Trip Review: Our Santorini Honeymoon
- Devyn
- Jan 18, 2019
- 11 min read
Updated: Feb 1, 2019
This past fall, the best day of my life happened – my wedding day. I got to marry my best friend, surrounded by our closest friends and family, in a whirlwind, travel-themed wedding. I honestly loved planning our wedding and we put a lot of thought into adding little personal touches to the big day. We crafted signature cocktails named after our pets, used the names of our favorite travel destinations as the table “numbers, and had our guests sign a globe instead of a traditional guestbook. It was truly a magical day.
But it was the honeymoon to follow that we put just as much planning and work into. Considering our travels to date, we knew we had to make our honeymoon something truly spectacular to stand out. We opted to spend a little over two weeks traveling the Greek Isles, followed by a stop in Framce. We flew into Athens, then made our way to Mykonos and Santorini, ending in Paris and Reims. I have always been drawn to the gorgeous pictures of Santorini and I was grateful that my husband was on board with the idea. We had gotten engaged in the Caribbean so we wanted to go on a honeymoon that was a little unique.
Santorini has become so popular over the years and many of my Instagram followers asked for a review of our trip. It was our favorite stop in our honeymoon and we didn’t want to leave those beautiful blue seas. If you’re considering a more upscale trip in the future, or just looking for general ideas on what to do on the island, hopefully this post will give you some #wanderlust inspiration!
Timing
We spent four nights in Santorini, from October 1st – 5th. That’s towards the end of the busy summer tourist season, so we benefited from all the shops and restaurants still being open without the crowds being too intense (though they were still there). The weather was cooler, so we didn’t swim much, but we aren’t the biggest beach people so it suited us just fine.
Transportation
We took a ferry from Mykonos to Santorini, which made a few stops at other Greek islands along the way. It took about two-ish hours from start to finish, though the ferry seemed to follow "island time" and our departure was late. It was cold and windy, so while we could have wandered the ferry deck, we stayed inside and relaxed a little. We had arranged for a private transport to take us to the hotel from the port, which we appreciated since it was a madhouse of cars and taxis and crowds when we arrived. We also opted to arrange a private transport from the hotel to the Santorini airport when we left.
On the island itself, we relied mostly on walking to get around and purposely picked a hotel in Oia for that reason. For our tours and excursions, we booked with the hotel pickup add-on option, so we were covered when we needed to trek further away. It was a really walkable island, though easy to get lost with all the steps and alleyways, but each wrong turn was beautiful and worth the delay. We opted for taxis a few times when we went overboard with the wine – they were expensive, even when we shared one with another couple after dinner. I would suck it up and walk when you can to avoid the crazy charges.
Hotel
When we set our wedding budget, we devoted about half of it to our honeymoon so we could splurge in some areas, like our hotel. We knew we wanted to be near Oia and have a gorgeous seaside view. We ended up staying at Kirini Suites and Spa, which was incredible. Everything – the room, the service, the amenities – was top notch. It was easily one of the best hotels we had ever stayed at.
Upon arrival, the manager was there to greet us and we were served a welcome drink. We were given a free room upgrade in honor of our honeymoon – we had a stunning private patio that overlooked the water, which was the best way to start every morning. Our room was spacious with a walk-in shower, stocked mini-fridge, and an iPod dock that came with its own iPod pre-loaded with relaxing playlists for lounging around. We were treated to a bottle of wine and fruit in our room shortly after settling in. The manager gave us a tour of the property while our luggage was brought to the room – there was a stunning, spacious spa and a decently sized pool with plenty of sunbeds and a bar. They also had a concierge service that we utilized many times. The hotel was conveniently located, a short walk to the main walkways of Oia, but was also near a less-crowded sunset viewing spot. Turndown service was provided every night (complete with a free chocolate truffle and fresh slippers every evening).
The hotel offered an amazing breakfast spread. It was served in the pool area, so we had great sea views out in the sunshine. They had mimosas, specialty coffee drinks, green juices, tea, and anything else you wanted to sip on. The food had everything you could imagine – breads, little pastries, a “healthy” buffet of yogurts and fruit, brunch-y canapes and bites, and a made-to-order egg menu. It literally spanned three rooms of food. The bar served up great cocktails throughout the day (though they were steep in price, like $15 each).
The spa was really something special. We had booked a couples massage and it turned into a whole morning of pampering. We were served a pre-spa drink and given private access to the ENTIRE spa to enjoy at our leisure before our massage. This meant we could enjoy the oversized, private heated pool and sauna room – it was a great way to detox from all the wine we had been drinking all day, every day. We didn't realize that we could've booked private use of the spa area just to use the heated pool and sauna (without booking any spa services) - we wish we had, but something to keep in mind if you go!
The concierge was very helpful and offered advice on how to get around the island and where to eat. They were also able to get us reservations at restaurants that had initially claimed to be fully booked. Do not underestimate the powers of your concierge! They are experts on what to do and where to go. We were really sad when it was time to leave, but the amazing staff at Kirini sent us off with a little airport amenity kit, which included refreshing towels and airline-approved skin/beauty products. While we don’t have immediate plans to head back to Santorini, we will definitely plan to stay at Kirini again. It made the trip as amazing as it was.
What We Did
We struggle with just staying still when traveling. Many can plop on a beach and be content baking away in the sun – that’s not us. We were really happy that Santorini had plenty to keep us busy. We arrived in the afternoon our first day so we didn’t do much – walked around Oia and watched the sunset. We failed to make any dinner reservations prior to our trip, which in hindsight was a bit of an issue since most places were booked up. We ended up at a decent restaurant in Oia that served traditional Greek food, but it wasn’t anything special. We made sure to look into reservations the rest of the time we were there, thanks to our concierge!
The second day we had booked a sailing trip that spanned from early afternoon until sunset. We lounged by the pool until our transport arrived to take us to Imerovigli. We were on a large catamaran with other people and got to sail all around the island. We made stops at the black and red sand beaches to swim and snorkel if you pleased. The crew served up a delicious lunch and we got a great tour of the island by sea. We did make a stop at the volcanic springs – however, the water temp was only a few degrees warmer so we opted not to swim around. Wine was available the whole time and we watched the famous Santorini sunset from the ship.
The next day we had a wine tasting and cooking class lined up. We were picked up early in the morning from our hotel and headed to a winery to learn more about the wine making process in Santorini. For those who don’t know, Santorini is the driest place in Europe and gets little rain. Grapevines are grown in a circular shape so that way the leaves shade the grapes from the hot sun. The root systems go very deep given the dry climate and can be centuries old. Interestingly, the wineries do not own the grapevines. Rather, locals usually have grapes that grow in their backyards, which they then independently sell to local wineries. This makes the whole wine process very unique and special to the island. Because the grapes needed for red wine require so much water, 70% of wine produced on the island is white wine – a real win for a white wine lover like me. After the winery tour, we did a tasting of a few varieties and bought some bottles to take home.
The cooking class was at a popular restaurant near the black sand beach. We were with four other couples and got to learn the secrets to making some traditional Greek dishes. Our menu included Greek salad, tomato fritters, tzatziki (my favorite!), fava dip, and a chicken main dish cooked in one of the wines we sampled earlier. We had a chance to prep and cook the whole meal and then sit down to enjoy it as a group. It was a great way to swap suggestions on things to do on the island. The chef treated us to baklava before we were driven back to the hotel. We spent the afternoon by the pool and then headed back down to Amoudi Bay for dinner. We skipped the donkey ride (you should too – the poor animals) and took the 300 uneven, steep, wide steps down from Oia. It was sweaty and scary at times but well worth it. We somehow decided to brave the steps back up (you can take a taxi and save yourself all the work, but it’s expensive for the short ride) and ended up out of breath and completely covered in sweat. We decided it burned off our dinner sufficiently and we were deserving of some gelato – logic I can get behind. If you are moderately in shape, try the stairs, just for the bragging rights.
Our last full day in Santorini was a sad one, since it meant our honeymoon was nearing its end. We started the morning with the amazing massage and sauna session. We spent the afternoon packing up and then exploring the shops of Oia. We have a tradition of picking out an ornament for our Christmas tree from every country we visit and we found a beautiful blue one hand painted with a sunset scene. My husband also collects a piece of art from each country so we hunted down the perfect painting to bring home. We then took a taxi to the Santo Winery for another wine tasting. I had made reservations ahead of time and somehow ended up booking two 16 wine flights! Yup, a total of 32 wines to taste. Lucky us. The wine pours were generous and we needed the antipasto platter to help soak up the insane amount of alcohol we were consuming. Most people stared at our excessive amount of glasses, to our embarrassment, but it was a great time and we found some amazing wines that we decided to bring home with us. We ended the night getting dinner from the best restaurant from our whole trip and enjoyed one last Santorini sunset before making our way to France the next day. Evidence of our enjoyment of all the wine documented below...
Food & Drinks
Most of our travels are fueled by our love for food. We like trying new things, checking out as many restaurants and food carts as we can, and usually rate our favorite destinations based on the food we had. Santorini did not disappoint, with its abundance of delicious seafood and endless wine. Some of our favorite food stops while on the island:
Katina Fish Tavern – along Amoudi Bay, make a reservation for a great table. We ended up right along the water (close enough to get splashed by the waves) and got an envious view of the sunset. Splurge on a whole freshly caught fish that you can split with your table – you get to pick which fish you’d like from the kitchen. It was incredible, the house wine was amazing (as it always was in Greece), and the tzatziki was delicious.
Melitini – off the main pedestrian walkway in Oia, this is a small restaurant perfect for ordering a bunch of plates to share. This was my husband’s favorite restaurant we ate it in all of Greece and many seemed to have the same opinion. Make sure you make a reservation! We tried to go here without one and were turned away on another night. The grilled octopus is worth ordering (I was skeptical but it was delicious) and I overdosed on even more tzatziki. The sausage is another specialty and got top marks from my husband.
Lolita’s Gelato – I can’t make a list of favorite places and not include some type of ice cream. This was perfect for late-night snacking on the walk back to the hotel. They had lots of unique flavors but the pistachio and lemon are popular favorites. It’s reasonably priced and has a cute outdoor sitting area.
Reservations seemed necessary at most places, especially in Oia, given how many visitors there are. Make sure you book your must-visit restaurants in advance so you don’t miss out on the great food there is on offer. The house wine anywhere you go will be great, so no need to splurge on a special bottle. Don’t be alarmed that you’ll be served bottled water – tap water is not okay to drink on the island so keep that in mind. It’s relatively inexpensive at restaurants as a result, but you can also stock up on some oversized bottles at a mart as needed. The seafood is amazing, especially if you get a chance to try fresh octopus, and make sure you get tzatziki at least once before you leave. I seriously still dream of it….
Final Notes and Thoughts on Santorini
The crowds are surprising in Oia. It’s cramped, especially near sunset. Scout out sunset spots that aren’t near the popular destination in the main area, otherwise you’ll be stuck in the swarm of people. I was a little disappointed to see tourists doing whatever they felt necessary for the sake of a beautiful photo – even crawling on top of building roofs that clearly had signs not to, etc. It’s sad to see the lengths people go just to get a pretty photo for social media. But the people are great and very hospitable.
Having a hotel so close to the area we wanted to be in made it convenient to wander around whenever we had some free time. I wish we spent more time exploring other areas of the island, but at the end of the day, Oia provided a great experience with plenty of shops and restaurants. I don’t think we needed another day here at all. Four nights gave us plenty of time to do some activities but I can’t think of much else we could have done that we didn’t. Because of the weather we didn’t go the beach, but if you were visiting in summer you could maybe plan a day at for that. Rather than taking one long trip to just Santorini, I would suggest doing a multi-island type trip like what we did. It gives you variety and breaks up the trip a bit.
We would love to come back to Santorini at some point in our lives, but don’t see it as a must-do again in the near future. The blue waters are truly indescribable and the photos don’t do it justice. It’s worth seeing at least once in your lifetime. Santorini was wonderful, our honeymoon was unforgettable, and I can see why this island is as hyped as it is.
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