my fiancee and i are planning on going there for our honeymoon in september. i was wondering if any fellow ATOTers have been there before....and if you have, any travel tips on places to stay, and things to do?
anyone been to santorini?
- Thread starter GeneValgene
- Start date
My dad is Greek, so my parents' honeymoon was in Santorini. I can give you tips later on in the day when my parents come back home.
I've never been there but when I was working in Europe all my coworkers raved about it.
A good place to eat is at "Mama's" (apparently everyone on the island knows about it), good island food and Mama is funny from what I hear.
A good place to eat is at "Mama's" (apparently everyone on the island knows about it), good island food and Mama is funny from what I hear.
maybe the most beautiful place in the world that i have been to. definitely check tripadvisor.com for places to stay before booking. get a rental car, they island may be small, but it's way too big to walk and you will want to explore. plus, driving is fun when the rules are loose at best. also, they will tell you that they have prize winning wines from santorini. maybe i am a Cali wine snob, but they were awful, and out of the way. definitely skip.
feel free to ask or PM here any questions.
feel free to ask or PM here any questions.
- Mar 20, 2000
- 102,389
- 8,547
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yes. my number 1 tip is to rent a car in athens and take it on the ferry with you. there is a bus but it gets crowded when it gets out to the sticks so it won't even stop. there are car rental places but they're all $$$$ and they're never really sure when they'll get a car back, so they'll tell you "try again in the morning"
next tip: stay in thira.
third tip: make a reservation with a place recommended on trip advisor. though it is fun to walk off the boat and join the throng of people trying to get a room as they arrive, you could end up at the ass end of the island.
fourth tip: go to the red beach.
fifth tip: go to frank's bar about an hour before sunset.
sixth tip will be a picture of a bottle of wine that you should try to find, it was very good, but i don't know the name and can't read greek.
seventh tip: the restaurants on the cliff in thira are tourist traps and bait n' switch scams. don't bother going to one not in the lonely planet guide.
my greece photo album on picasa
next tip: stay in thira.
third tip: make a reservation with a place recommended on trip advisor. though it is fun to walk off the boat and join the throng of people trying to get a room as they arrive, you could end up at the ass end of the island.
fourth tip: go to the red beach.
fifth tip: go to frank's bar about an hour before sunset.
sixth tip will be a picture of a bottle of wine that you should try to find, it was very good, but i don't know the name and can't read greek.
seventh tip: the restaurants on the cliff in thira are tourist traps and bait n' switch scams. don't bother going to one not in the lonely planet guide.
my greece photo album on picasa
Santorini is quite nice--although I will caution you that it's hard to find Internet access there 
As far as places to stay--I ended up at a hotel that was cheap, although a fair (.5-.75 mile walk from the coast.) There are several cities on the island (it's been a while, I don't recall their names) but most of the action seemed to take place near where the cruise liners stay.
Ancient Thera is a great sight to go and see--you can take a bus to the top of a mountain where some of the Spartans (?) lived. It's a bit similar to Machu Pichu if you've ever been there. Near ancient Thera is, I believe, the new city of Thera -- buses run between it the other city I was referencing. However, they tend to stop fairly early (~8 pm) and are very crowded. In new Thera, you can have some great dinners with some excellent white wine and watch the sunset over the Mediterranean. (The island is known for its wine because of the ash from the ancient volcano). There are some fairly interesting museums which contain 2-3rd century B.C. wall mural on the island as well.... (nice pictures of monkeys)
That's all I can think of at the moment...
As far as places to stay--I ended up at a hotel that was cheap, although a fair (.5-.75 mile walk from the coast.) There are several cities on the island (it's been a while, I don't recall their names) but most of the action seemed to take place near where the cruise liners stay.
Ancient Thera is a great sight to go and see--you can take a bus to the top of a mountain where some of the Spartans (?) lived. It's a bit similar to Machu Pichu if you've ever been there. Near ancient Thera is, I believe, the new city of Thera -- buses run between it the other city I was referencing. However, they tend to stop fairly early (~8 pm) and are very crowded. In new Thera, you can have some great dinners with some excellent white wine and watch the sunset over the Mediterranean. (The island is known for its wine because of the ash from the ancient volcano). There are some fairly interesting museums which contain 2-3rd century B.C. wall mural on the island as well.... (nice pictures of monkeys)
That's all I can think of at the moment...
GTaudiophile
Lifer
- Oct 24, 2000
- 29,767
- 33
- 81
Yes, twice.
I have always stayed in Oia.
2006 Hotel
2003 Hotel
Be sure to take good walking shoes and a nice wide-angle lens!
The home-grown wine is fantastic. Be sure to drink a lot of it.
I know of some really great restaurants but only by location/memory, not by name.
If swimming/outdoor sports are for you, then Santorini is not the best Greek island. It is arguably the most picturesque and the most romantic.
In terms of getting there, I took the BlueStar ferry in 2003 from Naxos and flew from Athens in 2006. Once on the island, I resort to taxis, walking, or public bus.
If you have more questions, PM me.
I have always stayed in Oia.
2006 Hotel
2003 Hotel
Be sure to take good walking shoes and a nice wide-angle lens!
The home-grown wine is fantastic. Be sure to drink a lot of it.
I know of some really great restaurants but only by location/memory, not by name.
If swimming/outdoor sports are for you, then Santorini is not the best Greek island. It is arguably the most picturesque and the most romantic.
In terms of getting there, I took the BlueStar ferry in 2003 from Naxos and flew from Athens in 2006. Once on the island, I resort to taxis, walking, or public bus.
If you have more questions, PM me.
GTaudiophile
Lifer
- Oct 24, 2000
- 29,767
- 33
- 81
Here are some images from last year:
http://www.threewood.com/misc/simg011.jpg
http://www.threewood.com/misc/simg012.jpg
http://www.threewood.com/misc/simg013.jpg
There are more from 2003 on the same web site.
http://www.threewood.com/misc/simg011.jpg
http://www.threewood.com/misc/simg012.jpg
http://www.threewood.com/misc/simg013.jpg
There are more from 2003 on the same web site.
GTaudiophile
Lifer
- Oct 24, 2000
- 29,767
- 33
- 81
Yup, but I was travelling on a backpacker's budget, so I can't imagine that my advice would be as much good to you as the other people who posted.
If you end up taking the bus, remember to leave a LOT of time to get down to the ferry docks, because the buses run very infrequently, and the schedule doesn't always line up to allow you to get from one end of the island to the ferry docks in time.
If you end up taking the bus, remember to leave a LOT of time to get down to the ferry docks, because the buses run very infrequently, and the schedule doesn't always line up to allow you to get from one end of the island to the ferry docks in time.
GTaudiophile
Lifer
- Oct 24, 2000
- 29,767
- 33
- 81
True that. Allow for LOTS of time. Like 90 minutes...unless you get a crazy taxi driver who can fly down the hill...then you still need like 30 minutes at least.
i had a great time there...went there with a couple friends. we stayed in perissa, right on the black sand beach. there are a lot of great bars and restaurants in the area. the place we stayed at ran a van to the docks a couple times a day. one day there we took a boat to the volcano, the hot springs, thirasia and then to fira. once in fira, we took donkeys up from sea level to the city up really steep cliffs which was quite scary, but fun at the same time. i will look around to see where we ate there, but it was a roof top restaurant with a great view of the sunset.
here are some pictures i took while on the island
http://dancampbell.homelinux.com/gallery/cpg1410/thumbnails.php?album=2
here are some pictures i took while on the island
http://dancampbell.homelinux.com/gallery/cpg1410/thumbnails.php?album=2
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