Sensational Santorini - Aug 2020

We were shocked that there was enough of a reprieve in the summer of 2020 to fit in a (socially distanced and masked) trip. With destinations limited based on where infection levels were low, we looked at some destinations that weren't necessarily high on our list of next places to visit. Greece was in a decent spot, so we decided why not take a trip to Santorini?

Wow, were we in for a treat! The island is adorable, centered around a caldera created via volcanic explosions past. The white and blue of the buildings accented the Mediterranean beautifully. We stayed in Fira, in a cute little place nestled into the hillside with a little jacuzzi-like pool facing the caldera. The first night, we tracked down a bottle of Greek wine, made friends with a local grocer, and enjoyed our first, gorgeous Santorini sunset.

The next day we embarked upon a private tour of the island. Our guide was super friendly; he drove us around the island and dropped us off at various locations where we could walk around and explore a bit before moving on to the next stop.

Our first stop was the clifftop city of Oia. We strolled down the main drag, with the sea on one side and shops on the other, and stopped by the Oia Castle which was built back in the 15th century!

Next, we explored a small town with a beautiful church, then headed up to Mount Profitis Ilias, the highest point in Santorini. The views were amazing, you could see across the entire island.

Because Santorini has so many cliffs, there aren't as many beaches as I had expected. But the ones that do exist are really neat. The Red Beach is particularly intriguing, definitely a spot I'd love to spend more time at if we ever go back. The Black Beach seems like a great way to spend a day, too, with rentable lounge chairs and variety of restaurants and bars along its length.

The Akrotiri Lighthouse was another fun stop, offering a short hike and incredible views. Since it was rather hot out, we enjoyed a juice before wrapping up the tour.

After cooling off for a bit, we ventured over to Fira's main drag to track down some dinner. We found a delicious spot with great views (are you noticing a theme here?). The grape leaves were to die for. It was so good, we booked a spot for the following evening so we could enjoy more tasty treats during the sunset.

The next day, we decided to head back to Oia to explore at a more leisurely rate. After discovering a cat paradise and buying (perhaps too many) souvenirs, we found a spot for a nice lunch.

I was curious about the hike between Oia and Fira - a bunch of online to do lists mentioned that it was beautiful, and it seemed like a nice way to get some exercise in while enjoying the scenery. I was right, but our approach was flawed. We hiked the uphill direction in the middle of a very hot day, so we got a bit more exercise than we bargained for. We quickly went through the one bottle of water we had with us, and when we finally stumbled upon a spot where we could buy more, it was a glorious moment. We then spent the rest of the afternoon in our little pool.

The next morning, we enjoyed a final brunch looking out over the caldera and seriously considered trying to extend our trip by another day. After hesitantly accepting the fact that we should probably return to Copenhagen, we bid adieu to the lovely island.