Dream Vacation in Greece: Santorini + Athens

Picture-postcard villages full of snow-white houses with royal-blue roofs over volcanic cliffs surrounded by the Aegean Sea under the azure sky make Santorini a top destination of a dream vacation to me. A 4-day “honeymoon” on the island and a 2-day city trip in Athens were just about right for a happy ending of our precious summer 2014, before flying back to the UK where autumn has already arrived. We had been boiling in Greece over 30C but started to feel the 15C back here as soon as the plane landed. We were lucky to have perfect weather without any rain or heavy clouds throughout the trip. We did not plan to watch the beautiful sunset over Santorini’s caldera on the plane from Athens to the island, thanks to the Aegean Airlines that delayed the flight so that we were just over the caldera at around sunset time. To make this surprise possible, make sure you check in and choose your seat early so that your window seat is facing west at the moment the plane flies over towards Thira Airport.

PART 1 - SANTORINI - Hotel Delfini Villas in Oia

Generally I do not take pictures of and talk about a hotel. For this room with a balcony and outdoor jacuzzi facing the caldera, however, we even included it in our itinerary just to make sure we would spend enough time enjoying the hotel room itself. I have to emphasize that view is unbeatable. Just immerse in the hot bubbling water facing the spectacular views in daylight or serve yourselves a fresh fruits platter with glasses of champagne at night for ultimate romance with your beloved. Continental or Greek breakfast is served on the balcony at your preferred time. Staff members are nice and helpful. We do recommend this hotel to everyone, but there are a lot of quality hotels around that area with rooms facing the caldera and so you just need to do some research before booking.

PART 2 - SANTORINI - the iconic OIA and the capital FIRA

The entire first day was scheduled for sightseeing in Oia, the icon of Santorini as well as background of postcards that feature the famous sunset best viewed from Oia Castle. We took our time photographing and touring around my favorite Oia Village, walked through a 200+ steps path down to Amoudi Bay where we had a seafood lunch and a nice swim, had lots of fun going back up by a donkey ride, and finally wrapped up the perfect day with a beautiful sunset. Since we were determined to hike from Fira to Oia despite the weather, we set off by ten and go from Oia to Fira by bus. There was not any sign like “Fira-Oia Walking Trail”, but stay by the coast and head northwest you will then make it. What made the hike difficult was the hot weather combined with the duration. Efforts were rewarded with several spectacular panoramas of the island and best views of villages of Fira, Skaros Rock of Imerovigli, and all the way up to Oia. Must-do!

PART 3 - SANTORINI - Beach Towns

We picked up the rental car in Oia at around ten and then drove all the way down to the south where we firstly visited La Ponta-Venetian Tower and secondly the famous Red Beach. The former is a mini-museum not that much of our interests but from the terrace there is a nice panoramic view of the town. The next stop was Vlychada Beach to the east. Both beaches are picturesque “volcano beaches”, but the more spacious Vlychada should be ideal for settling down for a swim and relaxation before a palatable seafood lunch at the harbor. We should never have gone up to Ancient Thira in Kamari that was nothing interesting and the drive up was a little frightening. We spent the last bit of the day in Kamari beach, before having a cocktail time in one of the many bar restaurants along the beach. 

PART 4 - SANTORINI - Traditional Villages

While the most favorite Oia is artificially gorgeous, traditional villages like Emporio, Megalochori, and Pyrgos are authentically Greek. It was so nice touring around in the castle in Emporio which seems the least touristic but most impressive. Megalochori, the most mentioned one of travel information, travelers’ reviews, etc., is quite small and nothing as attractive as Emporio. Pyrgos is the biggest and we like it as much as Emporio, while appreciating the differences between the two. 

PART 5 - ATHENS

We spent the last two days of the vacation in the capital Athens. With a combined ticket at 12eur per adult we spent one full day sightseeing in the site of Acropolis. Attractions generally close at 20h in summer. If you start the day by ten, you should be able to cover every spot in the area. Acropolis is a must-see in Athens. From a few highest points there are unobstructed panoramic views of the city and the site itself. It is very hot in summer and you need to climb a lot to reach most spots, so make sure you wear hat and appropriate shoes, and also bring enough water as any other beverages are not allowed inside the area.