Everything is Beautiful in Santorini

I can't tell you how many people myself included say they have always wanted to go to Santorini.  You look at pictures, and you want to go because it is so beautiful and you can't imagine that a place could really be that perfect.  The stark white curved buildings set against royal blue waters inspires wanderlust in most people.  It's just that kind of place, and after having been there, I can tell you that Santorini is even more breathtaking than it appears in photos. 

I had too many pictures I wanted to share to do this in one post.  I will go into detail about what we did in the next post, but this one is basically a love letter to Santorini because I loved it so much.

WHY I LOVE SANTORINI 

Imerovigli

There are no clouds in Santorini.  Just blue, skies that go on forever.  We kept looking, but did not see a single cloud the entire time we were there.  We also couldn't find the moon.  The weather is pretty consistently mid 70's to 80's and warm.  Mid seventies there feels a lot warmer than I expected.  The air is balmy and humid, and the days are long.

The Royal blue ocean that changes to aquamarine as you get closer to shore.  That line where the ocean meets the sky, with mountains in the background, and boats gliding by in the distance is so beautiful.

Fira

The architecture alone is positively stunning.  The bright white buildings, are magnificent against the backdrop of blue skies and equally blue water.  It's clear that the hotel and shop owners take a lot of pride in the appearance of their establishments.  Or maybe it's a rule.  Everything is spotlessly cleaned and well maintained.  I'm not sure exactly what it takes to keep the buildings so white, but they do it.  I mean look at that!! It's insane how they appear to be stacked on top of each other.  It takes a lot of zig zagging and stairs to get through that maze of buildings.

Oia

It feels like living in a postcard.  You can't look anywhere and not see beauty.  There is either blue water, blue skies, or a white building that curves in such a way that you've never seen buildings curve before.  When you look at the water with the catamarans bobbing up and down and cruise ships regally looming in the distance it's beautiful.  Then, you turn around and see all the beautiful buildings nestled into the side of the mountain and it's even more beautiful.

 

The sunsets are dazzling.  The way that bright orange ball just sinks into the ocean ever so slowly was really beautiful to see.  We got to see it from the ocean so we had the best view possible.

The setting itself is tranquil, and oh so good for the soul.  We ate most of our meals overlooking the ocean.  Most of our days were spent overlooking the ocean.  There is so much beauty surrounding you at all times that it just feels good to be there.  I felt happy and at peace.   I'm sure a lot of that happiness and peace has to do with being on vacation, but the tone and relaxing vibe of Santorini only enhanced those good vibes.  You get the sense that fellow vacationers know how lucky they are to be there.   

 

This wonderful sense that you are on the edge of the world.  You may round a corner or approach a set of stairs that seem to lead directly into the ocean.  The very set up of the place is quite unique with shops and hotels overlooking the caldera that seem to be suspended directly over the ocean.

 

Traditional Greek cave style living is such a unique experience.  Nostos Apartments in Oia was hands down perfection, and I get the sense that most of the hotels overlooking the caldera are similarly charming and beautiful.  I was so in love with our little apartment.  The minute those doors opened I was absolutely delighted with the place an oh so happy to be there.  We were 86 steps down embedded in the cliff overlooking the Caldera.  The place was heavenly.  There are only nine units so it doesn't feel like a hotel at all.  It really felt like our own little one bedroom apartment.  I loved the 100 year old door with the 100 year old key to match.   The charming windows, domed ceilings, thick slab concrete walls, and concrete floor gave it that rustic feel, however the bathroom was modern.  There were skylights instead of windows in the bedroom and the bathroom.  The decor was so well done. The kitchen was super tiny, but functional enough if you needed to use it.  We were provided house shoes and robes.  The house shoes were great to have because although the place was well cleaned daily, the concrete floors will leave a slight powder residue on the bottom of your bare feet.   The hotel had one small pool and we had our own personal jacuzzi right outside our front door.

 

The mix of old and new.  I loved it that while we were waiting at the the bus stop a herd of donkeys clomped their way across the street.  This was juxtaposition between the multitude of vans, buses, cars and people on ATV's whizzing by and a herd of donkeys is just one more thing that makes Santorini special.  Yes, you could smell the donkey poo but that's okay.  The donkeys are another thing you hear about and it was so cool to see them crossing the street or being herded down a set of stairs in the cliff side.

Santorini was truly a dream come true!  I've wanted to go there for so long, and it's awesome that the reality of it met my expectations.  The reality exceeded my expectations.  It truly is just as beautiful as you imagine.

What we did in Santorini

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