Santorini is a Greek island known for its rolling cliffs studded with beautiful white houses, incredible sunsets and unrivalled views of the Aegean Sea. Santorini is far from being one of the largest islands in Greece and yet, it’s reputation for glowing views of endless blue and white attracts over 2 million tourists annually. I’ve been part of that large number on two separate occasions - in 2012 and 2018 - and already, I cannot wait to return.
When planning a trip to Santorini, you want to be really careful to do your research into the area you want to stay in because not all of the island looks like the pictures you’ve seen on the front cover of every travel magazine. In fact, the blue and white houses on tall cliffs stand almost exclusively in Oia only and so, if living within that view is part of your Santorini dream, much of the island’s accommodation won’t be helpful to you.
I say this from experience, having stayed in multiple parts of the island. Personally, my stay in Firostefani was my favourite by far - you have the amazing views you expect from Santorini, without quite the same number of people and tourists as Oia - all round, it’s really quite perfect!
But what I really wanted to focus this blog on was the food and the foodie’s experience in Santorini. Yes, there are so many things that you can and should do in Santorini but to come to Greece and not really indulge in the best of this amazing cuisine would be, in my opinion, such a missed opportunity!
So, when planning my trip to Santorini I wanted to find restaurants and experiences that would not only taste great, but, much more importantly, would give me a taste of Greek culture, Greek life and Greek authenticity. One of my favourite things to do when travelling is to take cooking classes in country (though I really do not normally like cooking at all at home! Ironic, huh!) because I love the opportunity to really get to learn about the techniques to prepare the meal, the cultural significance of the dish, and, often, depending on where you take the class, the familial traditions passed down through the act of cooking.
I went to Petra Kouzina, a cooking school run by a couple in their home in Megalochori, where we learnt to make a variety of Greek staples and absolutely delicious dishes! We really loved this class for a few reasons - it was fun and great to spend an afternoon and evening doing something participatory, where we had the opportunity to learn, secondly, the others in the class were a great group and together we all had some great conversations over dinner together at the end, and lastly, because it was so friendly and familiar to be in their home. They are wonderful hosts and we had a fantastic time.
The food around the island is fabulous in general but you have to go beyond the touristy areas to find the gems...usually. There is an exception to this rule and that’s Ammoudi Bay where you simply have to book ahead to assure yourself a table at Sunset Taverna. If you’re a fan of octopus, they have the most incredible stuffed octopus tubes I have ever tasted in my life - would absolutely recommend!
To get to Ammoudi Bay you can easily arrange a taxi or, as I have also done, you can rent a Quad Bike and drive yourself! It’s not the easiest ride if you’re new to Quads BUT I did it when I had only driven one for a week before around Mykonos and I was comfortable so it is absolutely doable! This is, in my opinion, one of the most enjoyable things to do on the island - such a great way to see Santorini!
Whether you want to soak in the pool all day long (my style), or spend your days strolling the shops, Santorini has options for everyone! Though maybe not an adventurer’s dream vacation, there are definitely some extreme sports and activities that you can do on the island...or you could instead choose to order yourself a healthy dose of cocktails and enjoy the incredible sunsets. Again, options for everyone.
By: Carly Fisher | Country: Australia
Theatre Producer & Director
WOW 😍
ReplyDeleteSo Beautiful
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