When visiting a place as famous as Oia your expectations are high. And let us tell you it did not disappoint. Tiny white buildings grip to the side of the cliff as it jets down to the deep blue sea. The iconic blue domes stand out among the speckled white city. Santorini was everything we imagined and more.

After spending a night in Athens we took an early morning flight to Santorini which got us in at 8 in the morning. After we dropped off our bags at our hotel we took off to go explore Oia and grab some coffee. We found the mornings in Oia very peaceful with barely anyone around. Here are some photos from that morning and our first glimpse of Santorini.

We spent the next day exploring the little town of Oia which was only a short 5 minute walk from our hotel. The next two mornings our jet lag had us up before the sun. We would start our day walking around the old town taking photos and watching the sun come up.

Tip: To beat the crowds wake up for sunrise! You will have about 1-2 hours with the town all to yourself. We love to do this in popular destinations. It gives you an entirely different feel for a place when you are some of the only people wandering the streets.

There seems to be something special around every corner in Oia. Make sure to hike up and down the small alleys off the main street. You never know what you will find.

Where We Stayed :

Perivolas Lifestyle Houses

Oh Perivolas, how we love you. We chose this hotel to be our honeymoon hotel long ago. We looked at so many different hotels online for our stay in Santorini but something drew us to Perivolas. One of the oldest hotels in Oia with one of the most famous infinity pools on the island, Perivolas is luxuriously intimate. We couldn’t have picked a better place to kick off our honeymoon in Greece.

There were so many beautiful places to sit back relax and enjoy the view of the Caldera in the distance.

The terraced gardens of Perivolas spill down along the cliffside and in the middle of it all lies the most glorious infinity pool of all time. We spent hours swimming in the pool overlooking the sea below. With all the hustle and bustle and crowds in Oia it was so nice to be able to retreat to our hotel and relax.

One of the other reasons we picked Perivolas is because of the incredible cave like rooms. This style of building is quintessentially Greek and oh so fun. Being our first stop in Greece it was pretty unreal that we woke up in this cave and walked out to some of the most stunning views of the Aegean Sea below.

Where We Ate:

Terpsi n Oia Cafe & Restaurant

There is one reason to grab a table at Terpsi and that is the view. Directly on the main street you will find this little place. We came for breakfast and sipped on our cappuccinos while enjoying the most incredible view!

Our table (above) and the view from our table (below.)

Pito Gyro

Our favorite place to eat in Oia! Pito Gyro had some of the best pork gyro we had the whole trip. This little place is off the main street and down a small alley. Once you find it you will know because you will be able to smell the pork roasting over open coals. The gyros in pita were super affordable for only 4 euros. We came back here every day for lunch.

The pork gyro (left) and best tzatziki of the trip (right.)

Pork gyro platter (above) and pork roasting over the open coals (below).

1800 Floga

We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner at 1800 Floga. We made reservations here a couple weeks before we came and were seated up on their terrace deck and were able to watch the sunset from our seats. The food was fresh and inventive, this is a good option if you are looking for a place with a great view for sunset.

We had the best time relaxing and enjoying beautiful Oia, Santorini. It is just as stunning as you have heard it is and should be on everyone’s bucket list. But do us a favor and visit on your own! Cruise ships and over-tourism are threatening this little slice of paradise and we would love to see it stay the way it is. Until next time Santorini!