I can confidently say that Santorini is officially one of my favorite places in the world now.
The sun sets differently there. The horizon is hazy in a way that evokes a sort of mysticism and ease.
We started off in Oia Village, where white sailboats adorn the endless blue sea. And as seen in all of the pictures, the purest white buildings with cerulean blue roofs line the cliffs that look over the rest of the world below it.
We then transitioned to the other side of the island, which is more local and less touristy and home to the black and red sand beaches. I would recommend Oia for a couple of days because it is absolutely breathtaking, but then the other side of the island for the second half of the trip because there is much more to do.
We went on a catamaran through the Santorini Sailing Center for five hours, swimming and snorkeling in different parts of the Aegean Sea, wading about in natural sulfur hot springs, and watching the sun set straight into the water.
We also had one of the best and most special dinners of my life, with fresh fish and fresh Greek salad aka the “Margerita salad,” named after Margerita, one of the amazing crew members. I’ll never forget this experience with my family. If you go to Santorini or any of the Greek islands, I highly recommend this company and boat (they did not pay me to say that or anything, I promise). We loved it so much that we did it again the next day.
My brother and I also went scuba diving another day. Make sure to be certified before you go though because that way, you can go to the reefs, the caves, and the shipwrecks.
Even my dad, who doesn’t love the ocean, absolutely loved Santorini. I cannot emphasize how much I loved it. It was warm and sultry, the sunshine was dazzling, the blues were brilliant, I fell in love with pretty much every man I met, and of course, the food was fresh and healthy as it could get. I get why the Mediterranean diet is such a thing. My brother drowned his bread and pretty much everything he ate in the highest quality, extra virgin olive oil, but we were never worried. I never felt overly full or heavy after any meal, and we always washed it down with local wine.
I literally sigh out loud every time I come across some of my pictures of Santorini. Please go. For your sake and mine.