Greek Isles 2008

Santorini

The ferry from Mykonos to Santorini was delayed and a bit rough. When the ferry docked we had to find our luggage then get our rental car. Our car rental was a Smart Car and perfect for the island! Unfortunately it was already dark and we had to find our way to the hotel which was a struggle. Because of the ferry delay we missed a full day.

Stay

We stayed in the town of Fira at a beautiful hotel called The Aressana. Upon arrival we were brought glasses of champagne.

Pool at Aressana Hotel

Aressana Spa Hotel & Suites Santorini
Fira Town
Fira, Santorini, GR 84700
Tel: +30 22860 23900
http://www.aressana.gr/

Our room was a Superior Double on the Upper Floor w/ a Balcony.
Absolute serenity!

Pool Lounge at Aressana Hotel

From the hotel we were able to walk to a lot of places. One day we took a walk down through the cliff side and discovered even more beautiful views, donkeys and secret staircases.

 

Eat

The restaurants in Santorini all seem to have beautiful views! Our first dinner setting was outdoor in the cliff side of Fira overlooking the sea and buildings. One thing I really enjoyed about this view was all of the blue lights shinning against the white buildings. It was too difficult to get a photo of this and I have since upgraded my camera.

Ellis Restaurant
Fira
Santorini, GR
Tel: +30 22860 25636
http://www.ellis-santorini.com/

Dinner at Ellis Restaurant

At Ellis, I had Seabass. It was presented to me whole then the waiter cleaned it in front of me. This was probably my very first experience with really great fish! I recall there were only locals at this restaurant. A large table was taken up by a Greek family of many generations. It felt good to be in the presence of locals.
All in all good food, good vibes and good views!




Our second dinner spot was in the town of Oia where they are known for the sunsets....After walking around trying to stake out a good sunset watching spot, we gave up because of the crowds. Apparently you should arrive early. This is how we stumbled upon Pelekanos - a restaurant with a rooftop terrace and perfect views. Here I had the Pesto Risotto and I can still taste the deliciousness! Our sunset situation was solved and dinner was served!

Dinner at Pelekanos Restaurant

Pelekanos Restaurant

Oia

Santorini, Greece 84702

Tel: +30 22860 71553

http://pelekanosrestaurant.gr/home.html

See
The beaches of course are a must see. We only had time for one and it was Kamari Beach.
This was my first time at a beach where you could basically bare it all. And I did. What a freeing experience! There were shops and places to eat just across from the beach so it's nice to spend the entire afternoon here. We left in time to go see the sunset in Oia, which is the other must see!

Kamari Beach

South of Fira

20 minute drive from the hotel

Lounge chairs and umbrellas are available to the public

Just a heads up:
Don't get too bothered by the masseuses walking around offering massages at a great price...

From Kamari, we drove to the town of Oia which was probably a 45 minute drive. You have most likely seen postcards with these sunset pictures and it is even more remarkable in person. Prepare for photo overload!!!

Oia Sunset
Oia is pronounced "EE-ah"
Arrive early to claim a sunset spot 
Make dinner reservation for after sunset or rooftop during sunset

We wished we had stayed longer in Santorini. We only had 2 days and there is much more to see and do. I highly recommend renting a car; it's really the only way to get around. 

Another thing to note is that most places do not have an address so be sure to have plenty of maps handy. The maps are very visual in pointing out the places of business.

From here, it was off to the land of my roots - Italia!