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Is Santorini lovely?

18 replies

DominiqueBernard · 30/03/2024 18:57

Is Santorini lovely and worth visiting? And is it very expensive? DH is not typically a big fan of holidaying in Greece. (I have never been.)

I think I'd like to go, but don't want to be disappointed.

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lotsofdogshere · 30/03/2024 18:59

If your eh isn’t a fan of Greece, why go? I love everything about Greece but prefer the mainland or southern Crete - quieter and more mixed group of tourists . Yes Santorini is beautiful and expensive. What do yiu both want from your holiday that’s the important thing

JanewaysBun · 30/03/2024 19:02

I loved it.
Yes there are a million cruise ship passengers in Fira when a ship is in. And yes Oia is crazy busy at sunset. However it was so incredibly beautiful and lovely. There's loads of stuff you can do in the quiter areas.

takemeawayagain · 30/03/2024 19:06

It's absolutely beautiful - but I went late April before the hordes arrived, I don't think it would be quite the same in July/August. The gorgeous crater side hotels are very expensive. But if you stay in Fira on the other side of the (tiny) town out of season it can be very cheap - we paid about £50 a night.

Twittiooo · 30/03/2024 19:14

We’ve been twice, it’s very pretty, the sunsets are magical and I love the many ‘secret’ taverns, cafes & shops, but you need to time it well. We went end sept one year and it was brilliant, just the right amount of busy so there was a nice buzzy atmosphere but the crowds had long gone. The next time we went, it was early July & the streets were very busy. It felt a little claustrophobic at times but it’s still very lovely.

DominiqueBernard · 30/03/2024 20:07

Thank you, everyone. And how do you get there? Aeroplane?

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JLT24 · 30/03/2024 20:20

It’s incredibly beautiful.

We stayed in Kamari beach for a few days, whilst there we visited different beaches, went wine tasting at sunset, visited the main town Fira, Oia at sunset, Ammoudi bay for lunch and also again for sunset, hiked from Imerovigli to Fira early morning to avoid the heat. There’s lots to see and we spent a lot on taxis as I don’t drive and husband likes a few beers, but you could hire a car to make it cheaper.

Cost varies. Kamari beach was quite cheap €20 for 2 courses and a glass of wine. Ammoudi bay €50 for the same but is very beautiful. Didn’t eat in Oia. In Fira we had Souvlaki for €8 from the famous Lucky’s takeaway. Wine tasting with cheeseboard and the best sunset i’ve ever seen was about €40 each.

We then checked into a suite with a private pool overlooking the caldera in Imerovigli for a few days which was v expensive but amazing. Pretty much stayed in the room then and ordered room service.

teletone · 31/03/2024 04:58

We went with Jet2 in August last year. Good package price for Fira. Plenty to do for a week. Buses great. Eating out was approx €15 for souvlaki main. Can be done on a budget if you chose carefully and use the supermarket/bakers.
Was busy but didn't feel terrible.
Not really young child orientated more older children and couples.
Did a catamaran trip which was pricey but worth it.
Couldn't have spent 2 weeks there personally as we did all the main trips and sights in a week. However I know some people at our hotel were going to Naxos by ferry for a short break to extend their holiday.

Quartzine · 31/03/2024 06:50

I didn't like the hot black sand.

CurlewKate · 31/03/2024 07:26

It was when I hitched there from London in 1980. It may have changed a bit!!

LadySpratt · 31/03/2024 07:28

We went a few years ago in July. For such a small island it felt absolutely packed. We went as part of a stop-off to Crete from the mainland, as well as it being considered a must-see.

We only stayed two or three nights (out of a three week history-type holiday) and that was more than enough! The highlights for us were taking a sailing boat for a day and visiting the archaeological site at Akrotiri. The sailing was absolutely brilliant and made you feel alive, and the food the crew cooked was superb. It was expensive, but if you want to eat at a decent restaurant to catch a few evening sun rays then prepare to part with a chunk of your wallet! Having said that the food was good.

So, it’s a bucket list destination crossed off and we definitely don’t feel the need to go again. Once you’ve seen a blue dome atop a whitewashed building…

Loubelle70 · 31/03/2024 07:28

Its still lovely, but very busy. Lindos is beautiful too.

Bs0u416d · 31/03/2024 07:48

Santorini is lovely. Though I've never been to a greek island that I have not loved.

Mumofyellows · 31/03/2024 07:58

It's very beautiful, but can be extremely busy. We went at the end of Covid when there were no cruise ships coming in and even then, it was rammed during the day time. We went for a couple of days as part of our honeymoon on Crete, we both said we couldn't have tolerated it for more than a couple of days. That said neither of us like crowds!

Beetree123 · 31/03/2024 09:50

It is a beautiful setting; but if you don’t like Greece maybe is not for you? It can be very busy and hot depending of the time of the year. I like it for a few days not a long holiday

BrotherUrgh · 31/03/2024 10:04

It’s lovely but it gets v crowded; try to go in late March/ April rather than in the summer. Autumn might be ok too (I went just after Easter last year and it was warm, busy but not overly so.) We had to book the nice restaurants in advance though (as in before the actual holiday.)

Echobelly · 31/03/2024 10:14

We visited in October and it was lovely, but I imagine it can get very crowded in high season, as it's tiny. I can't imagine staying there for more than a week, given it's very small but definitely worth a short visit, ideally off-season.

DominiqueBernard · 31/03/2024 17:18

Thank you all, again.

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redfacebigdisgrace · 31/03/2024 18:21

Beautiful but soulless. It’s so full of tourists. It’s like if Disney did Greece. I’m glad I went, but I wouldn’t go back.

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