Santorini had been on my travel bucket list for years. The picturesque white buildings, the food, the incredible sunsets - I couldn’t wait to see and experience it all for myself.

I was so excited when we decided that we could include it as part of our European summer trip in 2022. My partner had been to several Greek Islands before, including Santorini - but for me, it was a completely new country, culture and experience.

Where we stayed

We spent a lot of time researching different accommodation options, including pros/cons of each different town, and chatting about what was a priority for us (close to the water rather than inland, private pool or hot tub, a room in the traditional white aesthetic). In the end, my partner found an amazing place in Imerovigli. With just three guest suites, Avista Suites is a boutique hotel perched at one of the highest points of the island. The nightly room rate includes an exceptional breakfast (ordered the night before and brought to your room in the morning, at your preferred time).

How we spent our time on Santorini

Our hotel host, Lampros, went above and beyond to make our trip truly special. We flew from Italy to Santorini, and Lampros had organised a transfer for us from the airport. Upon arriving at the hotel, he gave us a very warm welcome, sitting us down and offering us a drink from his wine cellar. We spent over an hour sitting with him, drinking wine as he asked us about how we would like to spend our time in Santorini and putting forward various recommendations (“don’t hire a quad bike, so many tourists have accidents and ruin their holidays - it’s much better to just get a car” “day on a boat is a must-do” “visit Oia, but avoid sunset”). Once we’d decided on activities, he booked everything for us - including restaurants he’d recommended.

Highlights included:

1. Spending an evening at Wine Bar, Imerovigli, to watch the sun set

2. Lunch at Avocado (incredible Greek Salad!)

3. Dinner at La Maison (fine dining restaurant with incredible food and beautiful caldera views)

4. Dinner at Metaxi Mas (a really popular spot with simple, traditional fare)

5. Car hire for a day to drive around the island and visit a few wineries (despite the arid landscape, they manage to produce some interesting wines!)

6. Boat day, sailing from Oia to Fira (we opted for a day sail rather than a sunset sail, so that we could enjoy the sun and some swimming)

Despite his advice, we did venture to Oia to see the sunset one evening - and it was so busy! Whilst it was fun to experience it for one night, the sunset views were definitely more relaxing from Imerovigli.

We both loved Santorini so much, that when we were checking out of our accommodation, we decided to make a reservation for 2023!

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