Santorini: May 2018
I spent two days in Santorini with two friends as a spectacular stopover on the way from Crete to Milos. Here is my guide on how to see the best of Santorini in just 2 days!
Day 1 Experience the streets & sunset in Oia
We stayed just outside of Oia at Olympic Villas, which was actually amazing especially for the price. It was set right on the footpath which goes from Fira to Oia with a pool overlooking the ocean and the cliffs of Oia.
We had a small apartment with a little lounge and kitchen. It wasn’t super flash but was so comfortable and the views were to die for! It cost about £80 a night for the room, which for a spot in Oia, cliff facing with a pool and apartment is really cheap. The prices in July and August I imagine would be much higher!
The first day we explored the streets of sunny Oia and took our first 500 pictures, then we relaxed by the pool, eating and drinking and just pinching ourselves at how incredible Santorini is.
The restaurants in Oia, and in Santorini in general, are quite expensive (except for gyros!!). So to save money we went to the little supermarket and bought cheap beer, wine and a collection of greek snacks to feast on by the pool.
Our first night there was a mandatory trip to the famous Oia sunset point where I got to witness the beauty and the touristic madness for the 2nd time.
The walk from our hotel through Oia was crazy with big groups of Chinese tourists literally sprinting through the street with their huge professional cameras barging past everyone. You definitely have to get around some incredibly rude people in Oia at sunset but it’s worth doing just once. Do it for the gram!
Day 2 Take a bus to Fira then walk to Imerovigil
On our second day, we caught the bus to Fira to check out the shops, streets, and views from a different perspective. The shopping in Fira is really good. So many colourful pom poms and white linen!
We walked from Fira to Imerovigli, which is the first part of the hike from Fira to Oia. We were too lazy to do the whole hike in the heat of the day!
Imerovigli is the extra high-end part of the island. Yes, more high-end than Oia! The streets and alleyways are blindingly white and unbelievably picturesque with sweeping views to Fira and to Oia.
There’s a lot of nice restaurants and hotels perched on the cliff, one day I will hopefully get to actually stay here!
Don’t miss the sunset at Skaros Rock!
We caught the bus back to Oia, had a quick outfit change, packed a picnic and came straight back to Imerovigli for sunset.
We walked down to Skaros rock past the most beautiful little church and set up our little picnic overlooking the crater and Oia. If you’re in Santorini definitely come here one night for sunset, its beautiful and way less crowded.
The next morning we jumped onto a very early and very slow (but cheap) ferry to our next island, Milos!
Bonus!
We had one extra night in Oia on our way between ferries from Ios and Karpathos. We were treated to the most spectacular sunset I ever saw in Greece. The sky, clouds and ocean were on fire and kept getting more stunning by the minute thanks to that classic greek island haze.
Tips for visiting Santorini
- Transport: Catch the local bus to get around the island! It is dirt cheap and will get you around all the main sites relatively easily. The buses are regular throughout the day
- Cash: You can withdraw cash easily in Santorini. A number of shops also accept card but for paying for small things in shops and restaurants it’s much better to carry cash. Get a prepaid travel card before you go and save money on exchange rate and ATM fees. If you are in the UK, Europe or Australia I recommend Revolut. You get £200 of free ATM withdrawals a month (only 2% after that) and the exchange rate they give is the market rate. I have used their online account and prepaid MasterCard for over three years and I love it. I have saved a fortune on fees.
- Ferries: If you are visiting Santorini as part of an Island Hopping trip, plan your itinerary carefully in line with the ferry schedule and book in advance. It takes quite a lot of coordination to ensure there are routes & ferries opertaing on the right days for your trip to work out!
- Sunscreen: Sunscreen is really expensive on the Greek Islands so bring some with you from home!
This post contains an affiliate link for Revolut. If you decide to purchase through these links, I receive a percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you.
