Santorini: the whole truth about one of the most beautiful islands in Europe

People are divided into two types. Some say: "Well, it's a rundown white island, promoted for tourists, well, for a honeymoon, a couple of days and there's nothing more to do there. For a night, for two nights, come for a tour and forget that it ever happened". And there are people who simply love this island unconditionally and understand its beauty and uniqueness.

I didn't really want to go to Greece. I had two countries that I was considering "for later" - Montenegro and Greece. But it so happened that last year I visited both.

We didn't want to go to Santorini in summer, when there are a lot of cruise ships and tourists. And we initially planned an active vacation: we will take bicycles, ride, walk from one end of the island to the other.... But how much we were wrong! In fact, the island is quite large and mountainous, and the well-known, "white side" - also on the mountain, and the beaches - on the other side. You can not go there on foot, only rent a scooter, ATV or travel by buses.

"The Black Side"

We had three nights on the, let's call it, "black side" with black volcanic beaches - on Kamari, and three nights directly on Caldera ("white side"). Maybe because it was off season, but I found the black beach so beautiful that I was ready to spend a week on it alone. Warm-warm sea, beautiful white waves and black sand, nobody around, and you can lie on the hot sand or lounge chair - it's just a high! The plus point of the black sand is that it warms up and stays hot until sunset, practically until dark.

There are tavernas and cafes everywhere. It is very convenient that in Santorini you can come to a bar, pay for a drink (it can be tea, coffee) and use a sun lounger and umbrella all day for only €2. In many European countries this is not the case - there you will have to shell out €12-15 for a set.

Prices in Santorini

There is a perception that Santorini is a very expensive island. I wouldn't say that, especially when compared to Montenegro or insanely expensive Italy. There is nothing super expensive on this island - absolutely ordinary European prices. A dinner with octopus, salad and wine is about €30. Portions are so big that you can take one for two. Breakfast in taverns will cost about €7 per person.

We lived in an apartment on the beach, third line from the beach, you could literally walk there in 5-7 minutes. We paid €30 a night for two people. Housing on the "white" side is, of course, more expensive. But there is transportation, which goes always without problems, and it is easy to get to any point of the island.

If you are looking for a variant of budget vacation, you can safely live in Perissa, in Kamari, sunbathe on the black beach, cook in apartments or dine in restaurants, and all this will come out for quite adequate money.

In general, the island is for both budget and more affluent travelers.

The "white" side

After a few days we moved to the "white" side, to Caldera. Accommodation there comes in three parts - Thira (the capital), where there is a port where all the cruise ships come in, Imerovigli and Iaia, where the sunsets are the most beautiful.

It took me a very long time to choose between the resorts. We have to live in Ia, where, as everyone keeps saying, "just incredible sunsets". But I'm glad we didn't live there for one reason - there are a lot of tourists there, just a very unbelievable number of tourists. And it's out of season! In the evening, at sunset, the streets are so full of people that you just can't get through.

Tira is the capital, there are lots of stores and bars, but it's mostly cruise passengers. And at eight in the morning, crowds of pensioners arrive, walking everywhere, queuing in all the stores, all the bars... You can't even drink coffee.

We chose the resort of Imerovigli, it is quieter, more peaceful. And there I realized why there are those who love Santorini and those who are crazy about it. Just imagine: you wake up at seven in the morning, the sun rises from the black side, there are many small cathedrals with bells, blue roofs, everything is white, the sun illuminates churches, temples, roofs and the island on the other side is flooded with yellow light. The whole island is still asleep and just beginning to wake up. And when you go out, go up on the roof, watch the waiters in white shirts with butterflies come out of each hotel and carry breakfasts on trays and put them on the balconies... You have a view of the Caldera, the sun rises behind you, the beautiful sea in front of you - just an incredible panorama!

We lived in a room with a terrace, and on the roof of the hotel - chairs, loungers, you can just go up in the evening, take a bottle of champagne, fruit, Greek cheese and with a glass in your hand to enjoy the sunset. That's the most beautiful thing! When you're sitting alone with the person you love and no one else is around - that's Santorini. This is romance, this is for two, quiet, calm, with a slight breeze....

Sunset on Santorini

But we still went to Ia to see the "most beautiful sunset". We arrived at 5 o'clock, it was not realistic to eat somewhere, almost all the restaurants were full! We walked around and decided to wait for the sunset, to take a place. Since five o'clock tourists began to flock to the mountain (and the sunset starts at 17:30), and it was not just crowded, but a real demonstration, a parade, a crowd, with some cameras, selfie sticks, and all trying to take pictures.

And then the sunset passed, you got pushed in the back about 200 times. I was standing there, almost crying, I was very upset and did not understand why so many people were coming here? And only when we met this sunset at our hotel terrace and on the second day stayed there, I realized how to look at this island. You have to choose your hotel, you have to choose your cozy place.

From unusual entertainments in Santorini we tried riding in the mountains on donkeys. You can go down from Fira to the port or, on the contrary, up. There is a very long and steep climb. It costs about €5-7 per person, but it is really very bright. The donkeys are funny, covered with all sorts of pom-poms, they are very emotionally driven from behind. You can go without a shepherd, they can climb up on their own.

Communication with locals

The locals are very open, very nice, friendly. Perhaps because of the tan, but everyone took us for Mexicans and even addressed us in Spanish, but when we said that we were from Odessa, everyone was genuinely surprised, they said that this could not be. At the same time, everyone knew where Odessa was, they knew Ukraine.

Not everyone speaks English. Of course, in the service sector they speak, but it is probably not worth it to demand from a goat racer to know the language.

Still, Greeks are open, pleasant people. If you need something, they will show you the way, although I think it is absolutely impossible to get lost on the island. If you get lost in these white streets, you will get out of there very quickly and, on the contrary, if you turn somewhere, some new and unusual panorama opens up in front of you.

The way of life

Everything here is very quiet, measured. In the evening, the city quickly falls asleep: everyone has had dinner in the taverns and goes to rest. On some day I caught myself that I do not hear music playing: in restaurants, bars, on the street is very quiet. Total relaxation, total romance. And if tourists want a more intense vacation, it is worth combining the "white" and "black" part: those who want to party - Mykonos. And Santorini is purely for relaxation: when you are tired and just want to sunbathe on the beach, drink delicious wine, watch crazy panoramas.

Major disappointment

Of the island's disappointments is the red beach. All guidebooks write: "Be sure to go to the red beach". But in my opinion, there is nothing particularly interesting there. Of course, if you really want to see it, you can spend a day to see it, but you should take into account that there are no bars and restaurants there (directly on the beach), and to lie in the red water on the rocks is a dubious pleasure. There are also a whole bunch of tourists who take pictures of you from above and look: "What are you doing there?".

What to try and buy in Santorini

On the "white" part, in Thira and Imerovigli, there are a lot of restaurants and taverns where you can eat quite good food within €40 for two people. Zadziki, meze, octopus, Greek yogurt... Of course, there are restaurants with Michelin-starred chefs, where a set costs €250. But the bulk of the people eat in taverns.

Greeks should try yogurt mixed with honey and walnuts. I discovered Katarina Taverna in Ia, which I read about on TripAdvisor. There I tasted the most delicious baklava I've ever had: fresh, nutty, hot, and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Mmm... Delicious!

You should definitely try octopus in Greece. They are grilled, with vegetables, served dried, about €10-15 per serving. What surprised me was the vineyards. The island is not green, absolutely. But here between the "black" and "white" side everything is planted with vineyards. There are several wineries, where they make very tasty wine, and as a souvenir you can bring a bottle of good wine. There are also excursions to wineries with tastings.

They make their own cheese on the island. I highly recommend the grilled Haloumi and Saganaki. You can try such cheese in every tavern. And also Santorini feta. It is very different in flavor and is such a local specialty.

In the cities there are many workshops where local craftsmen make jewelry - unique, interesting, unusual, some new forms. There are jewelry made of gold, silver, they are made exclusively, and you know that this piece will be only for you. Everything is very tasteful, aged, modern. There is also a lot of ceramics, molding, everything is insanely beautiful and you can take a keepsake.

Instead of a summary - 5 things to do in Santorini for sure:

• Visit the black volcanic beach.
• Have breakfast overlooking the Caldera while watching cruise ships come into port.
• Taste octopus and local saganaki cheese.
• Ride donkeys in the port of Fira or the old port of Iaia.
• Watch the sunset with the one you love. Just the two of us. And clap for him, as the locals traditionally do.