Santorini is a visual dream come true. But is it possible to see Santorini on a budget? I will show you how to not break the bank and still see the beauty of Santorini. Explore the the Greek Island of Santorini with us and find out where to get those amazing photos and where to eat some amazing food.
Ways To Save Money and Visit Santorini
Visit during shoulder season
We visited Santorini in mid October and I would say that mid September to mid October is the ideal time if you want to still enjoy the sunshine but less of the crowds. Santorini was actually a last minute add on on our European holiday. We had a few days between our cruise and our next stop and I plugged in Santorini on the hotel booking site I was using. An offer came up with 77% off for Santorini to stay 2 nights at the Sunborn Oia Suites where it was $253AUD/$161USD a night. This was cheaper than our next hotel in Paris and I have always wanted to visit Santorini so after checking the deal over and over again we booked it! The return ferries were around €200/$342AUD/$218USD each from Athens and off we went! During our visit the weather was quite chilly so I wouldn't visit past mid October unless you like the cold!
Rent a Car To Get Around
We had decided to rent a car in Santorini because you can certainly stay within Oia but Oia is very, very busy especially when the cruise ships come in. We checked beforehand and saw that on our second day five cruise ships were coming in so we decided to explore Oia on the first day and then explore the rest of Santorini on the second while the cruises were in.
Renting a car is easy in Santorini. We went with 1st Car Santorini who were very easy to deal with. A man was holding up a sign when we disembarked the ferry and showed us to our car. It was inexpensive at €90/$153AUD/$98USD for 2 days car rental. And crucially they let us pick up the car at the port and drop it off at the airport. The price for a one way transfer from the port to our hotel was €45/$76AUD/$49USD so it was an easy decision. What surprised me is that parking is free over almost all of Santorini, even in Oia and there are numerous car parks. Obviously the closer you are to the action, the more crowded the car parks are but if you're willing to walk a little bit you'll find a park.
Choose A Hotel A Little Bit Out of Oia
Most people want to stay in Oia but our Cave Hotel was in Finikia (which is 10 minutes outside of the main area of Oia). I got a whatsapp message from the manager on the way and we were able to keep in contact. He asked me to message them when we were 10 minutes away and gave us a bus stop address to meet them which was near their free private car park.
Sunborn Oia Suites is located just out of the main area of Oia in Finikia so that it is really peaceful and quiet but 2 minutes drive or 15 minutes walk and you're in the middle of Oia and the crowds. The man that greets us takes our bags and brings them down the winding path to our suite, #2.
Sunborn Oia has cave suites which are absolutely gorgeous. These are expansive rooms that were converted into hotel suites. It is spotlessly clean and huge with a large, comfortable bed, kitchenette with fridge and coffee maker and kettle. There's also an air conditioning unit, large tv and a complimentary bottle of Greek wine. The bathroom is nicely designed in the same cave style with a shower and large vanity area. It has everything that you will need including a cute little washing line and pegs to dry your swimmers or clothes. There is wifi but it gets a bit touch and go the further you get into the room as it is a cave.
The piece de resistance is the jacuzzi pool upstairs. Every suite has their own jacuzzi pool and sun lounge chairs although you may be in the view of your neighbours (nobody was in the room next to us). And don't be surprised if a cat tries to come in with you. And for the price it is brilliant. You can of course pay $1000AUD/$638USD a night to be right in Oia but it is busy and everyone is taking pics of you in your hotel too and honestly Oia is a lot. Let me tell you about Oia...
Free Things To Do in Santorini
Sunset in Oia
Oia is pronounced "Eyah". Sunset in Oia is practically a ritual when visiting Santorini and everyone else feels the same way because you will not believe how many people are out seeing the sunset. As I mentioned parking is free in Oia but get to the car park early. If you arrive 1.5 hours before sunset you should be fine. I don't recommend trying to find parking around sunset time.
Everyone takes a position facing the sunset whether it be in a cafe or restaurant or just on the walkway. It is very busy, even Mid October. The sunset casts a lovely glow onto houses and if you walk along the main walkway and then look back you'll get some nice photos. There wasn't a great sunset on the day we were there so we were a bit out of luck.
Visit Fira
Fira is Santorini's capital. Oia and Fira are the main towns for tourists and they’re both very photogenic with terraces of whitewashed homes and plenty of accommodation. Fira has more shops and is a bigger centre of Santorini so you’re more likely to find specialty items here as well as international brands like Missoni and McDonalds. A lot of ocean facing accommodation have two doors that open up to the view.
Visit Pyrgos
When the hustle and bustle gets too much, head upwards, to Pyrgos, the gorgeously preserved hilltop town and the highest point of Santorini. Pyrgos is a wonderful example of Cycladic architecture with whitewashed cube houses, blue domed churches, cobblestone streets and windmills.
When you reach the ruins of Pyrgos Kastelli or castle you get incredible panoramic views of the island, including the famous caldera and the Aegean Sea. It's also ideal if you're looking to cool off as the breezes are strong up there and it has many gorgeous places to take photos.
Where To Get Great Photos Of Santorini
You will probably feel like everyone is an influencer when you visit Santorini because everyone is setting up their own photo shoots. You can organise photographers to take pics of you and you can also book photo shoots with billowing dresses. One tip is to get up early if you want a gorgeous photo of the blue domed church and it will be less busy than later in the day.
My favourite photos were in front of the "orange house" which is actually accommodation called Kastro Oia Houses.
In Pyrgos, one great spot for a photo is just outside Zannos Melathron Hotel which gives you a view of the blue domes.
Places To Eat in Santorini
With beautiful views comes beautiful food and high price tags. Eating out in Santorini, particularly Oia can be expensive. We went for mid range restaurants and ate in Oia, Finikia and Fira. One thing that I found was that servings were huge and there was no pressure to order a lot of food like there is in Australia. I'd actually recommend sharing a main in most restaurants as they are often generously portioned.
Skala, Oia $$
We found a lot of restaurants had pizza, pasta and other cuisines to cater for the clientele but we wanted Greek food. Skala restaurant has a view of the water and a traditional Greek menu. This is also a nice place to watch the sunset from too.
We start with cod roe mousse with bread and a pot of tomato paste. Alas they are out of the pita bread and we get regular brown and white bread. The roe is good and more a creamy and light dip.
Then we try something that I've never tried before: tomato fritters. These are crisp round fritters made with fresh tomatoes, wheat flour, onions, basil and spearmint on a sweet tomato sauce underneath it. They're absolutely delicious and I enjoyed these so much that I made some tomato fritters at home (recipe here).
When in Greece you order the lamb! This chillier weather (18C/64F) and chilly wind meant that we were craving something like this slow cooked lamb shank served with mashed Greek potatoes. The lamb is so soft and melts in the mouth and the mash is textured and made from real potatoes.
It's hard to pick a favourite of the two mains but the moussaka is perhaps my pick. Their moussaka is served in a clay pot and is made up of layers of minced beef, eggplant, potato and bechamel sauce. It's so lovely and comforting and I think filling enough for two to share with a salad.
Yogi Gyros, Fira $
Head to Yogi Gyros for a quick lunch. This popular gyros shop is known for delicious pork gyros and felafel sandwiches at ridiculously good prices. I order a pork gyros and a falafel one for €4.50/$7.70AUD/$4.90USD each. They’re both delicious. I love the pork ones while Mr NQN enjoys the falafel. Opt for extra spice and ask for everything included. The pita bread is freshly grilled and super puffy and delicious.
Frozen Box Greek Yogurt, Fira $
For dessert we stop by Frozen Box just around the corner for some Greek yogurt, down a little hidden away arcade. The woman who owns it is very friendly and explains that she has both fresh Greek yogurt and frozen Greek yogurt. The fresh Greek yogurt is made in her house and she gives us a sample of it. It's sweet, fluffy with the flavour and texture of whipped cream. Mr NQN wants a frozen yogurt and he chooses a lemon and a natural Greek yogurt that is gorgeously tangy.
Enigma Cafe, Fira $
Mr NQN wants to run around while all I want to do is sit down with an iced tea and enjoy the view so I stop in at Enigma cafe that has a prime water view and enjoy an iced cold frappe (frappes were invented in Thessaloniki, Greece).
Lefkes, Finikia $$
Dinner tonight is at Lefkes, a gorgeous restaurant 2 minutes walk away from our accommodation. Getting there is like following a little trail through the narrow cobblestone streets and finding Lefkes is a little discovering a little treasure. It's the perfect hidden away spot for a sunset dinner. They show us upstairs to where there is a perfect sunset view.
The open air terrace upstairs has a private dining room and lots of little nooks. If you want a very private table for two there are those too. The wine list is on a magnum bottle label.
When we saw the salads come to another table we realised that servings were HUGE so we decided to have some mezze, salad and share a main. The beetroot salad was a waiter's strong recommendation over the Greek salad and this ends up being my favourite dish of the night. It has roasted golden and purple beetroot wedges with a walnut praline mousse, orange gel and fried manouri cheese triangles. The cheese with the crispy outer and soft insides goes so perfectly with the sweet, roasted beetroot.
There are a few classic Santorini dishes and the tomato fritters are one and fava are another. This is not fava beans but yellow split peas pureed into a dip and served with caper leaves and parsley oil. It's wholesome, mildly flavoured and creamy in texture and similar to hummus style dip except flavoured with olive oil, lemon and capers. Fava beans have grown on Santorini for 3,500 years and thrive in the volcanic soil.
Intrigued by the idea, we also order the moussaka balls. They taste just like moussaka with plenty of mince and vegetables inside but in a crunchy breadcrumb outer. It comes with some feta mousse to give it a salty kick to it. I think perhaps some lemon might gone well with this just to lighten it a bit.
Our main is perfect for tonight's chilly weather. It's a Greek sofrito made with slow cooked veal, potato puree and parsley oil. The veal is so soft and lusciously textured and this serve is perfect to share as a main. I'd actually recommend asking for the beetroot salad to come with this and it would be perfect pairing for this rich dish.
So tell me Dear Reader, have you been to Santorini and what did you think of it?
All food, accommodation and experiences in this post were independently paid for. NQN and Mr NQN travelled to Europe as guests of Vietnam Airlines.
Vietnam Airlines
Vietnam Airlines offers 23 flights per week connecting Sydney, Melbourne and Perth to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Vietnam Airlines is continuing to add new routes having recently announced new flights to Milan, Munich and Delhi.
Reader Comments
Loading comments...Add Comment