Duration of Stay:  3-4 Days

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Adventure

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Arriving in Atrina Canava 1894

Atrina is probably the best decision made in this trip. It rests in the side of a cliff overlooking the Aegan Sea. Though it lies next to some of the most luxurious Oia Village hotels such as Andronis Suites and Perivolas, its price range is more modest and affordable. Nothing beats opening the door every morning and seeing your (free) breakfast in front of a breathtaking view of endless water that just heals your tired soul.

Jump into the pool, relax in your personal patio, plan your Santorini adventures at the reception–because Atrina will treat you right.

In my opinion, the one thing I would spend extra $ on is a nice hotel on a cliff since I’m finally in Greece. However, there are definitely cheaper options in Fira on a cliff with caldera views, though the village is not as nice and quiet as Oia’s.

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Relaxing in Santo Wines Winery

Stop by for some amazing views of the cliffs and the caldera. You can choose the amount of wine you want to taste–we went with the 6 glasses option with an assorted cheese platter. Sit, relax, and drink with a beautiful view–what more could you ask for?

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Roaming around Oia Village

Slide on the marble steps of Oia Village to see tons of hand-crafted souvenirs, flowy Greek dresses, charming houses in narrow streets, blue-domed churches, and my favorite–art galleries.

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In a corner you’ll run into the Byzantine Ruins–not only a place to take beautiful photos but also a reminder of the thousand years of history this island has.

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Hiking up Skaros Rock

I’ll admit–it’s nearly impossible to convince me to go hiking. But, I was willing to give it a try with Santorini’s beautiful landscape. As we preparing to go on the Oia to Fira Hike, we realized that it might take 3-5 hours and my parents just didn’t seem to be in that physical condition to do so. So, we decided to drive to Imerovigli instead, park, and hike the main attraction–Skaros Rock. In fact later the day back at Atrina, my brother met a couple at the pool who was extremely exhausted from the entire Oia to Fira hike and just wanted a drink, so we definitely made the right choice 😜

Okay story time. Imagine a fortress in medieval times towering over the sea. Guards were standing by ready to shoot arrows (maybe?) down at an unexpected pirate attack. Being the most important fortress in Santorini at that time, even the Venetian aristocracy lived there. Now, due to many earthquakes and the ravage of time, it has now transformed into a few piles of rock to remind us of this history.

I mean look at this sketch of what it used to know like–isn’t it so cool?

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Roaming around Pyrgos Village

 

 

Visit another cultural village in Pyrgos where you can relax with a more quiet atmosphere. Climb up the hill into the castle of Pyrgos, relax with a cup of coffee and small bites on top of  Franco’s Cafe, and find the cutest cats roaming around.

 

 

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Roaming around Fira Village

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Come to the village of Santorini for a bustling stroll over an impressive cliff and a great panoramic view of the water (see the theme yet?). The streets are definitely more overcrowded with tourists and filled with shops that usually offer better prices than Oia. Feel free to take the 588 steps down to Old Port to take pictures close to the water–other transportation includes taking the donkey ride or cable car up and down if you’re lazy like me 😉

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Chilling on Sunset Oia Cruise

Santorini offers many types of cruises and to be stuck in the water for many hours, it’s smart to choose the right one. How many hours? Where do you want to visit? And especially what type of crowd–are you a big group of friends wanting to get boozy? Or are you with family that prefers a more calm experience?  Unfortunately, my family and I were in the latter category who got on a boozy rowdy cruise. We were picked up at our hotel at 2pm & dropped off by 9:45pm and honestly would prefer doing anything else than to being stuck with 15 other boozy strangers for this long. Learn from our experience, and choose one that fits you best!

 

Food

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Feredini Restaurant $$

I. Love. This. Place. The pictures here do not do this place justice because I was exhausted after the plane ride. The restaurant is right next to Atrina with the best views of the Oia cliffs at night and phew the lamb! My family was obsessed and had to go back on our last day for seconds. The wait staff was also so kind A+

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Lycabettus Restaurant $$$$

Okay you’re probably wondering what this picture is. I’m right there with you because I had no idea what I was eating.

I would have never gone to this place without my family because a) I can never afford this, b) I hate 3 hr dinners that consist of 7 planned courses of tiny food.

However, for people who appreciates very fine dining, the food is very articulate and detailed, the wait staff is tremendously graceful, and views are hard to beat protruding out into the Oia’s waters. It’s more than dining–it was an experience.

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Rosemary Restaurant $$

The meats are soft and tender (veal was my brother’s favorite dish of the trip), so stop by for some delicious eats with unbeatable views of the skyline in the Pyrgos village!

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Lolitas Gelato $

 

I would never ever not include dessert in my blog. So stop by for some delicious gelato (my go-to here is hazelnut &caramel yum) for your walk at a corner of the Oia Village.

 

 

 

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Sphinx Wine Restaurant $$

Sunsets in Oia are a must. So relax at a delicious rooftop dinner in Oia Village on this street to have a nice meal and glass of wine, and watch the sun set into the sea.

 

Culture

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Tourist Island

This beautiful Greek island draws millions of tourists annually, so inevitably you’ll be surrounded by tourists walking in the villages and hear languages from around the world. The locals are also gracious and kind to help your stay be as relaxing and comfortable as possible (though I can’t say the same for all the tourists).

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Traditional Architecture

Santorini is known for its traditional architecture — whitewashed houses & caves, blue-domed churches, and paved paths. Their iconic and astonishing architectures derives from how people lived back to the 14th century. For instance, the white color of the houses helped protect people from the hot suns present from many months of the year, since white reflects heat (ooo science). For more, these articles can explain much better than I can:

• https://www.santorini-view.com/white-houses-of-santorini/
• https://www.santorini-view.com/traditional-architecture/

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Driving Around

Renting a car or a motorbike is probably the easiest way of getting around the island. The roads look scary at first, twisting around and very narrow, but if you drive at a steady pace, you’ll be fine. So blend in with the locals and rent a car–the locals there will also not hesitate to direct you on how to park into super narrow spots.

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Blue Eyes

 

When browsing around the shops, I immediately noticed a very heavy pattern–BLUE EYES WERE EVERYWHERE! It is called the “evil eye”, the most common ancient Greek superstition. The evil eye is brought upon someone who is jealous of you and therefore brings you bad luck, so these blue eyes help ward off their evil. Yes go away jealous people with your negative energy.

 

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Little Helpful Details

• Currency: Euro
• Tipping: No explicit rules, but most people leave 10%
• Electric Outlets: Europlug Type C (need adaptors for USA electronics)
• Language: Everyone I met spoke English very well
• Do not throw paper in the toilets (oops learned this the hard way)
• Have cash with you because some stores won’t accept card
• Relax. Instead of planning too much to see everything, just enjoy, rejuvenate, and heal your tired soul in this destination.