Santorini

The beautiful isle of Santorini.  It has one of the most picture perfect landscapes, and is probably one of the most widely recognized destinations from its windmills to its blue and white painted cliff-side homes and hotels.

the quintessential Santorini and Greece photo

We saw the pictures, we saw the postcards, and that is what drew us to Santorini.  But is that what made us fall in love with Santorini?  Nope, not at all.  We quickly learned that the pictures that you see of Santorini, those postcards that you get?  They are all from one very small area on the island…like really really small.  And Santorini is so much more than just that one beautiful spot.

We were lucky enough to stay on the south side of the island, and we truly couldn’t have been more grateful.  We found ourselves further from the absolute insane tour bus situation going on in Oia, and the crowds swarming into Fira; yet close enough to tour any of the main towns within a 15-30 minute quad ride.  But by being a little bit more removed from the main tourist areas, it felt like we got to see and experience so much more.  (Including some much enjoyed peace and quiet.)

our beautiful home on Santorini at Aura Marina Apartments

our rooftop terrace was the perfect place for enjoying a glass of wine and watching the sun set

While we did make a point to go and tour both Oia and Fira, after all those cities were our original inspiration for going to Santorini, we equally enjoyed driving along the coast, visiting some of the smaller villages in the middle of Santorini, and of course taking the time to load up on lots and lots of delicious Greek food.  In fact, I think that we enjoyed all of those moments much more than the main cities.

only the best at Aeolos Taverna  – grilled calamari, feta stewed in tomatoes and tzatziki

Santorini is all about its amazing views

we are still talking about this gyro from Lucky’s Souvlakis

What we learned about Santorini was that it’s not the best place for relaxing on the beach, however it is definitely for relaxing.  Santorini is a great place to take the road less traveled (literally, we accidentally drove the entire island one morning trying to get to Oia), and just go with the flow.  It’s true what they say about “island time” – it’s not about when things happen, but about the enjoyment of the moment.

So when you go to Santorini, get lost from your normal life, and get caught up in the enjoyable and relaxing pace of Greek life.  Go with an open mind and an open heart, and you will find yourself surrounded by endless beautiful moments and plenty of baklava to enjoy along the way.