Travel Guide: Santorini, Greece
OUR 4-DAY ITINERARY
For our wedding, everyone stayed a minimum of 4 days in Santorini. I personally think 4 days is enough time to enjoy the highlights of the island. Since our wedding planners took care of our wedding day, I researched and planned the rest of the weekend for our families.
It was a little difficult because: 1) my parents are high maintenance, 2) I had to accommodate for my 4-year-old nephew and 3-month-old niece, and 3) our families really didn’t know each other that well. But I am happy to say that everything went smoothly and the weekend was incredible.
WHERE WE STAYED
We all stayed in Firostefani, the village between Fira and Imerovigli. All hotels were a 5-minute walk or less to the wedding venue, Sun Rocks Santorini.
Sun Rocks Santorini – A high-end boutique hotel with unobstructed caldera & sunset views. For us to reserve this as our wedding venue, we had to pay a hosting fee and reserve 3 rooms for the night of the wedding. We were upgraded to their Honeymoon Suite and also reserved two Experience Suites. The rooms are luxurious & huge and the service was impeccable. It is an adults-only luxury hotel, so it is not cheap. There are also a lot of stairs, so bring good shoes and be prepared to burn some calories.
Sunset Hotel – An affordable hotel with amazing caldera & sunset views. The rooms are small, but clean. The breakfast was delicious and the staff were friendly. The hotel is also super easy to get to from the main street (barely any stairs).
Splendour Resort – An affordable family-friendly hotel with huge rooms. Some rooms had private pools and views of the sunrise and Aegean Sea (not the caldera and sunset). My sister & brother-in-law stayed here with their 4-year-old and 3-month-old because many of the cliff-side hotels didn’t allow young kids to stay there. The service was slow and the hotel is a bit rundown, but the rooms are huge, my nephew loved the pool, and they offered a great breakfast buffet.
WHAT WE DID
Private Cultural Villages Tour by Santorini Road Trips: I booked this tour for my sisters, brother-in-law, niece and nephew because I wanted them to tour the island at a slower pace with more flexibility. I worked with the company via email to customize the tour. They picked us up from our hotel in a clean, air-conditioned Mercedes minivan and even offered to install an infant car seat at no additional cost (but my sister ended up using her own). In just 5 hours, we were able to explore Pyros Village, Prophet Elijah Mountain, Megalochori Village, Akrotiri Archeological Site, and a local family farm where we tried organic food and wine. I highly recommend this tour if you want to see different parts of the island (vs. the caldera), and learn more about the island’s history and local villages.
Full-Day Sightseeing Tour by Notos Travel: I booked this tour for my parents because I knew it was well organized and would allow them to see all the major sights. This is a 9-hour tour on a coach bus that takes you to the Akrotiri Archeological Site, Perissa Beach, the Prophet Elias Monastery, and a local winery. The great thing about this tour is that it’s cheap, gives you time to swim at the beach, and ends in Oia village so you can see the sunset. To my surprise, my parents loved the tour and said it did not feel like 9 hours.
Private Catamaran Sunset Cruise by Santorini Yachting Club: The day after our wedding, we booked this private catamaran sunset cruise for our entire family. This tour was planned and recommended by our wonderful wedding planner Dina at Stella & Moscha Weddings (that’s her official name because she’s amazing and I’m obsessed). We chose the catamaran because they had a ton of interior & exterior lounging space for our group. But just a warning, my sisters and I got some serious motion sickness, so be prepared if you’re lightweights like us. The interior bedroom came in handy for my sister when my niece needed to nurse or nap. The private package included pickup & return, open bar, lunch, snorkeling gear, towels and Wi-Fi. We were able to see Ammoudi Bay, the Volcano and Hot Springs, Indian Rock, Venetian Light House, Mesa Pigadia, White Beach and Red Beach. The lunch menu included traditional greek mezedes, chicken & pork BBQ prepared on board, greek salads, fresh fruits & greek bread. Everyone’s favorite part of the cruise was watching the sunset from the sea. There were no crowds, no obstructions, and no noise. I highly recommend doing a boat tour/sunset cruise while in Santorini! Whether it’s a private or group tour, I’ve read all of them were amazing!
Hiked from Fira to Oia & Explored Amoudi Bay: This is my favorite thing to do in Santorini. Darren’s parents did this hike and loved it, too. Hiking from Fira to Oia is about 6 miles one way and takes between 3-5 hours. The path passes through four towns (Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli and Oia) and takes you along the edge of the caldera for the most stunning views. When Darren’s parents reached Oia, they walked down 300 steps to the port of Amoudi Bay and enjoyed seafood at one of the tavernas.
Other tours and activities I recommend: Wine & Vineyard Tour, Cooking Class, Sea Kayaking Tour, and Hiking to Skaros Rock in Imerovigli.
WHERE WE ATE
We hosted our welcome dinner at Aroma Avlis, the restaurant attached to the Karamolegos Winery. I think this is the only Santorini winery with a restaurant that offers actual dishes. Sigalas Winery has a restaurant, but they offer more of a wine-tasting menu.
From start to finish, our Aroma Avlis experience was incredible! I made reservations easily via email, and requested a table in their outside yard. We dined with a view of their garden and vineyard, which was a nice change from the caldera view. They gave us a tour of their wine cellar downstairs, and continued to make us feel special with complimentary dessert, ouzo and limoncello shots. Everyone loved their meals, but we unanimously agreed that the T-bone steak was the winner. My parents still talk about that T-bone steak.
My sister also raved about how child-friendly the restaurant was. She said they had a “real” changing table (not the plastic kind) and a step-up stool for kids. The restaurant manager also informed me that there is now a playground at Aroma Avlis!
Other restaurant suggestions from my wedding planner: Savvas Popeye Tavern (at Perivolos Beach for fresh fish), Lefkes (a restaurant at the picturesque village of Finikia near Oia), Krinaki (a very traditional tavern in Finikia, with the tastiest lamb chops on the island), and Metaxi Mas (a very popular traditional tavern located in Pyrgos).