oia is the crown jewel of Santorini but is just overrun with hordes of tourists. Imerovigli on the other hand is just as scenic, without the crazy crowds of Oia. It’s only 30 mins to Oia and 10 mins to Thira from Imerovigli so getting around isn’t an issue. We really loved the peace and quiet of Imerovigli and preferred it to the crowds of Oia.

Now the sunsets of Oia are legendary and we really wanted to see if all the hype was real. So we had made a reservation at Kastro restaurant in Oia for the evening, which a good friend had recommended as the best place to view the famous “Oia sunset”. I’m glad I took that advice! Firstly, the sunset point is a good 20-25 mins walk from the bus stand in Oia (something we didn’t take into account while leaving our Airbnb) so we reached Kastro a good 40 mins late but just in time for the sunset. And secondly, you have to literally swim through the crowded alleyways in Oia to get to the tip where the best view of the sunset is. Here is when the true magnitude of Oia’s popularity sank in. The entire area is just a sea of bobbing heads, it’s hard to find a place to stand if you don’t come a good 2 hours before sunset and grab your spot. 

I’m so glad we listened to our friend and made a reservation at Kastro, it is “the” best place to enjoy the stunning sunset. Since we were late we got a table at the back, but at least we had a place to enjoy the sunset with a glass of wine. Don’t come late like us so you can get one of the sea facing tables.  It could have been worse, if we hadn’t got in we would be wrestling for space outside.

The sunset itself is amazing though. I was beginning to see why this island is so popular. But I don’t think it’s worth waiting for 2 hours in the hot sun (The Pacific NW with its stunning sunsets have spoiled me). In the following days, we discovered many other locations that you could get a great shot if you had the right camera and lens combo. The other thing to note is that 90% of the crowd leaves as soon as the sun sets, but some of the best sunset shots are taken after the actual sunset when the colors really paint the sky. So just wait 15-20 mins and you will have the ruins with the best views to yourself. On the next day we came to the same place 30 mins post sunset and it was empty, and I got some great shots.

Enough about sunsets for now. Let’s talk about food and drink! Santorini has some of the freshest seafood I’ve had and the local wines are delicious. The food at Kastro Oia was excellent and super fresh. Post dinner, we enjoyed a nice stroll through the myriad alleys of Oia to the bus stop, it was so much nicer than just 3 hours back where we were jostling for space similar to local train stations in Mumbai!

We slept in and woke closer to lunchtime than breakfast the next day, and started off with a stroll around our Airbnb in Imerovigli. You have pretty much the same whitewashed cottages like in Oia, without the million tourists. The whitewashed cottages against the brilliant blue of the Aegean is extraordinary, and slowly but surely Santorini was winning me over. We hopped onto the local bus and headed to another recommended restaurant. The view from Argo restaurant in Thira (make reservations and get a table with a view!) is incredible. We both love Greek food and easily finished a bottle of wine between the two of us in each meal! The seafood is as fresh as can be with the water just meters away from where you are dining.

Post lunch, we walked around Thira and looked for those picture postcard shots with the blue domed churches. The whole island is a postcard, and taking a bad photo is next to impossible. Thankfully we picked the so-called shoulder season of September (the crowds in Oia would have you believe otherwise) but the sun wasn’t as scorching as in the middle of summer. We spent a good couple of hours wandering the alleyways before the heat finally caught up to us and we went back to our Airbnb for a siesta. 

For sunset on day 2, we planned a slightly different strategy. First we walked up to the famous 3 domes of Oia a little before sunset. This place is hard to find (hope it stays that way) but allows you to get the money shot of Oia. Having enjoyed sunset here, we then walked back to the tip of Oia (same place as last night) but 15 minutes post sunset and we had the place to ourselves. Much better than getting jostled among a million tourists.

The first half of day 3 in Santorini was spent exploring the beautiful coastal walk that runs like a spine from Thira to Oia, via Imerovigli. We took another quick pitstop at the three domes to get some pictures during the day, it was a good decision, the place looks just as magnificent during the day as it does during sunset.

Lunch that day was at Floga, my favorite restaurant of the trip (excellent recommendation from the same friend, who has been to Santornini twice and is an expert on the food and wine there!). The view is stellar and the food tops the views which is saying something. Get the stuffed chicken for sure (you can thank me later!). Post lunch, the sun starts to feel hotter and it’s the perfect time for a siesta. 

For sunset on our last day in Santorini, we took the coastal walk from our Airbnb towards Thira. I think we had realized by now, there really isn’t a bad place to watch the sunset from anywhere in Santorini. The way the stark white houses perched on the cliff sides turn a golden orange while the sun sinks into the glittering waters of the Aegean is truly magical. The walk from Imerovigli to Thira is all downhill, so a good plan is to have a nice dinner in Thira and take the bus back, it’s not particularly dreamy walking up steps at night when your tummy is full of wine and greek food! That night dinner was at a quaint tavern in Thira called Pelican Kipos, and sure enough the food & wine was excellent. We tried the Vinsanto dessert wine here, it is a revelation, being sweet with an almost whiskey like color and honey like after-taste. Along with Assyrtiko, these are the two most famous wines on this island. Would highly recommend buying a bottle (or case) as a souvenir, these grapes are native to Santorini and are only grown here. 

Sadly, next morning marked the end of our short stay in Santorini (we still had a couple of days of vacation left during which we would do a quick stopover at Prague). We got up early, to take in one final view of the glittering seas within the caldera, and the lovely whitewashed houses, the view seriously is something you will never get bored of. 

I had come to Santorini with a lot of skepticism. Oia, I still feel is too overcrowded, and you can enjoy the same views with a fraction of tourists in Imerovigli which I would highly recommend to make your base. The views that Santorini is so famous for are legit though, and I would surely make a trip out here again just for that.

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