Santorini has always been on my travel bucket list and I couldn't have been happier to tick it off the list with some of my favorite people. Being one of the most photographed places on earth it's almost like you have been there even before you arrive. So my favorite things we did were head to a few spots I hadn't seen before in pics and discover the island for ourselves. Perissa beach and Ammoudi Bay were among my top must sees along with taking a Catamaran around the crystal blue waters. We rented an Airbnb directly in the middle of Oia and it was absolutely perfect for our family of 7. We had a 3 year old in tow and I was a bit nervous with all the cliffside accommodations and restaurants but it couldn't have been safer. Beware the sunset crowds like a running of the bulls to get their Instagram pics before all stampeding back the other way as soon as the famous Santorini sun sets. Even though we were there in the mid July heat we definitely enjoyed our hot tub dips early morning and evening (this was something I debated for hours when choosing an Airbnb). At Perissa beach we spent the day at Seaside by Notos which was absolutely perfect (bring beach shoes if you have sensitive feet, it's slightly rocky like most of Santorini's beaches and very HOT). Same tip for Ammoudi Bay if you plan on swimming, comfortable shoes that can get wet are highly recommended. Also make sure you plan on having lunch at one of the gorgeous seafood restaurants at the bottom before embarking on your sweaty journey back to the top. Or you could take a donkey for 5 euros. Santorini was the perfect spot to recover from jet lag before heading to our next Cycladic island... Paros.
Greece part 2 - Paros and Antiparos coming soon.
