Santorini is one of the Cyclades islands in the Aegean Sea. It surrounds the caldera which is the “active“ volcano area but not something I was worried about when visiting. Below are my top 5 recommendations:

1. Fira is the capital of Santorini where you will be able to see this line of donkeys climbing up a steep set of stairs to and from the port. You are allowed to ride on them but I suggest you take the cable car or just enjoy the walk.

2. Fira can get quite busy because of all the tourists arriving from their cruise, but once they leave, it is just as peaceful as Oia and you can take photos freely without anyone in the background. You will definitely be able to capture the beautiful white buildings with the blue skies and seas in the background almost anywhere!

 

3. People talk about seeing sunset at Oia, but I actually thought the better sunset view was from Fira because it was less crowded and the sun was literally right in front of me.

4. Restaurants in Santorini can get quite expensive and full due to the number of tourists. I would highly recommend taking away a Gyros for less than 3 euros! Not only does this save you money but you can eat this as you watch sunset like I did each night. I loved Gyros so much that I intentionally skipped eating at any restaurants other than when I visited the beach

5. You can walk from Fira to Oia following the coast or take a short bus ride. I also took a bus to Perissa black sand beach on one of the days as this was recommended to me by a local as being the best beach to visit. I really liked it but definitely keep your flip flops on because the sand gets super hot!

In Oia, you can see the typical blue domed churches and it is definitely the most picturesque village I have ever been to. I’ve definitely fallen in love with Santorini ❤