A Santorini All Your Own | Live Lovely Travel | Santorini, Greece

“Come, my child,” the older man behind the counter waved me over. His hair was grey and the tan skin around his kind eyes was wrinkled from years of genuine smiling. It took me a second to realize that he was talking to me. Matthew was already standing there in front of his counter. The man stood not much taller than my height of five foot three. “You’ve had quite the day,” he said as he pushed a bottle of water and a handful of chocolates from a drawer at his desk into my hands. 

A half hour before we had arrived at the airport in Santorini from Athens for the last adventure of our honeymoon. Our luggage had been lost back in Rome a couple days before and the airline back in Italy was still looking for it. We were still happy to be traveling, but also tired from the journey and the intense heat of July in Greece. The goal was to relax on the island and the beach, although our first impression had been less than relaxing. When we had booked our honeymoon we did research online and we were able to make a reservation to rent a vehicle, but the rules had since changed and without an international driver’s license we had been denied a vehicle, the only way to our Airbnb. Matthew had tried with little success to rent a vehicle at another rental counter at the airport until he was waved over by the kind gentleman standing at the desk, who had since beckoned me over as well. 

Not only did he allow us to rent a vehicle, but he asked for the price we were spending with the other company and registered our rental for less. “If you get pulled over, my name is on your registration. But I am an old man,” he shrugged with a smile. “I’m too old to know any better when I rented to you with your American license,” he winked.

At first we were hesitant with his kindness. People back home are more conservative around strangers. Was there a catch? We looked towards each other for answers and then back at the old man at the counter, but decided to go with our instincts. This man seemed genuinely kind and we had no other options besides a very expensive taxi to get to the other side of the island. We knew for sure we could trust our new friend when he pulled out a map and a marker. “Come, before you go, these are the best places in Santorini,” he advised us. “Crowds stand in Oia for the sunset, but no! The best sunset is here,” he circled Santos Winery on the map with a flourish. “The best sunset in Santorini,” he expressed, tapping the marker back on the spot he had circled. Our new friend waited for us to nod before he continued. 

“Skip the expensive boat tours, for five euros round trip you can take the taxi boat here, here, and here to the white, red, and black beaches.” he said, drawing three loops on the map to mark the beaches and the water taxi stops. Our friend then advised us on his favorite stores, the cheapest place to get gasoline for the car (the Shell station, not the first gas station closest to the airport), the best roads to use (“Do not take the new road. Not finished!” as he crossed it out on the map with numerous x’s), “and for the best dinner on the beach, Taurna Mario, down the road behind the airport. Best dinner! Tell them Uncle Andreas sent you.”

Map in hand and pockets full of chocolates, we said farewell to our new friend “Uncle Andreas” and made our way to Oia. 

Our adventures in Santorini were some of the most memorable and beautiful of our entire honeymoon. During the summer months Santorini is a very popular destination for travelers from all over the world. Knowing that it would be crowded with other tourists like ourselves did not keep up from wanting to explore. The streets are crowded and the roads are packed with people, bicycles, cars, vespas, and quads. Only 11.18 miles long, it can be difficult to find some quiet time on Santorini. With Uncle Andreas’s map and from our own explorations, Matthew and I have discovered the best ways to find a Santorini that is all your own. It is possible to find hidden gems and personal experiences unlike the many that are catalogued on blogs and in magazines. You can discover a Santorini that is all your own. 

If peace and quiet is what you are looking for, you will not find it in Oia during the summer months. However, if you visit during the off season you will find that Oia is not overcrowded and you will even save money on hotels and food. Our honeymoon was in July though so we were there for the high season. Your best bet for staying in Santorini during the summer is actually in a town called Finikia, only a ten to fifteen minute walk from Oia. This is where most of the locals live and you will find privacy from the crowds of other tourists. You will also save a lot of money on a hotel or Airbnb in Finikia. For the first half of our trip to Santorini, we did stay in a cave house in Oia though. You truly cannot beat the ocean view. If you wake up for sunrise you will be treated with this gorgeous scene with very few tourists around, as many are partying late into the night, so you will have much of the morning to yourself. 

If you are hoping for a private pool or hot tub, you will not find any privacy outside in Oia as your neighbors will literally be right on top of you. You’re better off getting an indoor hot tub or renting a hotel or Airbnb with one on Finikia, like we did for the second portion of our trip to Santorini. 

See that lovely little island? You can walk all the way down there (bring comfortable shoes) and swim out to the island to hang out on the dock or jump from the ledge near the monastery. You will find many tourists at the bottom of the hiking trail swimming in the water, but not as many out on the little island. This is where most of the young locals go to escape the tourists with their friends. 

The shops in Oia are very busy during the daylight hours, but if you go out after sunset many of the shops are open late and most of the tourists have gone out for dinner. 

The Atlantis Bookshop is also open  later into the evening and you will find some cozy nooks there with few people to disturb you. 

Driving along, we were very happy that we followed our new friend Andreas’s advice on the roads to avoid and so we decided to take up his suggestion of Taurna Mario for lunch. Busier for dinner, it was very quiet during the middle of the day and the view of the beach was simply lovely. We had the restaurant almost completely to ourselves. 

Because we did tell our host that “Uncle Andreas” sent us, we were surprised with a delicious desert. 

The second half of our trip was spent in Finikia. Our Airbnb did not have the same view as the cave house in Oia, but we did have a lovely view of the sunset (that cannot be seen in Oia as the sun sets on the other side of the island). The homes here are much more private for guests looking for tranquility. 

Following our map from Andreas, we drove up one late afternoon to Santos Winery to catch the sunset. We arrived earlier than the dinner crowd so there were few people there when we walked in. “Do you have a reservation?” We were asked by the host. (Helpful tip; you really need a reservation.)

“No,” I nervously replied. “We came here for our honeymoon and a friend of ours suggested we come here to see the best sunset with some great wine.”

“Ah, your honeymoon!” The host’s expression changed from being serious to joyful as he clapped his hands in front of his smile. “Follow me,” he waved us forward. “I will take you to the best seat in the house!” Our host guided us to the back patio overlooking the water. There was a glass railing separating the patio from the fall, leaving a beautiful view in full sight. Every table had a “reserved” marker on it. Matthew and I looked at each other, chagrinned that we didn’t think to plan further ahead. Our host looked over his left shoulder, then again to his right, before snatching a reserved table marker off of a table right in front of the railing and gesturing for us to sit down. “Our best seat, for you!” 

Soon after a live band began to play, the lead singer was an elegant and curvaceous French woman with a magical voice. She sang classics in both French and in English, making the setting of the winery as it approached sunset like that of a romantic film. Guests began to pour into the winery. As the sun got lower in the sky every table over the multiple levels were taken. We looked towards one another, guiltily wondering where the couple we had misplaced was put or if they had even come at all. We spoke with a lovely couple to our right who was visiting from Canada (who have since become Instagram friends) as we drank our flights of wine and munched on local cheeses and crackers. 

Matthew took a stroll along the patio and when the band took a short break he complimented the band and the singer. He told her how much he and his new wife was enjoying their music and how beautiful and angelic we found her voice. When he returned to our table and the band began to play again, the singer gestured in our direction and dedicated a song to her lovely newlywed friends. And as the sun began to set, all eyes were on the horizon as it glowed a vibrant red before fading to orange and then settling into the dark blue of night, the singers voice carrying a romantic tale of love. 

Before we knew it, we had been talking, laughing, and over all enjoying ourselves and our wine for nearly five hours and it was time to leave. We said farewell to our neighbors on each side of us and arm-in-arm made our way across the patio. As we passed the band, we smiled and waved good night. Mid song, the singer lifted her hand with her perfectly polished nails to silence the band. “My darlings,” she said, swooping her gown into her hand and stepping off the small stage. With hands reached out, she cupped Matthew’s face and kissed each cheek before doing the same to me. “Such an honor to sing for you. Au revoir,” she blew us a kiss with the tips of her fingers from both hands, swept up her gown and elegantly descended back to the stage where she bowed to the crowd like a true diva of her craft and began to sing once more. 

The next morning we awoke before sunrise to finally catch a glimpse of Santorini all to ourselves. In the United States, people awake at inhuman hours to race the morning commute to work. In Europe, people live more in the moment and it is unlikely that you will see many people out around sunrise. On vacations to very populated and touristy areas, this is a really good way to ensure that you see incredible sights with little to disturb you. So for one day on the island, we woke much earlier than we wished so that we could catch a glimpse of the best of Oia without the crowds.  

This is also the best time to catch a beautiful sunrise over Oia. 

Right after sunrise is the best time to capture beautiful portraits. You will have Oia almost completely to yourself, at least for a short while. 

Let’s not forget about the beaches. The water taxi does indeed drive from beach to beach. During the day, the beaches do get crowded, especially the red and black beach. We stopped by the red beach first, but the rocks made it uncomfortable for lounging and the umbrella and chair rentals were extremely expensive. We decided to pull out Andreas’s map to find the hidden gem he had written down, as all of his other suggestions had been truly wonderful. 

The best place of all was found with one of the notes Andreas made for us on the map. “Park here,” he said, writing “Akros” onto the map, “to get onto the water taxi.” The Akro Beach Bar ended up being the perfect hidden gem destination for our final day on Santorini. Getting there was quite the adventure, as the road was dirt and rocks as well as very steep. It almost appeared abandoned until we reached the bottom where there were signs promising relaxation and food ahead.

We were looking for a peaceful beach day and found it here. The beach bar itself is very nice with a great drink selection and some light foods, but the tiki umbrella rental and chairs for seven euros was the best investment we made during our visit. Staying under the umbrella kept Matthew from being burned by the sun and the beach and bar itself was not overly packed. This truly is a hidden gem. Our waiter was a very kind young man who lent us goggles to explore the caves over to the right of the beach and checked in to bring us more drinks and refreshments. While we did intend on taking the water taxi from beach to beach, we ended up staying here the remainder of the afternoon. I was able to read under the umbrella and watch the waves. The tiki umbrella also comes with a lock box and key to keep your valuables safe as you swim and explore. 

Before we knew it, it was our final night in Santorini. We left the beach and returned to our Airbnb in Finikio where we watched the sunset from the hot tub on our private patio. 

We returned to the busy airport the following morning where we returned our rental to Andreas and thanked him for the wonderful map he had made for us. He told us we must come again, and somehow I believe that we one day will. Santorini is a place for exploration. With an adventurous spirit, you too can find a Santorini all your own.