After completing my first year of university, my friend and I decided to backpack Europe for two months. After visiting Paris, London, Amsterdam, and Italy, we finally found ourselves in Santorini. Like everywhere we went, we were in search of adventure and Santorini was full of it.
In comparison to Mykonos and Ios, Santorini has more tourists and less of a party crowd, but there were so many opportunities to escape the busy streets and experience the island. Months before we’d booked an adorable Airbnb that gave us beautiful views from Fira to Oia. We had discovered a local bus stop that drove us to the beach every day. From there we took a boat big enough for just us to experience the real beauty of Santorini, its beaches. Each beach was exquisite in its own way, with beautifully coloured red, white and black volcanic rocks making up the shore.
Most days we visited the red beach because it was the most secluded and we’d spend hours swimming in the caves we’d discovered. Or we bathed on Kamari beach, where we cliff jumped, ate one too many sugar donuts and played soccer with some friends we’d made from Australia and Athens. Aside from lounging on the beaches and cliff diving, you can walk from Fira to Oia and enjoy the most beautiful sunset as the colours fall on the white Cycladic houses.
From the edge of the Fira looking over the island there’s a path that takes you down to the edge of the cliff. Although there was the option to ride donkeys down because the climb is exhausting, we chose to walk and it was definitely worth it! From there we sailed across to climb the volcano and jump off the ship into the hot springs mud bath.
If Greece is on your upcoming travel itinerary, Santorini is definitely worth a visit. From fresh seafood to secluded beaches and mud baths, Santorini is the perfect escape.
Have you been to any of the above places? What are some of your favourite parts of Greece? Leave us a comment and let us know!
xx
Geneva