Tag: greece

Santorini Diaries; Fira

August 18, 2024

As the capital of Santorini, the historic town of Fira is the largest and most cosmopolitan settlement of the island. Located on the western coast it boasts stunning views of the Caldera and is another top spot for watching sunset.

We found the the walk from Imerovigli to Fira took about 30-35 minutes down the coastal path, the perfect pre dinner stroll during golden hour complete with sweeping views of the Caldera.

Whilst Oia is known to be the prettiest town on the island, I personally preferred Fira given it was far less busy, it’s equally as beautiful as Oia and as the most historic town it feels more authentic.

When it comes to dining, you’re spoilt for choice with restaurants and bars to choose from in Fira. Upon researching the best spots in Santorini for food, I booked the highly rated and popular restaurant called The Vine, located just above the main square of Fira overlooking the Caldera.

With our front row table during sunset, there was a minimum spend for our reservation making this our most expensive dinner of the trip.

However we made the most of it and stayed for about 2 hours to see through the entirety of sunset; date nights don’t get much better than that picturesque setting!

Cocktails are a must for date night too and they certainly didn’t disappoint. As always it was a Tommy’s Margarita for her and a Classic Mojito for him, but with a sweet strawberry twist.

We ordered sourdough bread and a classic Greek feta salad to start, then I had the most exquisite king prawns with veg to follow and my boyfriend had the sirloin steak cooked medium rare. To accompany our main courses we had truffle mash potato and honey glazed baby carrots.

Service was very good and whilst my boyfriend’s steak wasn’t the best cut, the food on the whole was delicious and wonderfully presented. I would recommend The Vine for couples seeking a special evening during their stay in Santorini.

A boat day during our time on the island was a must, so we booked a sunset cruise at one of the tourist offices in the centre of Fira for just 40 euros each.

To get to the port of Fira there is a cable car to take you down the steep cliff edge, a fun experience in itself. With our boat trip commencing at 3pm on the Sunday, we were greeted by our tour guide down at the port where we boarded this fantastic old pirate style ship.

First we sailed over to the famous Caldera which we climbed in the scorching heat. A sweaty yet awesome experience to be on the top of the active volcano!

Next we stopped to swim in the hot springs before heading over to the tiny island of Thirassia. This used to be part of Santorini before a volcanic erruption many hundreds of years ago separated the land.

The boat trip concluded with a sunset cruise around the port of Oia complete with a glass of wine. A truly magical way to end the day and see the sun go down at sea.

Being dropped back in the port of Fira at about 9pm, we decided to have dinner in town and stumbled across this lovely restaurant Pelican Kipos. With a large outdoor seating area full of greenery and fairy lights, it was the perfect chilled ambience for a Sunday night dinner.

I had the quinoa avocado blue cheese salad and my boyfriend had the spaghetti carbonara. The food was delicious, service very friendly and attentive, and the final bill of about 40 euros was surprisingly reasonable considering this was the centre of Fira.

Another restaurant we didn’t pre-book but came across on our final night stroll into town was Vanilia. Luckily we got seated at the very front of the terrace with uninterrupted views at golden hour, the perfect final dinner setting.

My order was the grilled squid served with a wonderful fresh salsa, whilst my boyfriend had a decadent four cheese pizza topped with parma ham and rocket leaves. We also shared a Greek feta salad as I couldn’t resist another one on our very last night in Greece.

The food came fairly quickly and was delicious, my whole squid was particularly divine. An unexpected 10/10 meal for our last night in Santorini complete with sunset views, but without the super expensive bill you might anticipate somewhere like this in Fira.

By day the capital is great for shopping and exploring the historic streets, whilst by night there is more of a vibrant scene with lots of restaurants and bars staying open late.

So that brings us to the end of my Santorini Diaries series and I hope you found my recommendations interesting and useful. There’s no questioning the idyllic beauty of this iconic island; it’s certainly won my heart and I can’t wait to go back again soon ❤

Santorini Diaries; Oia

August 11, 2024

Being considered the most picturesque village on the island of Santorini, we had to visit Oia to experience this world famous sunset spot for ourselves.

Catching the bus from Imerovigli was very easy and only takes 20 minutes or so to get to the central square of Oia where we were dropped off. Arriving early evening at around 5pm, we had a few hours of sunlight left to explore the stunning maze of hilly streets lined with shops and restaurants.

There’s no denying how busy this village becomes during the summer with all the tourists, but we did manage to find some quieter corners off the beaten track like this old windmill.

We stopped to get some shots down this cute side street framed with pink flowers too.

The white wash buildings against the volcanic rock they are built into is so unique and breathtaking to see in real life, it really is like a postcard painting.

It’s the blue top churches and old windmills dotted amongst the white buildings which make that distinctive Santorini landscape so iconic.

I wore this patterned bow back detail dress paired with white buckle sliders, a classic basket bag and my MiuMiu sunnies, the perfect afternoon into evening look for strolling the hilly streets of Oia.

I made 7:30pm reservations for sundown drinks at Veranda Aperitivo, a rooftop bar part of the Canaves Sunday Collection.

With sunset views and away from the crowds of tourists, this was an ideal spot to enjoy golden hour with a drink in hand.

I ordered an exquisite Tommy’s Margarita, whilst my boyfriend had his usual classic Mojito cocktail.

Once the sun went below the horizon, we wondered over to a famous viewing point overlooking Oia to see the village lit up by night.

We then caught the bus back to Fira where we found a lovely Italian restaurant called Da Vinci for a late dinner.

I had my favourite linguine vongole which was divine and my boyfriend had a penne arrabbiata he devoured too; we needed carbs after all that walking!

Whilst the village of Oia was beautiful and amazing to experience at sunset, we didn’t go back again as it was by far the busiest of places we visited on the island.

There are so many other equally incredible places around the island to see Santorini’s magnificent golden hour away from the crowds. Checkout my other posts in my Santorini Diaries series to learn where our top locations are for the best views of sunset ❤

Santorini Diaries; Imerovigli

August 4, 2024

When looking into where was best to stay in Santorini, we settled on the smaller town of Imerovigli situated between the capital Fira and popular larger town of Oia. This turned out to be the best decision not only because it avoids the busy tourist hotspots, but this area has some of the most stunning, uninterrupted views off the beaten track at sunset.

On night one I booked a table at The Wine Bar in the centre of Imerovigli, to have drinks and dinner as we watched our first sundown over the Caldera.

Whilst this was on the pricier side of places we ate, the wine was divine and we enjoyed our selection of dishes including pitta bread, olives, pulled pork sliders and a Greek feta salad of course.

Just next door to the bar was a white rooftop, simply perfect for those gorgeous golden hour shots.

We spent our afternoons soaking up the scorching Greek sun on our private balcony with plunge pool at Cresanto Luxury Suites, just a 5 minute walk from the town of Imerovigli.

The hotel also had a main infinity pool with loungers where we could order cocktails poolside too.

Now these are the kind of Monday blues I’m talking about!

Our private balcony provided the ultimate spot for handstand practice and I would often do my workout routine in the mornings here, before jumping straight in the pool to cool off.

One of the most incredible locations for sunset away from the crowds was Skaros Rock on the cliffside of Imerovigli.

We hiked over to the other side of the rock where there is a deserted church with the most breathtaking sweeping views of the Caldera at sundown.

Unlike the tourist hotspots in Oia and Fira, we had the place all to ourselves making this a hidden gem for golden hour.

Strolling around the town, we finally found the famous spot overlooking those iconic blue top churches.

Once the sun went down each night, the moon came out to glow over the white wash buildings of Santorini.

One evening we decided to take a sunset stroll to this church on the hill which we could see from our hotel.

Walking along this coastal path on the outskirts of Imerovigli was so peaceful and once again, away from any crowds of tourists.

Along the way we stumbled across the super luxurious CavoTagoo hotel where there is currently a Roka Restaurant popup.

Here we stopped to enjoy sundown cocktails with yet more spectacular views of the Caldera and sun dipping below the horizon.

This was a more popular spot in Imerovigli, but we got a table and soaked up the sunset whilst sipping our delicious cocktails.

That evening we strolled into the centre of Imerovigli and ended up at a local restaurant called Mama Lena.

We had courgette fritters with tzatziki to start, followed by rice stuffed peppers for me and a vegetable tomato linguine for my boyfriend. A much more reasonably priced restaurant serving traditional Greek food.

The local kebab shop called Jimmy’s Souvlaki on the main street of Imerovigli, became my boyfriend’s favourite place to grab a classic Greek lunch of chicken gyros.

On reflection we would choose to stay in the town of Imerovigli again given there’s far less tourists, there’s plenty of 5* luxury hotels and suites to choose from, and there’s no denying the outstanding sweeping views of the iconic Caldera ❤

Santorini Diaries; You, Me & Santorini

July 28, 2024

Upon returning from our holiday to Santorini last week, I can definitely put it up there as one of the most beautiful, picture perfect places I’ve ever had the fortune to visit.

From the aesthetic white wash towns built into the cliffs of the volcanic rock overlooking the caldera, to the stunning sunsets every evening showering the island in golden orange hues, I can see why Santorini is a world famous destination for couples in search of a romantic vacation.

During our week we explored most of the island including the capital Fira and the Instagram famous Oia. We even did a sunset boat cruise and had plenty of time for relaxing at our hotel by the pool too, so a week away turned out to be just right.

We stayed at Cresanto Luxury Suites in the town of Imerovigli situated between Fira and Oia. Whilst this is a newly opened hotel which is still finding its feet in terms of delivering a 5* service, it was a great location and our spacious room with the private balcony and plunge pool with sea view was fantastic.

Dinners and drinks out were fairly expensive which we expected, however my boyfriend’s favourite gyros spot Jimmy’s Souvlaki was less than 10 euros for a meal and drink. When in Greece it’s local gyros for lunch most days!

We enjoyed lots of delicious meals together including wonderful fresh seafood, my favourite Greek feta salad on repeat of course, and even some great Italian cuisine too.

Over the next few posts I will look back on each area of the island we explored and share my top tips along with my food and drink recommendations.

Having been to Santorini before, my boyfriend already knew of some hidden gems for sunset which avoid the crowds and provide uninterrupted, panoramic views at golden hour.

So stay posted for all the picturesque Santorini content to come as I relive our incredible week on this breathtaking Greek island of love ❤

Santorini Calling

July 14, 2024

It’s Euros finals day and we’re about to order pizza before watching the big game on TV; come on England! Football aside, I’m super excited to be jetting off to the stunning Greek island of Santorini on Wednesday. Packing is well underway and I’ve spent today planning some cute outfits and making the tough decision on which bikinis to pack from my ever growing swimwear collection.

I’ve done my usual research on the area we are staying and put together an aesthetic Pinterest board for photo opportunity inspo. We will be staying at Crescent Luxury Suites located within the small town of Imerovigli, just in between Fira and Oia.

We have treated ourselves to a junior suite so we will have our own private plunge pool with a view, how magnificent! – https://cresantoluxurysuites.com

I was advised that booking a table for a view at sunset is a must, so I’ve lined up our dinner spots for the first three evenings. The night we arrive we have 8pm reservations at The Wine Bar in Imerovigli, only a 10 minute walk away from our hotel. Then I have booked Veranda Aperitivo Bar for sundown drinks in Oia on Thursday, and our Friday night dinner date at The Vine in Fira, a very highly rated restaurant and winery with breathtaking views.

Other activities we are keen to do during our time in Santorini is quad biking around the island, a boat day and visiting the black sand beaches.

Needless to say it’s going to be a beautiful week soaking up the scorching sun, indulging in the most delicious Greek food and wine, and enjoying picture perfect sunset views on Greece’s most romantic island of Santorini ❤

Summer Holiday Booked; Santorini Greece

April 28, 2024

As we near the month of May, this gloomy English weather is not giving way for Spring which we can only hope means a hot summer coming our way. In the meantime, I needed another holiday to look forward to so I got researching into our options for a European get away in mid July.

After considering the South of France as well as other Greek Islands, we settled on the beautiful Island of Santorini. Whilst I’m aware it is a very popular holiday destination and won’t be cheap, Santorini is simply iconic with its white brick towns set against the vivid blue ocean, not to mention it’s incredibly romantic too.

We’ve treated ourselves to a deluxe suite with hot tub and sea views at Cresanto Luxury Suites, just outside of the capital Fira. I can’t wait for sunbathing in our own private paradise and sundowners in the hot tub with those breathtaking views.

It will be a week of pure bliss in stunning sunshine enjoying delicious Greek food and wine whilst soaking up endless sunsets; bring on Euro Summer 24 ❤