September 17 2012

Santorini - Part I

Three weeks ago, I traveled to Greece for a friend’s wedding.  Before the festivities in Crete, Joel and I spent a couple days on one of the most picturesque islands in the world, Santorini.

No matter where you look, the island enchants you with white cliffs, winding roads and the Aegean Sea as far as the eye can see.

We stayed in Oia on the northern tip of the island.  Our hotel’s cave-like setting was breathtaking, as were the views, especially when we’d open the doors to find breakfast waiting for us.

Highlights in Santorini included:

• Lunch at Taverna Katina in Amoudi Bay. To say the seafood here was fresh would be an understatement - it was caught and grilled right in front of us! Amoudi Bay also has kitties roaming around, something that initially surprised us, but soon became second nature throughout our duration in Santorini. 

• Hiking from Amoudi Bay up to the cliffs of Oia. The steps are lined with donkeys and at each level the trail splits, leaving the direction of the adventure up to us.

• Touring Santorini on an ATV. The island is only 20 miles long, but there’s no better way to discover each beach, town and view.

• Beach hop. One of our favorites was Perissa on the eastern border.

• Sunsets. Every day. Oia, Santorini is considered one of the top ten sunset views in the world, so much so that each time the sun hits the water, the crowd erupts in a round of applause.

• Dinners overlooking the caldera. Most of my night photos didn’t show up and this photo certainly doesn’t do the scenery justice. Wow - just wow.

• Getting lost. Making a wrong turn, discovering a small alley, taking a peek into an old store - all are worth it, especially at night.