First let me start off with saying that Santorini is more than just Oia. It’s also more than just Fira believe it or not! What I didn’t know before visiting the island is how big it was and how many things there are to do on the island as well.
I know what you’re thinking, how could you see the entire island of Santorini in one day? The quick answer is a tour. Not just any tour though, we decided to see the island with Santorini Best Tours. We love doing tours in new countries because we find it’s a great way to see more than you would on your own and it’s also perfect for learning more about the destination. I always find tour guides incredibly knowledgeable.
Choosing the right tour
When you first land on Santorini Best Tours website it can be hard to choose just one of their 15 tours. Ultimately what it came down to for us was seeing as much of the island that we could within a couple of hours so we decided on the private tour.
It was an easy process to book, all we had to do was give our hotel information and an ideal start time. Being early risers (does that mean we’re old now?) we opted for a 9 am start.
What we saw
We were picked up by our guide promptly at 9am and ready to hit the road. I was really impressed with the vehicle we were picked up in as well – an air conditioned van with leather seats and cold water bottles when we needed it!
Ben and I hadn’t done much research on the rest of Santorini so when our guide asked us where we wanted to go on our private tour we said, “take us to the best places!” I’m glad we did because he was fantastic and knew all the best spots. Plus, he was a great photographer which allowed us to get rare photos of the two of us!
Oia
Our guide, Panos, took us to Oia first noting that it was better to hit this spot first thing in the morning. He was right! We had gone the day before around lunch time and it was mayhem. Our 9am start left us with an otherwise empty city making it easy to get the perfect photo or explore the more famous spots with virtually no one around.
Panos knew exactly where to take us so we could get the ‘perfect Instagram shot’ (he did know his clientele well). Weaving through the streets we had hit all of the main sights like the Atlantis bookstore, the 3 blue domes and the old castle well before 10:30! Before long we were back in the van and ready to explore the next spot.
Prophet Elias Monastery
As we drove on to our next spot, the monastery, Panos was very quick to answer any questions we might have had. When my questions ran out, he offered up voluntary information that we found rather interesting. One of the most interesting things we learned is that Santorini only got it’s first hospital 3 years ago and it was mostly because of the tourists! With so many people riding scooters and Vespas on the island (and often getting in accidents) the island decided it finally needed its own emergency centre.
The Prophet Elias Monastery is a neat place to see and quickly walk around but what truly makes it special is the view. Set high atop the tallest hill no the island, you can see everything. The view is well worth it, plus you can buy some homemade wine or olive oil in the monastery as well.
Red Sand Beach
Next up on our tour was the Red Sand Beach. Arguably one of the more famous spots outside of Oia and Fira. It’s here that tourists often rent those vespas to explore a little more.
Panos parked the van and walked with us to the viewing point. He was very quick to point out that people aren’t actually allowed to lie on the beach or actually go on it but everyone does. He says tourists go there without realizing that the cliffs behind them very often have mudslides that can be extremely dangerous.
Danger aside, it’s a really cool place to stop and see, and is definitely true to its name!
White Beach
After the busyness of the Red Beach Panos had the great idea of taking us somewhere a little quieter: the White Beach. It was a really short trip away and worth it. There was almost no one on the beach and in my opinion it was way cooler.
The cliffs behind were must safer. They had holes and natural dents in them everywhere from the wind. It was as if they looked like giant honeycombs. It was really cool to see up close.
Emporio
From the White Beach, Panos took us to the one of my favourite spots on the island and in Greece: Emporio. This small town is extremely unassuming from the outside. In fact, you can’t drive into it you have to walk!
The streets are extremely small, and around every corner it was like a new beautiful surprise. Between the stairs, the doors and the alleyways I couldn’t get enough photos! Panos told us that the residents of the little town often use the homes as vacation spots instead of living there full-time as they are very small.
Pyrgos
From Emporio we visited to Pyrgos. It was a bit of a hike up to the top of the hill but it was a really beautiful climb. There were little gems around every corner as you climbed to the top.
There was a gorgeous restaurant that you could sit at for lunch with such a beautiful view of a blue dome and the classic Greek chairs. Unfortunately we were short on time so Panos had us on a mission to the top! It was another beautiful view at the top but I personally think the journey was the best part.
Kamari Beach
Our last stop on the tour was Kamari Beach, or in other words, Black Sand Beach. I’ll tell you one thing – you don’t want to be stepping on that sand in bare feet when it’s hot out!
It’s a cool place to see and arguably the better beach to lay out at from all of the ones we saw because there was a lot more to do besides just lying down and swimming. There were restaurants and bars lined along the beach making it a great spot to spend a day.
After a long but interesting day of touring around, Panos brought us back to the hotel. We were more informed and fell a little more in love with the island of Santorini. It was truly a great way to see Santorini in a day.
Where to stay
Aressana Hotel |We loved staying here during our time in Santorini. It was steps from the bus station which took us right into Oia, it was steps from the main town of Fira and it was a beautiful facility. The pool is the perfect spot for relaxing after a day of touring around. The best part was Santorini Best Tours picked us up right from the lobby of our hotel so there was no confusion or getting lost!
*We were welcome as guests of Santorini Best Tours but we really truly did have the best time and would not have written otherwise if we didn’t!
