My trip to Santorini

For my 31st Birthday, I decided to treat myself to a solo trip to Santorini. It was probably one of the best experiences I have had in my entire life. I was absolutely blown away by the warm and inviting atmosphere of Greece, especially where I was staying. I can’t wait to share all the amazing places I visited with you so you can book your own unforgettable experience.

 

Instagram influencers have painted a picture of Santorini that makes it everyone’s dream holiday destination. Although it is beautiful, it was also extremely crowded. Fira, Oia and Kamari are the three most popular places to stay on the Santorini island. How do you pick one when you have never been there before? Let me break it down for you. Fira and Oia are located on a cliffside, west of the island. These are where you will discover spectacular sunset views and the white houses with the blue rooftops. If you love the above image, then you would want to book in Fira. I only visited Fira for the day and I was pretty thankful that I didn’t book there. The breath taking views come at a price- I am not only talking financially, but being surrounded by hundreds of tourists who are leaning over the balcony taking photos of the views while you are trying to sun bathe is not my idea of a holiday. 

I booked my holiday near Kamari beach. The 3-star holiday resort that I booked was called Sigalas Hotel which was 10 minutes away from the airport and right on the beach front.

Having a private beach access also means that there was wasn’t anyone around- That is my idea of a holiday. I also booked slightly ‘out of season’ (in October, which allowed me to miss the summer rush) I would highly recommend!

I was welcomed by friendly members of staff and escorted to my room, I felt like I was living in a dream at this point. In my room was a bag to take to the beach with some beach towels (this is a great idea to do for guests) I got some branded slippers. Sigalas hotel has a restaurant with the most delicious, generous food right on the beachfront. (sidenote: I am not being paid for this promotion, it is completely authentic.) I would go back at least every year for the rest of my life if I could! I booked the package which included breakfast, as I know from travel, a good breakfast is sometimes more economical as it may last till late afternoon. Well, this breakfast was out of this world!! It was all a la carte so every morning I would get a new menu and tick everything I felt like for breakfast. I ate like a king! (Must try the Greek yoghurt) I have never had anything so nice in my life. 

Things they don’t tell you in the travel brochures; 

• The beaches are not sandy, they are rocky. I needed to buy special shoes (flippers with a grip) to get in and out of the ocean. When these rocks get wet- they are super slippery. I found  swimming at 7am the best, the ocean was calm, a beautiful view of the sunrise and the water temperature was perfect. 
• Kamari is extremely close to the airport, so be prepared to have planes flying over you all day. (It didn’t bother me much) 
• The island looks like a desert, I felt like I had landed in Texas, it’s like black sand from the dormant volcanic ash, cactus and tumble weed sort of vibe.

The Sigalas hotel is walking distance (180m) from a quadbike rental (Sexy motors). I am so glad that I rented a quad bike and not a car. It may have been different if I was travelling with someone, but I found it very exciting to explore the island by bike as the roads are narrow and people generally drive quite quickly. The only tricky part about the quad bike was the navigation, I had to pull over to check the map to make sure I was going in the right direction.