Things to know about Santorini Island, Greece

In 2016 I visited Santorini for six days. I am living in Athens, so the journey was quite near and Santorini is really famous here in Greece. It was an amazing experience and I would like to share my tips and tricks to enjoy your holidays too if someday you visit our beautiful and unique island.

Oia, Kikladhes, Greece

• Where to Stay in Santorini: First of all, you have to pick the perfect area in order to be closer to the shops and the center. If you want to be closer to the views(20min drive from any beach) stay in Fira, Imerovigli, Firostefani or Oia, but if you want to be closer to the beaches you should stay in Kamari, Perissa or Perivolos. Santorini isn't famous for its beaches compared to the others that Greece has. However, if you want to visit some of them you definitely have to go to red beach, because, as its name says, it's red due to the volcano (tip: don't wear white clothes). Another good option is Kamari beach, Perissa beach(10km south east of Fira each) and Monolithos(7km east of Fira).

Imerovigli. Santorini

Red Beach

Kamari Beach

Perissa Beach

• Which hotel to pick: Santorini has more than 1.700 hotel and rooms to stay, that's why the decision is hard and you have to set certain restrictions. The only thing that is clear is that Santorini isn't a cheap vacation option, because of island's popularity. Some really good choices are Amaya Selection of Villas (Oia), Exclusive Plan Suites (Firostefani), Tholos Resort (Imerovigli) (I stayed in Privee Santorini, Perissa).

Amaya Selection of Villas

Exclusive Plan Suites

Tholos Resort, Santorini

Privee Santorini, Perissa

• When is ideal to visit Santorini: In May, June and September is the best time to visit Santorini, because the weather is warm and there is not too much crowd.

• What to do: The First day, you can go hiking caldera path between Fira and Oia. Also, you can book a boat tour of the caldera and see the island from another angle. Every boat tour includes a selection of things to pick the ideal for you. The options include: hike the volcano, visit Thirassia, swim in the hot springs, stop at Red Beach and White Beach to swim and snorkel, eat lunch/dinner on board, and watch the sunset below Oia. The second day, you can add a wine taste experience (Assyrtiko is one of the best) and after that an unforgettable, but expensive, 30 minutes long helicopter flight. After that it will be great to dinner at one of the best restaurants in the hill of the island, like Mezzo, Remvi or Panorama Balcony. Another suggestion is doing a volcano boat tour and walk the volcano, which takes about 20 minutes. In the evening, you can go and see a movie in outdoor cinema in Kamari (movies start around 9:30 pm). But the best of all, personally, I think is to explore the Paths, Alleys, and Stairwells of Fira, Firostefani, and Imerovigli. Seeing the traditional architecture of the roads and homes, to stare the view from caldera and take a deep breath while the sun goes down, those I think are the main reasons why someone should come and visit Santorini.

• Best Sites: Websites that are going to facilitate you experience are Booking.gr, Trivago.gr, Airbnb.gr (for your accommodation). rentalcars.com, letsferry.gr, santorinisecrets.gr, ktel-santorini.gr