Santorini getaway
Santorini getaway. For my thirtieth birthday I could not ask for more. My boyfriend and I, together, in one of the most romantic destinations in the entire world. A destination that I dreamed of visiting for so many years. Here are all the photos and my travel tips!
Santorini getaway: What to see and where to go
We flew with EasyJet, the only airline that operates direct flights from Milan Malpensa to Santorini. There is though a price to pay: both departure and arrival are in the morning, a bit early in the morning. First destination: Andronis Concept Wellnes Resort in Imerovigli, a place that is called the “balcony on the Aegean”. It is close to the capital Fira and is about fifteen minutes drive from the international airport.
We reached the resort on a late and hot July morning, which made us appreciate even more the beauty of the room we had reserved, with a private pool overlooking the sea.
I don’t deny that I spent much of the afternoon admiring the view and sunbathing, waiting for the sunset to come. Take a look at my first sunset in Santorini!
We were very hungry at that point so, thanks to the concierge of the resort, we decided to dine in a nice little place called Anogi Restaurant. A typical Greek tavern where you can find so many fish dishes. We ordered: grilled shrimps with basmati rice for me and octopus with potatoes for Manu. Everything was very delicious!
The next day we ordered breakfast in the room, opting for a sweet and savory mix: Greek yogurt, cereals and omelettes. We stayed a bit by the pool, to enjoy some quiet time. The temperature rose very fast, over 30° C, so we decided to take another dip in that awesome water!
We then decided to leave for a scenic walk to discover Imerovigli, between white houses and oleanders.
For lunch we stopped by Avocado Restaurant. Don’t be fooled by the name because not all dishes contain it: these are mostly typical dishes of Mediterranean and Greek cuisine. But I was very avocado and so I ordered a maxi salad with tomatoes, feta and olives too!
After lunch we decided to rent a quad to be able to easily wander around the narrow streets of the island. I recommend it as it is more stable than the scooter, especially in the upward and downhill curves. We then headed to the magical Oia, which is about half an hour from Imerovigli, to enjoy our second sunset in Santorini. In Oia, in fact, you can see one of the most famous sunsets: tourists from every corner of the world climb into the various scenic spots of the village. They position the tripods with their cameras very early in the afternoon, after analyzing the situation and locating the best observation point. After a certain hour it becomes very packed with people and it’s difficult to walk!
But before you get so high you have to deal with the millions of steps to go before you get to the breathtaking view. Realizing that I had come too late to photograph the sunset on the sea from the best point, I decided to go searching for the most photographed blue domes in the world! I sat there, on a wall, enjoying the moment and while I was sitting I realized that the colors of Oia are even more beautiful when the sun comes down to the Aegean!
To celebrate my thirtieth birthday I wanted to take a photo a bit special that reminded me of that day. So I decided to buy 30 colorful balloons, one for each year! If you follow my Stories on Instagram (where you can find me as the @lauracomolli), you already know how difficult it was to transport them from the store to Oia. For those who don’t know here is the story: there was too much wind to carry them with the quad, they were likely to burst. I called a taxi and explained the situation: he presented himself with a 30-seat mini-van, one for each balloon! And he took us all to the destination, healthy and safe!
As I anticipated before when I talked about the “sunset” situation, Oia is really full of tourists. However it is not so impossible to find a quiet moment of the day… Just waking up very soon! The photos below were taken around 9 o’clock in the morning!
For the occasion I even bring with me a change! Which dress of your two is your favorites?
You see me wearing mainly dresses or suits on the tones of white and blue. As I was packing my suitcase, my choice was oriented towards this palette of colors that I feel to be the coolest and therefore the best to shelter from the sun, without attracting the rays! For shoes I recommend low or comfortable models: know that you will have to deal with so many steps!
Immediately after flying the balloons in the sky of Santorini we headed to another resort, the Canaves Oia, for a day of relax by the pool. Oia is definitely the most tourist place in Santorini, but because of the fact that hotels and restaurants are built between the rocks, far from the chaos and the crowded streets, it always seems to be in paradise!
Canaves Oia offers for lunch a menu based on typical dishes of the Greek tradition (many are based on garlic): what I really wanted was to refresh and taste all that wonderful fresh fruit they offered!
The next day we rented a catamaran all for us, to bathe in the most beautiful bays on the island. I could not desire a better way to celebrate my 30th birthday!
The tour was organized by the Canaves Oia Hotel, relying on Sunset Oia Sailing Cruises. Five hours of sailing where we have reached the famous Red Beach and Kamari beach, characterized respectively by red and black sand. Lunch was always on board the catamaran, where we were offered the dishes of the Greek tradition!
Among the things to do in Santorini is definitely the food & wine tasting. For our last night on the island we chose a really special place. It is called Dimitris Ammoudi Taverna and is located in Oia, on the Amoudi Bay which is nestled between the cliffs.At the evening lights, it becomes even more beautiful. This tavern is the last one at the bottom of the walk and is a truly impressive location because it allows you to dine literally on the sea. However, I suggest you to book in advance to secure one of the tables on board the sea, literally on the water. The fish is fresh and we liked it so much that we went two consecutive nights! We tasted, during the two dinners, mussel soup, grilled fish and sea salad and everything was really delicious!
So ends the story of my Santorini getaway! I hope that my tips on where to go and what to see can be useful!
For a couple of weeks I will not be more active on the blog: I wish everyone a happy August and happy holidays! See you soon!
