Santorini

[janeite]

Have just booked a holiday in Santorini. Has anybody been? Any tips for nice days out, places to eat, things to see etc?

Thanks.

It's quiet right now but I will bump anyway!

bumping for you as would like to know! V envious.

Bumping again.

Anybody?

santoriniis gorgeous but gets v busy in summer.
I would recommend boat trip to caldera, the volcanic ash island in the middle of the bay. The sunsets in oia or thira are out of this world. Local red wine is fab. Relax and enjoy beaches on south coast - easy to get there by bus from main town.

Oh that's fab - thank you.

Any more?

I'm getting worried now that it's not nice, as nobody seems to have been there.

Santorini's one of those 'got to go there before I die places.' The thing about Greek islands is discovering beaches, bars and tavernas for yourself - what's highly recommended one year might be crap the next. Santorini and Mykonos are 'in' with Greek celebs so despite the recession, it's likely to be quite busy (and expensive) but I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be right now, actually. Lucky you!

Thank you. Yes, I think it is likely to be busier than we'd bargained for but the pictures of it look so, so beautiful.

It's just like the pictures, but with cool music playing in the background. And whiffs of delish Greek food....

Yum.

Any more?

I went to Santorini 23 years ago - and it was lovely. I ate the best fish I think I've ever had - I think it was Red Snapper - and was very pregnant with DS1, but despite that rode a donkey up from sea level to the top bit. It's a beautiful place, very atmospheric - it's also reputed to be Atlantis (there was a recent BBC programme on Atlantis/Pliny/Santorini - might be worth looking for on iPlayer because it was fascinating). In fact, given that it was 23 years ago I remember it all very clearly which sort of speaks for itself - not the sort of place you forget.

Nobody's saying because it's too gorgeous, and they want it all for themselves!

Ooh I'm very jealous . Santorini's beautiful. Had a fabulous holiday there 8 years ago. Thoroughly recommend a trip to Oia at sunset. Pretty special. And I remember a fun boat trip to thermal mud pools/snorkeling. Have a great trip!

I had a holiday there 17 years ago. It is gorgeous. And this thread is right - its not the type of place you forget about. You will be amazed by the landscape and seascape!

Thank you all. Has anybody been any more recently? Am starting to worry that it will be horribly busy. Then again, I'm just glad we're having a holiday as I was beginning to think we'd never sort ourselves out!

So far then our must do items are:
Oia;
Boat trip to the volcano;
Dp to eat as much fish as he can fit in (the rest of us are veggie)!
Drink local wine;
Think about history - walk up to Ancient Thira.

The donkey prices up from the harbour go down the further up you walk. Of course if it's so busy all the donkeys are taken, this doesn't work.

I imagine you can do day trips to other islands.

My best memory is a very red sunset over a black sand beach. It felt like I was on another planet.

Thanks - we won't need the donkeys, as we'll be arriving by plane rather than ferry. The photographs DP make it look like another planet - and I love the fact that people believe that it is a) Atlantis and b) that it was infested by vampires!

Shameless Sunday evening bump!

If you can fit in a day trip (or better still an over-nighter) to any of these islands, do it: Koufonisi, Schinousa, Donousa, and/or Iraklia. I guarantee you'll be booking next year's holiday on one of them!

We're only there for a week, so I'm not sure we'll have time.

We're thinking of Thassos as a possibility next year. This year, we opted for the shorter travel time.

Thanks for the ideas though and I will deffo investigate them.

Isn't there a black sand beach? Piressa? Something like that. Seems to ring a bell. I went 10 years ago & I'm afraid my memory is hazy. Definitely remember the sunsets.

Yes to black sand!