If you read most of my food posts, I may sound like a broken record when comparing America to the rest of the world. This is especially true when talking about areas in the Mediterranean. I go on and on about the Seafood and freshness of the ingredients worldwide. It is true that Santorini cuisine is seafood heavy, but there is a lot more to it than that. All the ingredients were fresh, whether it was wine, meat, or produce, which is a difficult task for an island. Greece has a wonderful food culture, Santorini may be a bit touristy at times, but the food was unusually good for a place with so many visitors.

My goal is to direct people to the best things to eat in Santorini. It is safe to say that I did not have any bad meals in this area, but there were also a lot of “must try spots.” Let me preface this, as I have with all my recent posts, I am not guaranteeing that a lot of these places will be still in business after this terrible year. If you were to read this today most of Europe is closed and many restaurants have shuttered for good. It is my hope you discovered this post in better times and it still provides value. Below is where to find the best Santorini food and some of the things to order. FYI…If you’re feeling like you do not want to read the whole post I provided a table at the end.

Seafood

Any place near the water in Europe is going to have outstanding seafood and Santorini is no exception. Most seafood is amazing here, but my preference was always the grilled calamari and octopus. Americans usually only have calamari fried, this way you cannot even tell what you are eating. I like my calamari to look like the sea monster that attacks ships in old movies. The more tentacles the better! The same goes for my octopus, it needs to creep you out.

The good news is Santorini is swimming with seafood (pun intended). The octopus is fresh, many times you will watch the ships bring it in while you are sitting at your table. The boats are out all night so you can eat well, the least you can do is oblige them! Santorini meals should start with seafood… I had it all over the island, but one of my favorites is the below spot.

Katina Fish Tavern (Taverna Katina)

Katina Fish Tavern was one of the best restaurants in Santorini for seafood that I visited. There is a more popular, but also more touristy place right next door (Ammoudi Fish Tavern) it is good, but they dropped the ball on the Octopus. Katina Fish Tavern delivered a home run in terms of freshness and a relaxed atmosphere. There is nothing fancy about this spot. Just delicious, extremely fresh food that will have you coming back for more.

Katina Fish Tavern was one of those places you order the same meal twice. This is exactly what I did, after polishing off a full arm of an octopus and some delicious calamari (and multiple Greek beers) the check came. Oh no I said, please deliver me the same meal (beers included). The views are amazing, but amazing views are a dime a dozen in Santorini. Katina Fish Tavern is located in Oia, right on the water, on the lower port. Keep walking down the many stairs until you come across it. If you are a seafood lover, you will agree this is one of the best restaurants in Santorini.

Gyros/Souvlaki

First, I want to point out that although one might find them similar there are certainly differences between these two meat sandwiches. It comes down to how the meat is cooked, a Gyro is peeled off a giant cone and a souvlaki is cooked on a spit, it is in more of a tubed form. Hope that clarifies it, sure it kept you up at night. Both are delicious and are classic Santorini sandwiches. Most of the best ones I tried are in Fira, here are my top three.

Lucky’s Souvlakis

So many of a drunken night (and day) I spent enjoying Lucky’s Souvlakis. Most likely you will find the owner hanging around, I remember him being a friendly guy. The souvlakis are outstanding, and very cheap. To be fair they are cheap in most places in Santorini. I really enjoyed the atmosphere as well as the food. Maybe it was just all the good memories, but when reminiscing about the best restaurants in Santorini for Souvlaki or Gyros, Lucky’s pops into my mind.

Nick the Grill

A close second is Nick the Grill, which is about twenty feet away, this restaurant was better at Gyros than Souvlakis (although both were good). One advantage to this establishment was that it ventured into some Americanized foods (hamburgers, hot dogs, fries) if you are with some picky eaters, this might be helpful. Nick the Grill had food that was just as satisfying as Lucky’s, but the atmosphere was maybe a step down. I am splitting hairs, both places are incredible

Obelix

Maybe a step behind the other two, Obelix is a great alternative for your meat in pita needs. Obelix was a bit more crowded and a bit pricier than the other two (probably due to its location), but still great. All three of these spots are in Fira, I am sure Oia has one or two that can be competitive.

Wine in Santorini

I know this article is about Santorini food and where to find the best Santorini restaurants, but I think discussing the wine scene is a must. First, because the wine is so delicious in Santorini and secondly, most of the wineries serve food. In most cases extremely good food. There are 18 wineries throughout the island (most of which you need to get a ride to from the more popular areas). My favorite was the Venetsanos Winery.

Venetsanos Winery

This is the type of place you go for a 5-euro tour and end up unable to dial a cab 4-hours later. It is still my favorite winery that I have been to worldwide. The view alone is something special, for some reason it felt even better than the rest of the island (may have been a wine memory). The wine itself is incredible, I did a tasting that allowed me to figure out which bottle or two (or three I believe) I wanted to end the night on.

Venetsanos Winery doubles as a Santorini restaurant, at least from May 1st – Oct. 1st. The cafe serves a variety of cheese as well as much of the Santorini food you have grown to love, such as Greek salads and saganaki. If you are a drinker and love good food head to Venetsanos Winery.

Other Santorini Foods to Look out For

Santorini food has a great variety. There are several other items one should look out for when visiting this island. Let me give you another six. These are in no particular order and found throughout the island.

1. Fava me Koukia – Traditionally mashed up, although I had one of my best Fava bean experiences in a place I will get to in a minute, and they were not. This is a staple in most Santorini restaurants. It seems like a simple dish, but when done right it is outstanding.
2. Tomatokeftedes – Tomato fritters are another common food found in Santorini. I had mine at the Ammoudi Fish Tavern, as mentioned it is a bit of a touristy place located next to Katina Fish Tavern in Oia. Have a batch of these and a nice Greek salad then move next door for the main course.
3. Roasted Lamb – Once again something the Greeks excel in; the lamb is delicious all over Greece and Santorini is no exception. If you get tired of sea monster, you will not be disappointed with some local lamb.
4. Pomegranate– You can just pick these from the trees (or probably buy one from someone on the side of the road, otherwise you may be stealing). I love Pomegranates and they are growing everywhere on the Island.
5. Saganaki – Fried Cheese with honey, enough said! Enjoy your hardened arteries.
6. Kofta meat balls– Delicious lamb meatballs in a red sauce. Seasoned differently than Italian meatballs, they have more of a middle eastern flair.

The Best Restaurants in Santorini

I have given you a list of Santorini foods to try, let me expand on the best restaurants in Santorini. As mentioned most places on the island were great, but there were some exceptional spots as well. By far my favorite restaurant in Santorini was this one below.

METAXI MAS

Certainly, one of the best restaurants in Santorini, if not the best. Far and away the most exceptional meal of my trip and I was lucky enough to end my time on the island with such a high note. Grab a cab, if I remember correctly this restaurant is about a 20 minute or so drive from Fira. It is worth the extra expense of a taxi and the drive to a faraway location. As much as I loved all the food in Santorini, sometimes it was a bit repetitive. Metaxi Mas is a local favorite, where you get the best and most unique versions of traditional Santorini food.

The atmosphere was amazing, I went on a cool October night and the tables were glowing with candlelight. It is right next to an old church, you do not have the traditional views of the water, but the views are great none the same. The food was exquisite, starting even with the bread and the appetizer (had the best Fava beans of my trip here). There was nothing I did not like. There Is a reason Metaxi Mas is voted one of the best restaurants in Santorini by so many locals. Great food, great atmosphere, and nice people. It was a perfect end to the trip.

Taverna Tzanakis

This is another one that is out of the way a bit. Taverna Tzanakis was about a 25-minute walk north of Fira. This spot also offered a unique dining experience. Not that I have anything against squid, I clearly love it. It is just a man needs some roasted lamb every now and again, and they had a good one.

Parea Tavern

This was a staple for me in Fira, Parea Tavern served some consistently great food at good prices. It happened to be right near my hotel the Athina Luxury Suites (read my review at the link) it is a bit more upscale than some of the other spots. Still the prices were very good overall, and the food was excellent with a lot of variety. Given I went there so many times I got to know the waiter very well, the poor guy wanted to jump off the balcony after 6-months of working 7-days a week, dealing with hordes of cruise ship zombies! Parea tavern is a great place to stop if you are in Fira and hungry.

Honorable Mention (For Drinks): PK Cocktail Bar

Not a place I ate at, but if you are looking for a bar after a day of walking and eating highly recommend PK Cocktail Bar. The prices are high when compared to the cheap Greek wine, but nothing out of the ordinary, especially if you are coming from the United States. It is an extremely classy establishment, with really well-made drinks. I needed to slip this one in here considering how much time I spent drinking at the PK Cocktail bar.

Tips for Finding the Best Santorini Restaurants

If you want to find authentic food in Santorini, you need to take some preemptive action. I did not have many bad meals here, but some were better than others and some meals you paid twice as much for lower quality food. If you want to find the best Santorini restaurants follow the below:

1. Go Inward my Son: Remove the great view from the equation and the food must be stellar for a place to survive. There for go toward the center of the island. Santorini is all about the atmosphere, a place cannot have no view and bad food. They will work harder to make for a better experience if they are further from the water.
2. Trust Locals (be weary of the hotel Staff): Whenever you can ask a local where they like to eat. Who else but someone who lives on the island can give you the inside scoop to find truly traditional Greek food at a reasonable price? Hotel staff can be tricky, many times in the past I have had people send me astray for a kickback from the restaurant. Not so much in Greece, but in other countries. I was lucky enough to get to know the woman who worked at my hotel and she gave me some great advice.
3. Be Weary in Fira and Oia: Maybe a bit contradictory since I recommended so many places in these areas. Still, these towns are the most expensive areas and they cater to cruise ship zombies that mull around. When an eatery knows they will not be seeing a guest again they may not put forth your best effort.
4. Do not put down the Hotel Breakfast: I usually hate to eat at the hotel, but the Athina luxury suites gave me a great experience every morning. Fresh fruit, eggs greek yogurt delivered to my door along with Champagne. who can complain? At least check it out, see how it holds up.

Before I go let me give you a quick chart if you do not want to read my long-winded post!

Conclusion: Santorini Food: The Best Santorini Restaurants

Finally, my masterpiece is complete! I am looking forward to HBO making a T.V show about it! This post brings back memories. I cannot wait for the time when we can travel again to faraway lands and enjoy paradise. Santorini food is amazing because it is fresh and uncomplicated. Soon we will be back in the swing of things and enjoying great European destinations. In the meantime, all we can do is read about them while fantasize about being away.

The post Santorini food: The Best Restaurants in Santorini appeared first on Man in Flight.

The short answer is yes, there are many reasons why Santorini in October is considered one of the best times to visit. Visiting the island in October gives you all the advantages of a touristy area, without the headaches of a tourist trap. There are certainly pitfalls to enjoying the island in October, but I find the benefits of visiting Santorini in October outweigh the costs.

Of course, every trip is different, and everyone has things they value when traveling. This post is coming at it from my perspective. Another thing to consider, October is very transitional in Santorini, what can be true on October 1st on the island, may not be true on October 31st (such as weather).

I would like to also point out that Santorini is a very seasonal vacation spot, few people will be visiting it during Christmas (maybe Santa). If you are looking at the pictures and think that this is a great place to escape the misery of February than I have bad news for you, Santorini is mainly for Spring-Summer travelers, I will make my comparisons on these. Let me break down the pros and cons of visiting Santorini in October and you can decide if it is right for you.

If you want a quick view, I put a chart at the bottom of this post to determine if Santorini in October is what you are looking for…

Pro #1 October in Santorini: Crowds

Santorini is an extremely popular tourist destination, especially in the Summer. It is a hub for cruise ship zombies, these are the people that get off the cruise ship, lumber around gawking at everything, only to leave to get to their all you can eat shrimp buffet. They piss off locals and those of us that are actually staying on the island. They crowd the streets and do not usually buy anything, taking selfies everywhere, blocking the streets and views. October in Santorini still has these monsters, but there are far fewer of them.

It is estimated that October has 40% less tourists than in the peak of Summer. Every morning I would count the cruise ships, this would tell me how many people would be strolling around. The highest amount was 13, the lowest was around 3. The island is still somewhat crowded, but not nearly as crowded as in the summer. I was able to wander the streets for the most part with no problem, even with the tour groups jockeying around.

There was almost no wait for any of the restaurants, we were able to duck in and out of them and be on our way. Museums, wineries, and archaeological sites were all wide open. Now there were still people there, just not enough to make it uncomfortable. I don’t like to travel when everyone else does, traveling to Santorini in October allows me to enjoy some peace.

On the Flip Side…Possible Con #1: Less Crowds

A wide variety of people can be reading this masterpiece, different people have different interests. Low crowds are what I enjoy, but may not be your thing. Some people thrive on the hustle and bustle of a tourist area and find fewer crowds to be a drawback. This is not my view of things, but I understand some are different.

If you are younger and are going to Santorini to party (god bless you doing this at an early age) you may find Santorini in October to be a bit dull. Many of the clubs have closed for the season by the time October comes around, and you may find the nightlife lacking. Unless you want to party with Gertrude from Royal Caribbean, you will not get the same excitement as the busier summer months. Do not get me wrong, Santorini isn’t a ghost town in October, there are crowds to be found, but it is starting to unwind.

Pro #2 Santorini in October: Less Heat

Like a fine wine and expensive cheese, nothing pairs as well as a huge number of crowds and 98-degree heat. I have traveled extensively in the summer months, everywhere from Japan to New Orleans (read my review here). If you are a walker and not someone who lounges around, the August heat can be too much to bear. Summer heat combined with mobs of people can turn a relaxing vacation into an anxious one.

Santorini in October solves the problem of excessive heat, especially towards the end of the month. High temperatures rarely get past 75-degrees (f) and humidity was nonexistent when we went (source). Nighttime temperatures can fall into the 50s (F), but usually stay in the 60s. Walking around for hours under these conditions is made a lot easier when compared to the sun roasting you.

Santorini is also relatively dry in October. I think we received one day where it sprinkled for about an hour. Other than that, it was dry and low 70’s the entire trip. This is backed up by most of the research I did.

Activities such as hiking, wineries, or just walking the streets are just easier under these conditions. We took the trek from Fira to Oia, the most beautiful hike I have ever experienced. It was also extremely tiring, if it would have been 95 and humid, they would have to have sent a rescue party for me. Personally, I recommend concentrating all your travel time to October (not just Santorini), unless…

Possible Con #2 Santorini in October: Lack of Heat

There are beach people and there are those of us who can care less. Do not get me wrong, I like the water, just hanging around on the beach all day isn’t my idea of a good time. Jumping into the water after a weeks’ worth of 50 degree nights will be a little more than eye opening. The sea gets cold and summer activities like swimming may be a bit uncomfortable. Even sunbathing might be a challenge, the wind tends to pick up in October, making for a chilly experience.

What goes for the ocean also goes for pools. We had a beautiful pool in our hotel (see below), right outside our personal jacuzzi (Love saying that). I did swim in it, but was out in five minutes, running to my warm jacuzzi. Point being, whether or not you want heat depends on what you like to do when traveling.

One last note about the October weather, it can make packing tricky. Do you bring fall clothes, or do you bring summer clothes? Really, a little bit of both, you never know when you will get a fairly hot day or a cold night, so you may need to be more selective when packing.

Pro #3 Santorini in October: Expense

I am now entering fantasy mode and pretending we are not in the mists of a global pandemic. During normal times October is much cheaper than peak summer months. I did an entire post on the cost of Santorini here, these prices where based in October about two years ago. Looking at Hotels.com, at the Athina Luxury Suite (awesome hotel read my review at the link), for the same date range, it is about $150 cheaper than two years ago for 6 nights. In comparison; currently people are not booking trips for July, but still the prices are higher, it is showing about $700s more for 6 days in July.

Under normal conditions, hotel rooms that cost you $250/night in October can be double that to around $500/night in July and August. You are saving over a thousand dollars by picking October over mid-summer. Of course, these are rough estimates, I do a lot of playing around until I can find the price that is right for me. Hotels are not the only things that are cheaper, less tourists mean cheaper airfare (your biggest expense) cheaper meals and shop owners willing to give you better discounts. Everything varies, but on a whole October is much less expensive to visit in Santorini than the middle of the summer. These falling prices start to cause one problem…

Con #3 Santorini in October: It Closes Down

Does Santorini close down? I can say with the greatest confidence that yes it does. How do I know this information? It was happening all around me on the last two days of our stay. There is something surreal to seeing the cafes’ and shops that you loved go dark for the season. It happens slowly at first, then more and more places shut their doors.

Almost all the locals on the island work in hospitality in one way or another. They work crazy hours 7-days a week. Come November they all leave the island and take a couple of months off. I am not sure if I would like or hate this job schedule, but it works for them. Result, starting in late October, a lot of what you want to visit might not be open. I touched on clubs closing around the beginning of October. They are joined by restaurants, shops, and even hotels. We were the last person to stay in our room for the season, the hotel closed after we left. This by no means is to say Santorini is closed in October, but the place starts to settle down. Strangely, the cruise ship zombies keep coming…the last day there were still 5 boats in the water.

Let me put this all together in a handy Chart:

Conclusion: Should You Go to Santorini in October?

Clearly for me the answer is yes, go to Santorini in October… The two big ones that attract me are the lower expense and the crowds, I hate places that are overcrowded, I feel like they are herding cattle. When we first landed in Santorini it was on the morning of October 23rd, our anniversary. It was silent, and awe inspiring, looking at the most beautiful views I have ever seen. People did start to pile off the boats eventually, but I was able to duplicate the peaceful experience daily. Santorini in October made this possible, I am not sure I would be able to do this in the busier summer months.

The post Santorini in October: Pros and Cons appeared first on Man in Flight.

For starters, Athens, Greece was a pain in the ass to get to, to facilitate paradise. Others I know have supported this statement, so it isn’t just me whining about my first world problems. Santorini took that pain and adds a second big foot to said ass, given the extra flight. You may feel good in your budgeting for Santorini, finding decent rates. Only to realize the flight will take you over Antarctica and has two 10-hour layovers. Finding a good flight to Athens (less than 24 hours) was a chore, but again…worth the journey.

I remembered this vividly, because the price slightly scared me.  This is especially true when compared to other European cities. We stayed at the Athina Luxury Suites, (click the link to read my review).  The cost in October was a pricey $275/night. I looked at the same hotel in the summer and it jumps to nearly $500 a night. That is expensive, but worth every penny. It is also worth mentioning I paid extra for the honeymoon suite, which made the price higher. You will be able to score a much cheaper room, although always pay extra for breakfast and a hot tub. 

Using Hotels.com, I discover an interesting situation. I pulled up the same hotel, same room, with two different devices and got two separate prices. The website was deep competition with itself, and losing. I made the tough decision to go with the lower price. When budgeting for Santorini, search sites multiple times to get the best price (but clear your cookies). In this case I saved $30/night, by using my phone rather than my PC. The say they don’t adjust the price if you check it often, I say someone is fibbing.

Check Out This Great Travel Bag for Your Trip

Now even at $275/night that might seem like a big expense, but I say it is well worth it. Considering, some Asheville, North Carolina hotels charge more, and you can’t even use their pool, you’re getting a great deal.  This hotel was the nicest I have been too (but you know that you read my review). It was worth every penny, especially considering they gave us a huge breakfast with Prosecco every morning. Hell, a full breakfast was 10% of our daily food budget! If you don’t believe my reviews, click on the TripAdvisor comments below to see what others are saying.

Click Here to Read Reviews and Compare Prices of the Athina Luxury Suites Hotel in Santorini 

To begin our budget, we are at $275/night X 6 Nights so $1650.

Cost of Santorini: Travel Expense

Things spiraled out of control quickly here, because the flight to Athens alone was expensive. Then, get ready to bend over a little further, because you still have to go from Athens to Santorini. Luckily for me the cost was mostly blunted by the Chase Sapphire Reserve generous credit card offer of 100K points. They have since lowered that to 50K, but I signed up as soon as it started. This is your biggest expense, If you are going to use points here is the spot to use them.

There were two choices when we were shopping flights to Athens, take a 33-hour flight or pay through the nose. We able to find a decent combination of the two, with two very long layovers in London. The layover on the way back allowed us to spend a night in a the city of London. So how much did it cost me? My 160k points and an additional $300.

Given that your points are worth 150% when booked through Chase the actual “true cost” was around $2500 for two tickets, or $1250 per person. One annoying thing, I always do, was check the travel site multiple times and found a great deal. I found a flight that was $850 per person,  while casually checking my phone at the dentist. Unfortunately, I procrastinated and within an hour it was gone. My gator arms hurt just thinking about this travesty. Your cost of Santorini will go up or down depending on dumb luck.

Athens to Santorini.

As an infomercial would say…but wait there’s more. Now you have to pay for your flight to the island.  I explained all these costs in the above post, (link is the heading). To sum it up, the total cost for our tickets was $375 for two, with one bag each. Now once you get to the airport you can’t walk to the hotel so the car service to and from the Santorini airport (combined) will set you back $55. Other travel expenses are minimal. You can take the bus to most areas for 3-Euro. You will pay a little more to get a cab to places, but for the most part you bus is the best option (or your feet.)

So putting it all together, for two $300 + $375+$55+$75 (total estimate or cabs/buses for 6 days) = $810 for me. Without points it is $2500+ $810, $3310. As a reminder this can be lower if you check early and often..and significantly higher ($3k) if you don’t have travel points.

Food & Entertainment

Food and alcohol is more expensive on Santorini than in Athens, by what seems to be 20%. I still found it reasonable compared to what I spend in the United States. The food was excellent and about 1/3rd of the price of Disneyland (without kids screaming).

The below prices can be a quick reference guide, but things change like the wind so don’t write it in stone.

Beer – $3

Liter of Greek Wine $9

Fancy Drink with Umbrella- $11

Lunch (with wine of course) – $30

Gyro – $3

Dinner for Two – The highest usually $100 (but it can be much lower.)

To put it all together I will assume you eat like a normal person, 3 meals and two giants snacks a day. Five meals a day sounds like no food compared to what I am used to, but some can squeak by.

Everything is subject to the tastes of the people involved. We ate a lot of salads, calamari and octopus. Our lunches were a bit more expensive than average. Breaking down the meals, breakfast as mentioned, is paid for so that is free. A snack, plus alcohol, beer or cheap wine $20. If you do two gyros and some beer probably more like $10.

As mentioned, lunch varies in price, octopus isn’t that expensive, but isn’t cheap either. Get two and it bumps up lunch to $50 after you get a couple of drinks in you. Dinner at a nice spot will be around $100- $150 per meal, but a great meal can be had for cheaper. Add some more random cocktails and the prices start to skyrocket.

Let’s add it all up, taking some averages…two snacks for $20 (each), lunch for $30 and Dinner for $100…maybe a bottle of wine at a winery for another $20. Total daily food spend = $190/day for two or $1,330 for 7 days. More gyros, less wine and you can get away with less, especially if you go conservative on dinner.

Budgeting for Santorini: Entertainment

We finally get to a reasonable cost in Santorini. There are plenty of things to do that cost next to nothing. Taking a hike from Fira to Oia is free. Going to a beach is free, hell even the winery tours are relatively cheap. The best part about Santorini is just wandering the towns and taking in the scenery.

The Wine Museum is 9 Euros a person ($11), Akrotiri is 12 Euros a person or $15 give or take. You may also want to do a tour which will cost you $100/ person. Overall your daily spend should be cheap. I say for two, you can get away with on average $50…some days nothing, some days a bit more for a tour.

Total Cost of Santorini (For Me)

I am not like most travel bloggers, I am not sending you to a hostel and telling you to eat tree bark. I know, it is all about the experience, I want both the experience and the luxury. This represents the total cost for us as a couple, not including our time in Athens. Looking at it now, my stomach hurts a bit digesting this…but I did use points on the most expensive part, the flight. So really I spent closer to $4,000, although the points do have a monetary value. It helped for me to pay it at different times. I planned the trip for four months, so I could buy everything in pieces.

Remember I went to Santorini in October, it is much cheaper at this time. We flew from the east coast of the United States, you can be flying to anywhere and it can be more or less. We also combined it with a long layover in London (tongue twister) that actually cost a bit more. Not doing this should shave about $300 off your tickets.  Everything is a rough estimate depending on your  travel point situation and your ability/need to gorge yourself…

I realize there is a big discrepancy between points and no points, I wanted to show the options. That is for two people and there are easy ways to shave money  off when budgeting for Santorini.

Tips to lower the Cost of Santorini

This was one of the most expensive trips I took, and I didn’t hold back. Having said this, I learned some lessons.

1. 1. Go during the Off-season – There are multiple reasons you should go to Santorini during the off-season, the biggest being the money saved. As mentioned, hotels are almost 50% cheaper in October. The weather was amazing, and the crowds are much smaller.
   2. Don’t be like me – I missed an opportunity to get my airfare for about $700 less due to not acting on a deal. In my post about Istanbul, I mentioned how I got my flight basically half off due a swing in the prices. I had the chance to do this here as well, but I didn’t act on it. Plan your trip early and check the prices almost daily.

                

1. Don’t eat like me – My food and drink budget were almost as much as my hotel…and the hotel gave me a huge breakfast. You probably can get away with much less, especially if you like Greek wine. Only you know how much you will spend on food and drink, I do recommend, even when being cheap, add 25% when budgeting in Santorini.
2. Use Coupon Codes – As I mentioned I used credit card miles to book my flight. I didn’t stop there. I went through Ebates and got 5% back on my hotel, I also used a coupon code when booking my hotel which saved me a couple of bucks. There are a ton of cash back deals out there, combined them for profit.
3. Par down your Hotel costs – Yes, I like luxury, but maybe you don’t need the honeymoon suite. I loved waking up in Fira with the view I had, but other towns might be cheaper. Oia and Fira are the two priciest places, but you can get the same view in Firostefani or Imerovigli.

Final Words on Budgeting for Santorini

The cost of Santorini is higher than most places in Europe. This is driven by an expensive ticket to Athens, along with hotel rooms that are far pricier than most of Europe. The biggest expenses are the flights, so if you can get them under control it will go a long way. I gave you some tips to do it cheaper and you may be able to find some good deals. Having said this, I did a lot of wheeling and dealing and still paid a lot, but it was worth the cost. Santorini Greece was the nicest place I have ever been…but it is a long life.

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Even with missteps, I don’t think I would change much about our food journey in Athens. I came at the place with my mouth open and was more than happy with what fell inside. So, let me start from the beginning on my quest to find the best Greek food in Athens.

First Night: Atlantikos Athens

Stepping out of the Athens Luxury Suites after British Airways tried to starve us, we were famished. To be fair, I wouldn’t have eaten the plane food anyway, but the airline couldn’t spare a bag of peanuts. We wanted seafood, so we stumbled our way to Atlantikos. To call this place a hole in the wall would be unfair. It was like I crawled into a hole and found a wall with another hole in it. The menu was also unimpressive, with no calamari or octopus to be found.

What looked like a miss, turned out to be a hit and one of the best Athens Greek restaurants. Atlantikos packed a lot of punch for a little place with tables tossed along an alley. We order so much food the owner/waitress warned us to stop. I don’t know who this lady thinks she is, but she didn’t who we were! Our first course was, a classic, the Greek salad. This would be one of probably 100 Greek salads I had on this trip, but also one of the best. We followed this up with sardines, fava beans, tuna, and a trio of fried fish. All of this topped off with two liters of wine.

The sardines were excellent, the tuna fresh (but with too many bones for our taste), I even loved the fried mixture. Usually I don’t like fried food, but they didn’t overdo the breading and kill the taste. Atlantikos is a great laid-back restaurant for seafood lovers. I am not sure if it was extreme hunger or the food was really that good, but I remember Atlantikos as so exceptional..we had to go back.

After exploring a bit, we did hit a (very) late night tourist trap. It was unfortunately the only thing open. I won’t go into detail, but I will say if a guy is trying to drag you in, it’s not worth it. The majority of Greek food was excellent. This restaurant was like most things indulged in after too much wine, at too late of an hour, regretted in the morning..

Athens Greek Food: Day One (full day)

Waking up, invigorated, preparing to shovel things in my mouth, we were on our way. Knowing there is a major food market, we made a B-line for the area. The Central Market is more like a slaughter house, with enough fresh meat to make the strongest PETA member implode. This market doesn’t hold back on showing you were meat really comes from.  Hint, it is not neatly packaged with a smiling cow on the package. Sea creatures didn’t fare much better, with every edible thing in the sea was brought in that morning.

Varvakeios

This brings me to my first restaurant, the only one I saw in the market. Varvakeios made Atlantikos look like Ruth Chris. Tiny, with a bunch of overweight Greek men blowing smoke everywhere…a perfect lunch spot. We asked for shrimp and grilled calamari, again no calamari. We were resigned to our fate when something strange/wonderful happened. The owner walked around the corner holding a squid and said, “I’ll grill for you”. It doesn’t get too much fresher than that (or we thought). The shrimp were also freshly caught, and had to be brought to the table with a crane they were so big. A great way to start the day, but we wanted octopus, so after eating here we did what any normal person would do, had another meal.

Taverna Aris

It is time for our traditional second lunch, because anything worth doing is worth doing twice. Taverna Aris was probably the best of all the Athens Greek restaurants we visited. We hit this place twice in two days, and hit it hard. The meal started with, of course, a Greek salad and continued from there.

Next, we went after a second calamari. It was just as good as the first and perfect for those who enjoy a good sea monster. We order some octopus and sausage both excellent, although as shown in the picture the octopus served non-traditionally. I prefer my octopus to look like something out of a Japanese tentacle cartoon, but this one was chopped up. Still it tasted great, and we had enough eye candy with the calamari. Taverna Aris was for me the best, casual dining experience in Athens Greece, although I probably can say that about several places. I know this, Greek food was rapidly climbing the ladder of my favorite cuisines.

To Paradosiako (Evgenia)

Yadda Yadda Yadda, walking around, yadda yadda Roman Ancient Agora of Athens, OK it’s time to eat. It’s been about four hours since second lunch, and man can’t live on beer and wine alone. All that exploring (and drinking) got us hungry so we settled down to a place that was right near the Athens Status Suites, Paradosiako. Starting with a Greek salad (just assume I always ate a Greek salad) the restaurant itself wasn’t memorable with one exception. I order the Greek dish moussaka, a dish dubbed Greek lasagna.

Now by looking at the picture you can see this clearly looks like lasagna. Tasting this and being of Italian decent I can say this is nowhere near a lasagna. Somehow, they warped layers, beef, and tomato sauce into something else. The layers are eggplant and covered with a strange egg/cream/nutmeg sauce. This is not a light dish. I am not saying I hated it, I might even try it again. It is just not my favorite Greek food, nor was Paradosiako one of my favorite Athens Greek restaurants. Lucky for me second dinner was on its way…

Vintage Wine bar & Bistro

Well second dinner came after a quick balaclava at a place that slips my memory. I also accidentally threw a Gyro down my gullet at Tylixto Greek Wrap. It may have been a souvlaki, I use the two interchangeable even though there is a difference. Either case I had enough to drink at this point where it was much appreciated.

My wife on the other hand wanted something a bit more refined, and had a craving for some lamb. We made our way to Vintage Wine bar & Bistro. This was one of the best Athens Greek restaurants (noticing a theme), totally different from the others. The first striking difference was the price. My arms shrunk a bit when reaching for my wallet at the end of the meal. Having said this, we had a great charcuterie (deer) plate paired with some amazing wine. The real star of the meal was lamb that was so juicy you would think it was picked off a tree. The picture makes my mouth water, although it doesn’t do the dish justice. We ended the night with a brandy and excitement for the Greek food to come in the morning.

Editors note: I accidental mixed up Cinque Wine & Deli Bar and Vintage Wine bar & Bistro. Thanks to the comment below for correcting me! The restaurant was indeed Vintage Wine bar & Bistro

Eating in Greece: Day Two

We woke up hungry and ready to eat, so eat we did. To begin with, like we do in every country, we grabbed so fresh orange juice. This always poses the question: Why is OJ so terrible in America? I won’t spend too much time pondering this. For our first meal we mimicked our eating from the previous day. Once again hitting Tavern Aris and basically getting the same meal. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it, so we didn’t, well at least not at first.

O Kostas

You know that feeling when you know you haven’t eaten enough lamb in sandwich form? Well I did, so it was time to find what some consider the best Gyro in Athens. O Kostas was mentioned many times in various food blogs and was 5 minutes from our hotel, a match made in heaven.

It was quiet when we got there, only one other couple in front of us. O Kostas was another small establishment, making me believe that the less square footage the better the food. The place may also have been the cleanest establishment in Greece. The owner went so far as to handle all money with tongs so as not to touch it, while preparing food.

As for the food, how can I describe a perfect Gyro? The vegetables were fresh, the meat cooked and seasoned ideally. It made me realize Gyros are like pizza, most are all at least good, but when you get a great one you know. O Kostas made a great one. The only problem was I had to eat it on the street, and it made juggling my beer a bit difficult…

Daphnes Restaurant

Fast forward a bit, we were ready for dinner. At this point we threw caution (and our research) to the wind and hit a number of restaurants in a row. I started with something sweet, getting a Galaktoboureko, a dessert I loved in New York. The one I had here was disappointing, not bad, just, not great. 

After trying three or four places, we ducked into one last spot. Daphnes Restaurant had all the makings of a tourist trap, yet we still went in. This was lucky, the restaurant turned out to be one of the best Athens Greek restaurants of the day. It was not a hole in the wall, but still great.

I ordered the rabbit (seen atop this page), I am not sure if it was the satisfaction of eating what some consider a pet or if it was the sauce. The dish was so good I was sucking the meat off the bones. My wife ordered the lamb and it was equally delicious. It was nice to devour some animals that walked rather than swam. An added bonus is that the restaurant is located across the street from The Choragic Monument of Lysicrates, visited frequently by Lord Byron (Google him/educate yourselves…!) and thus, the quintessential romantic dinner and a view are in place …

Wrapping up our Athens Greek food Tour

I think we did some damage for two days. Of course, the damage was to our hearts and waist lines, but it was worth every bite. For the moment it was time to say goodbye to our Athens Greek restaurants; the next morning early we jumped on a plane to Santorini. You would think both places had Greek food, so it is all the same. Yes, there were some similarities, but there was a different feel to the food on the island. We stepped off the plane, dropped our bags off at the Athina Luxury Resort and were on our way to satiate our hunger….

The post Eating in Greece Part One: The Best Athens Greek Restaurants appeared first on Man in Flight.

The hotel offered us a nice environment, close to a fresh market, friendly staff, and a great price. All of this within walking distance of the Acropolis, a highlight amongst attractions in Athens. Once again, I used TripAdvisor for my initial research into the hotel. If most people are giving it a good review I will do more digging.  I travel a lot, so I have learned that not every highly ranked place has what I am looking for, as far as amenities. Using the link below you can read what others said and check out prices.

Click Here for Reviews of the Athens Status Suites

The Good About Athens Status Suites: A Plaka Athens Hotel

The Athens Status Suites is situated in a great location. Plaka Athens hotels are probably the most convenient in terms of getting around, and I recommend this area to any first-time visitor. The Athens Status Suites was no exception. Everyone seems to know this, with exception of the Taxi drivers we encountered, but I digress. Wandering the streets is one of my favorite parts of any trip. The hotel made it incredibly easy to step outside your door and be in the middle of the action. Yes, there may be a couple of tourist traps near the Athens Status Suites, but that is to be expected. Anytime you are near popular attractions, restaurants with tourist menus pop up around them…

The hotel is right next door to a beautiful church, marked by Templars, and literally minutes away from many smaller attractions. As mentioned, the area is also packed with bars and restaurants. Athens, the city, closes a bit early for me, but the restaurants around the Athens Status Suites were open later than most.

Of course, some people complained about the hotel being too close to the church (due to the bells) and the bars. The claim was that the noise from both kept them up at all hours… This is the same type of person who would complain about winning the lotto on Christmas. I barely heard the noise, if I wanted to be in a quiet neighborhood I would have rented an air B&B in Shady Pines. As for the church, the bells ring…like a church bell does, but I am certainly not complaining about it…

Larger Sites

The hotel isn’t only in walking distance from smaller attractions, but all the major ones as well. It is about a 30-40-minute hike to the Acropolis. Of course, it is uphill, but coming back is easier. You also need to consider you will only need to make this trip once, because one time to the crowded Acropolis is all anyone can handle.  The Ancient Agora of Athens and the Roman Agora are about a 10-minute stroll. This may be the best thing about the Athens Status Suites, you can get to most of the best sites by foot and have plenty of time for the Central Market.

The Good About the Athens Status Suites: The Service

We stayed in this hotel on two separate occasions and both times the service was excellent. I am not sure if all Plaka Athens hotels share this quality, but this hotel really surprised me. This is one of the benefits of staying at a smaller boutique hotel, it seems the people know everyone, and they treat you accordingly. On our first three nights we were upgraded to a suite, always a nice touch. Whenever I get something for free, I am in a good mood. As we checked out the first time, knowing we would be back, they kept one of our bags for us. That made our trip to Santorini a hell of a lot easier.

It was the little things that I liked: the flowers and welcome note on both of our stays.  The fact that they were extremely helpful in finding a place to eat, or simply helping us with our Greek. It is funny how easy I am to please…and how difficult it seems to be for most hotels. The friendliness must be a Greek thing, because the Athina Luxury Suites in Santorini is another one of the few  hotels I found with this kind of service.

The Value

There isn’t much to say about the value of this hotel except that it was cheap enough to put a smile on my face. For the location, room quality and service we still paid less than $100 a night. I have boarded dogs and paid more than this. The place was a steal, if you paid this in a city like New York you would expect to have to share your room with a felon.. Instead I had a great room and an excellent location for Motel 6 prices. You can check out prices below.

Click here for the most recent prices

The Good About the Athens Status Suites: The Room

Ok, first let me put it out there, the room is kind of strange, but in a good way. We stayed in two rooms, one being the suite, the other being a standard room. Both were much larger than typical European rooms. It felt like I could play football in the suite. Even the standard room was more than adequate. The rooms were clean, and the bed was comfortable. The only strange thing about them were the décor. Everything in both of our rooms was all white, it took a second to get used to, but I liked it..

One final thing I liked about the room was the bathroom was much more private than I usually get in Europe….

The Weird About the Athens Status Suites: The Hotel

Yes, I liked this hotel and yes it has some great amenities. The bar upstairs had an amazing view of the Acropolis, but the hotel itself is kind of odd. First, as seen above, the entrance is so little it was hard to find. I felt like I was trying to get into Hogwarts whenever I was returning from the day. The elevator was so small I usually just took the stairs; it felt like a place they sent you to if you were bad in solitary confinement. When more than one person entered the space, I got nervous.

Ok, there was also no pool, and I don’t think there was a workout room, and there also wasn’t much in addition to the rooftop bar. The rooms were funky, and while I liked them, some might not. The hotel is kind of strange, but not nearly enough to stop me from going again.

Where to Stay in Athens?

You want to stay close the action. You will want to have a comfortable room at a great price (i.e., stay away from the sketchy places.. even if they are cheaper). Lastly, you will also want great service. The Athens Status Suites covers these things and more. Yes, I have had nicer hotels, the Athina Luxury Resort in Santorini comes to mind. I also paid much more for them. In terms of cost to quality, this hotel is at the top of my list in places I have stayed.

Find the best deal, compare prices, and read what other travelers have to say at TripAdvisor

The post Review of the Athens Status Suites, in Athens, Greece appeared first on Man in Flight.

You can also pick the right hotel, and do nothing, which is just as fun as doing something. Of course, me being who I am, I can find things to complain about even in paradise. There are good and bad things in all places, in Santorini, Greece the good far outweighs the bad.

The Great About Santorini, Greece: The View

I saw pictures, but really, they did not do the island justice. The views here are outstanding. It was like I fell asleep and woke up in a snow globe (minus the snow), it almost looked fake. You think one would get tired of staring at the same view for five days straight, I am here to tell you that you do not. Just looking out to sea, watching the ships go by, was incredibly relaxing…but I digress.

It is difficult to go to Santorini and not feel as if you’re staring into painting (and not some weirdo Picasso). It was funny was just how much the atmosphere improved my mood. The first thing I experienced when I woke up was a beautiful sea, ships sailing, and the peaceful sounds in the distance of some guy cursing at his donkey. There is no better way to start your day (actually, go back to the statement and add Champagne..).

The Good About Santorini, Greece: The Food

One of my favorite things to do in Santorini, Greece (well, anywhere really) is to eat. I ate everything in sight, part of the reason was that that food was so plentiful. It is similar to Athens (which makes sense) only a bit more touristy and expensive. On the other hand, it also felt fresher…  Yes, you will be hit with more tourist traps, but a little exploring goes a long way.

As mentioned the food here is fresh; so fresh that it gets slapped in the mouth by its momma. This, I believe, led to a strange occurrence. On this trip, even though 50% of my time revolved around me shoving food in my mouth, I barely gained any weight. Well 10lbs, but I have done more than that at a bad night at Sizzler. I know there is a point here somewhere, which is fresh food treats your body better. Eating newly caught fish, which Santorini, Greece has a ton of, or vegetables that were grown within a few miles of my mouth, treated my body well. It opened my eyes to the crap chemicals we put in our body and their effect on us.

The best eating experience I had was at Metaxi Mas, which served so many great dishes that I forgot to take pictures of half of them. They had a strange smoked trout chickpea dish, which I absolutely loved. Everything down to the bread was fantastic. Other restaurants did not disappoint either, I had a ton great experiences in Santorini. The calamari  and octopus at Taverana Katina in Oia, the eggs at the Athina Luxury Suites, even the Gyros are a must. Hit Lucky’s Souvlakis and Nick the Grill (both in Fira) back to back and tell me which is better. Though the island is a bit touristy, there are a ton of great places to be found.

Things to Do in Santorini

Being the restless spirit I am, I was worried there wasn’t enough things to do in Santorini.  My concern was 6 days was too long, I would be relaxed, but bored. I usually log 30K steps going from one historic site or museum (in between eating and drinking). Considering this island didn’t get electricity until the middle of the 20th century, I figured there wasn’t much going on; also, although I was in one of the bigger towns, it is small compared to the major cities I visited. My ignorance got ahead of me; there were so many things to do in Santorini I feel like I could have spent months there and not gotten to everything. Below are some of things we were able to get to on our trip.

Hike from Fira to Oia

The Hike from Fira to Oia was one of the highlights (and most terrifying) part of our stay. It was a highlight because the views were beautiful, it was terrifying because I was looking at those beautiful views from a 1000 feet up. OK, I might be a little bit biased, because I hate heights, but still there was very little fencing between you and the cliff. In some areas there was a nice barbed wire fence, I assume to encourage you not to jump down the cliff? The slippery gravel combined with the jaded fence made it certain you would either bleed to death, or develop lock-jaw once you hit the rocks below..

In all, the 3.5-hour hike from Fira to Oia, was tiring, but more than satisfying. You get to see some other towns in Santorini, you experience the nicest views in the world and get some great exercise. As mentioned, this is not an easy hike, or for the faint of heart, yet somehow, I witnessed a guy carrying two kids, two overly friendly dogs, and a lady in dress shoes and an evening gown. I am in full workout gear, and she was walking up the side of a small mountain like she was going to the ball. The hike from Fira to Oia was an amazing experience and even with the danger, made for possibly my favorite single day of travel.

Wine in Santorini

This was truly a surprise to me, the wine on this island was unexpectedly delicious.  I heard the wineries were good here, but people always say that wineries are good, no matter the location (including the poison in North Carolina). I was skeptical about their claims, especially since the climate of the island is so dry. Well, once again I was proven wrong, the wine was amazing. Most of it was at least, the Vinsato tastes like I am drinking a melted lollipop, but everything else I enjoyed.

We hit two wine spots (but drank many local wines), the Venetsanos Winery, was recommended to us by every local around and it didn’t not disappoint. The tour was ridiculously inexpensive, the tables have, shockingly enough, an amazing view. As for the wines they were excellent, the tasting was worth every penny. They happened to have a very interesting firework display that night, which if it was any closer it would have set me on fire. I mean this literally, we were right on top of the display.

The next place we hit was the Wine Museum, located in the town of Koutsoyannopoulos (funny the name doesn’t look Greek). Not really a winery, but they had tastings just the same. The town is a 20-minute, 2-euro bus ride away from Fira. At first, I thought it was cheesy, with the creepy Disney land like characters on display. The more I got into it the more I enjoyed the vineyard.

I learned more about the history of wine (and the island) than I thought possible. It also really puts you in the mood to drink. After visiting the museum, I have a whole new respect for the wine I consume and the work that goes into the bottle. The tasting at the end will most likely have you trying to figure out how to fit multiple bottles of wine in your luggage. If you are looking for things to do in Santorini, look for a spot to get a few bottles wine….

History in Santorini

Santorini is not Athens, there aren’t ruins around every corner. There also isn’t graffiti around every corner, so it works out well. That is not to say there is no history on the island, it just doesn’t slap you in the face like it does in Athens. The Akrotiri Archaeological Site is a well persevered town that was destroyed by the volcano the island was formed from. This town is a lot like Pompeii, except the people where smart enough to get the hell out.

I guess the Greeks, unlike the Italians, were just not that curious when they saw the smoke pouring out of the Volcano. The Thira Museum in Fira is an exceptional compliment to the site, just don’t trust the hours on the door.  It was supposed to open at 10 am, yet was closed at 11 am. We were also told it would close at 3PM, but it was open at 4PM. Even though the hours of operation are merely suggestions, it was well worth the price, if you can get in for a viewing…

These aren’t the only historical items on the island, but they are the best and most popular. There are plenty of other sites and museums such as the Byzantine Castle Ruins in Oia, the Archaeological Museum Fira and countless other small, yet significant spots.  With respect to the length of this post I didn’t mention plenty of other things to do in Santorini. For example the beaches, because we saw some of them (Red Beach) but in October it was too cold to swim. There are towns to visit, churches, volcanos to tour, or even doing nothing at all, I can’t imagine getting bored on the island…

Some Bad Things about Santorini, Greece: Hills

Even paradise isn’t perfect, and I guess I can find fault with everything so here I go with my complaints. First, it is hilly, no, this is a lie, in some parts you need to be part billy goat or donkey to get around town. There are stairs and hills everywhere on Santorini. It felt like I was a grandfather telling a story, somehow, I would walk uphill both ways no matter where I went. 

The guys who carried my luggage can probably open coconuts with their calves from the workout they get.  I say this as a warning to someone who may have difficulty with hills, if you are injured, disabled, or just lazy you may want to take this into consideration. It may mean you will have to spend all your time looking at beautiful views from your Jacuzzi.

Other Negatives about Santorini: The Crowds

I woke up every morning and counted the cruise ships to determine just how many people will be crowding the streets. I went in October, the end of October, and it was still crowded. One can only imagine what it is like in July at peak season. I would sit there and watch the cable car lift scores of people up and down. They would clog the streets trying to break the record for the most selfies in an hour.

After two days I wanted to say, “hey this is my island! who are you part-timers”. I have nothing against cruise ship zombies, but they seem to only be there for the novelty. Many would wander the streets slowly, sporting a sticker, instead of looking for brains they grunted “bad T-shirts”. Most don’t have time to leave the two major towns.

The ‘shippers are often trying to use your hotels facilities and, thus, ruin the peace. Afterwards, they fill restaurants all getting the same meal from some tour, then are forced to rush back to their ship. This way they can gamble and enjoy the nightly spoils of two-day old shrimp and endless pasta. I am starting to sound like an Anti-Cruiser (I just made this term up). Maybe I was mad because I know you can’t begin to appreciate this island in the 8 hours the cruise ships allow. Meanwhile you’re clogging the streets keeping me from my Gyro! Ok, maybe I have a slight bias against the cruise shippers…

In Closing: I love Santorini Greece

Yes, that is me getting mushy. I can and will write more including a restaurant report. I do this for one major reason, it keeps me thinking about Santorini. The more I write, the more reasons to look at the pictures and relive the experience. This is about as close to heaven as I ever gotten. From the hotel, to every corner I explored, there was nothing but pure beauty.  The island lives up, leans in and gives over to grandeur, I couldn’t image you having a bad time, no matter the season…

The post A Honest Review of Santorini, Greece appeared first on Man in Flight.

I won’t go into a lot detail about taking a cruise ship into Santorini. Really, taking a cruise ship to Santorini is like eating a steak made from tofu, you get the idea, but you’re missing out the best part. Seeing the island on someone else’s schedule and not being able to venture to other towns had no appeal to me. Below are my experiences with flying from Athens and Santorini and back from Santorini to Athens. Full disclosure, we took this trip in October, a considerably less crowded time. Other experiences may differ given the time of year you visit.

Flight from Athens to Santorini: Olympic Air/Aegean Air

Waking up at the ungodly hour of 5 AM to catch the taxi, we left for the flight. If you have a hotel in the Plaka area of Athens it will take around 30 minutes (with very little traffic) to get to the airport. Once again you will need to take into consideration the time you are leaving, obviously at rush hour it will take longer. You also must consider that the subway workers might not feel like working that day and that your travel time will double.  We left at 5:15 AM for our flight at 7:05, we still had around an hour and 20 minutes to catch the plane, which was plenty of time. Security was fast since the airport was fairly empty at that time. Due to this we were able to get quickly to our gate.

There were no customs to deal with because it was not an international flight, this helped expedite the process. A larger time crunch was the walk to the gate, it seemed as if it took forever. Overall, I would say the drive to the Athens airport was the longest part of my journey from Athens to Santorini. Once you arrive at your gate there is a bus that takes you to the plane. It basically opens up on the runway and the plane loads quickly from both ends. Once again, I felt like waiting for people to board took longer than the flight itself.

Athens to Santorini: The Flight to The Santorini Airport

As I hinted throughout this article, the flight itself was quick and uneventful. The views of the islands from the plane are incredible and prepare you for the beauty of Santorini. The flight was scheduled for 45 minutes, but I think that was counting some of the time waiting for the plane to load. The actual time in the air was around 25 minutes, from takeoff to landing. I have taken longer elevator rides than this flight, I barely felt it.. Even still, the flight attendant actually offers you a piece of candy and an on-board snack.

This is considerably more than I can say for British Airways, who wouldn’t give me a cup of water on my four-hour trip if I was dying of thirst and laying across the aisle. Alas, I didn’t need to snack on the trip to Santorini, I was still reeling from causing a squid apocalypse, but it was a nice gesture.

Once the flight landed we were let out as we came in, onto the runway with two sets of stairs leading off the aircraft. The plane lands in the Santorini airport, which can be mistaken for something in Afghanistan. The airport seemed older than the Acropolis, with less upkeep. A bus picked us up, took us around 100 yards and put us in the big room where we picked up our baggage. The Santorini airport is probably one of the smaller, less aesthetically pleasing airports, I have landed. Luckily, it was a quick stop...

Adding up the Cost of the Flight from Athens to Santorini

As usual with flying there are many variables that come in to play. One reason I picked such an early flight is that there was around a $75 difference between the that and a more prime time. Time of day, time of year, how many bags you have, all play a factor in the cost. Below is the breakdown of my total cost of the trip Athens to Santorini (and back).

 Santorini to Athens

The trip back to Athens was just as easy as the trip to Santorini, except much sadder. Even though we were going back to Athens, a city I loved the first time around it was hard to leave Santorini. The ride back was uneventful, and very quick. We took the advice of “leave for the airport two hours early” literally. In October, it took almost 8 minutes to get from the front door to the seat of the gate; this had us sitting in the Santorini airport for over an hour and a half, which was not a pleasant experience.

The Santorini airport has no bar, is crowded, and there is no posh lounge to be found. Really, I felt like I was being punished, as going from Santorini to Athens was sad enough. Spending your last hour and half sitting in a prison cell of an airport is torture. Although there is a little news stand type place that sells wine, as wine always helps quell misery. Sigh, even the news stand just looks sad, as shown in the below picture.

One Tip: Taxis are widely available, but one day of our trip there were multiple cruise ships unloading. We called from the wine museum and could not get a taxi because of the crowds. If you’re flying in the summer when there can be 8 ships sitting there it might be wise to set up a car service with your hotel so, you do not miss your flight. 

A Word on Olympic Air/Aegean air

Olympic Air is a subsidiary of the Greek airline carrier Aegean Airlines, both seemed to be sending me emails so I just kind of lumped them together. I have nothing but good things to say about my experience with them. The flight was short, yet they still gave us a snack, as mentioned, which again, is more than I can say for British Airways. They got us on and off the aircraft in what seemed to be record time, and everyone was friendly. Almost everyone in Greece is friendly, but it always nice to be greeted with professionalism when flying.

I highly recommend them, if flying is your choice when going from Santorini to Athens, then Aegean Air is a good one. You can book them through a link here: Aegean air…or hit the link anywhere you see their name. Full disclosure, I am NEVER going to promote anything where I didn’t have a good experience. Hence, you will never see British Airways being promoted on this site…

The Ferry from Athens to Santorini

I didn’t ride the Athens to Santorini Ferry on my trip. I did lay back in my hot tub with a glass of Champagne and enjoyed watching it. This activity of course makes me an expert! In all seriousness, although I cannot tell you about the experience on the ferry. I did research it quite a bit to compare it with flying. My little arms wanted to save money on this trip. Less money on travel = more money on Gyros!

As far as I can tell, the basic cost of the ferry from Santorini to Athens and Athens to Santorini is around 40 euro, each way, per person. That price also varies by class of seat you purchase. There is also a high-speed ferry, that is slower than flying yet, more expensive than the standard ferry. So, for about 70 euro a person each way it isn’t much cheaper than flying. Maybe you will save 30 euro a ticket. If you’re a family of five that adds up, but as a couple it didn’t make sense.

The reason I choose flying from Athens to Santorini was the time involved. The ferry takes anywhere from 5 hours (high speed) to 8 hours, which to me is too long.  A flight on the other hand is about 2 hours when you count the time in the airport. If I lived in Athens or Santorini I think it would be a great ride once a month… Since I only had 6 days on the island I wanted to maximize my time. If you have a large family, a tight budget, or just like to relax on a boat, then pick the ferry.

Conclusion: Athens to Santorini

I have taken a lot of trips, the flight from Athens to Santorini was probably my easiest. It is weird in that you are transported into a whole new world in 25 minutes. In my opinion if you visited Athens, a side trip to Santorini is a must. It was one of those places I will revisit, even though as a travel blogger I should explore the rest of the world first.

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Greece is an amazing place and surprised me on many levels. I didn’t realize just how much I would love the country.  Yes, as usual, I ate my way through it, leaving octopus fleeing for their lives. In many Greek restaurants in Athens there were warning posters of me.  I ate a ton of food in Athens, Greece, but the country has a lot more to offer than just great food. So, is Athens worth Visiting? Even if the islands are your final destination, Athens is worth visiting because of the history, food and people. I get more into that below.

Athens was interesting, intriguing and often awe-inspiring, as it seemed to encompass a lot of the best and worst aspects of many other cities. It felt foreign, yet comfortable and familiar.  I tried to see as much as I could in the first four days I was there (and the last night).  Strapping on my cargo shorts and fanny pack I walked around like a tourist (actually I wore neither of these things). I wanted to hit as much of the city on foot as possible to get a feel for it. First things first…I had to eat.

The Good About Athens, Greece: The Food

There is only one (hyphenated) word I would use to describe the food in Athens, that is mother !#@!@ delicious.  The other word I would use is “fresh.” The fish were so newly caught their families didn’t even know they were missing yet. We only ate at Greek Restaurants in Athens, Greece…you don’t go to the beach to snowboard. Therefore, we weren’t going to any Italian, English or American establishments in Greece. Once again, I am going to whip out my soap box: who are these people eating pizza or McDonald in Greece. I guess if you have eaten so much calamari that you’re growing a tentacle you might need to deviate, but not me.

The realization of how fresh the food was started with the first meal at the restaurant Atlantikos in Athens. After being starved and deprived of water by British Airways we arrived at this literal hole in the wall, tucked away in an alley. The small menu had almost nothing on it but seafood. We were warned that the liter of wine and numerous requests might be too much. The owner didn’t know how hungry we were for real seafood. Everything we ate was amazing. I particularly enjoyed the sardines, something we just can’t seem to get right here in the United States.

The Food is Fresh

The freshness of the food made it a pleasure to eat daily. I hit all the obvious things, starting with a Greek salad (news flash: it does not contain lettuce) at every meal, lamb and tons of seafood.  I also had rabbit, trout and as many other species as I could get into my mouth.

Athens Central Meat and Fish Market encompassed all the best qualities of the food. With meat and fish being peddled by what seemed like hundreds of vendors. It was clear from the look and taste that these creatures were gleefully living hours earlier. I had shrimp that followed the correct path, from the sea to the market, to the grill, to my mouth in the time span of a few hours.

The Good about Athens, Greece: The People

The people of Greece, for the most part, were some of the nicest, most helpful people I have encountered in the world. It was like I received all the smiles of those in Istanbul, without ending up in a lamp shop. In Athens, Greece we stayed at the Athens Status Suites, where Ellenia who worked the front desk was wonderful and incredibly accommodating, offering advice, anecdotes, flowers in the room and a warm welcome at every encounter.

When we switched locations staying at the Athina Luxury Suites in Santorini; the hotel manager Sara was also amazing, as was the rest of the staff. I am from New York, when I go back to stay at hotels there, I feel blessed that the staff didn’t spit on me.

Restaurants were also more than accommodating. We visited one (the only one I saw) inside the fish market, to our disappointment he didn’t have fresh calamari on the menu. Instead of just being happy we ordered, he literally disappeared to the market and brought back a squid the size of a cat that he was happy to grill for us. That kind of service was shown throughout Greece. Athens, Greece (along with the rest of the country) is possibly the most welcoming area I have ever traveled. The people alone answer the question is Athens worth visiting.

The Questionable about Athens, Greece: The History

Athens is one of those places where you have to be careful if you’re putting in a swimming pool, because you may unearth some 3000-year-old temple. History everywhere and it goes much deeper than just the Acropolis. The Roman Agora, the Ancient Agora, Hadrian’s Arch, hell just ruins scattered throughout the city are something to marvel. The only city I have seen with more history pouring into the streets is Rome. Even that doesn’t have sites that are as old as the ones in Athens, Greece. So how can anyone find fault with the history of the city? Well it takes a special kind of troll, and I, as many know, can be very special. Is Athens worth visiting for the history… of course, but I will complain anyway!

My Personal Complaint

I have two pet peeves about Athens monuments. First, many of them are not 100% original. Like a really beautiful 75-year-old, you can bet not everything is real. I can see where the new marble meets the old; to me if you’re adding marble, you are not preserving you are rebuilding. Hopefully we won’t see the Nike logo on one of the columns. On top of that there are cranes on the Acropolis 24/7. It takes away from some of the grandeur when it feels as if you’re at a construction site.

My last gripe is that sites like the Acropolis suffer from their own popularity. Dodging thousands of people taking selfies, wearing strap-on water bottles gets a little frustrating. I witnessed a lady swat at a man that walked into her camera shot. I wasn’t sure if I was at a historic temple or an MMA fight. Still, I loved the Acropolis site despite these small drawbacks.

Many of the other sites are seemingly untouched. The Temple of Hephaestus (seen above) is beautiful and quiet. The entire Ancient Agora is extremely peaceful. With so many nooks of history it was worth the flight over there alone. It may not have the popularity or grandeur of the Acropolis site, but this might be a good thing.

The Bad About Athens: Athens is kind of Dirty

I really don’t mean any disrespect, but there is no other way to explain, between the tourists and the not so speedy garbage service it seemed the entire time there were huge piles of garbage in many locations. I can live with this, but I can imagine the smell in the summer.

What gets me more aggravated are the “street artists” that have totally decimated the place. Many cities have graffiti, but nothing like Athens, Greece. It is everywhere, covering buildings old and new alike. It isn’t even good street art, just tags that have ruined the aesthetics. Not like I would care if it is good or not, but if you’re going to spray near a 1000-year-old church, make it presentable. Between the garbage and the graffiti, it leaves the impression of a unclean city.

The Bad About Athens, Greece: Taxi Drivers

We had terrible luck with cab drivers in Athens. We took four cabs to and from the airport on our trip, I only don’t remember one of them- he was the good one. The first guy overcharged us, then told us he doesn’t take cards (there was a Visa sign on his car). The driver proceeded to drop us off with 4 heavy bags in the “area” of our hotel. On the way back from the airport the second time we had a guy from Poland who couldn’t speak English or Greek and used our phone for the GPS. The driver also had no clue where the hotels was (it was in the most popular tourist neighborhood!). He also had a melt down due to traffic caused by the country’s weekly subway strike. Again, he also dropped us off about 300 feet from our hotel.

The last guy basically stole 10 Euros from me; this was after he almost got into a road rage fight on the way there. Knowing the bill is about 40 Euro, I handed him a 50 and he waves and says thank you. I knew better, I just didn’t have the energy to press the issue. As in most cities watch your wallet with cab drivers.

Conclusion: Is Athens Worth Visiting

Yes, Athens is worth visiting. Despite the messy atmosphere and cab drivers that are less trustworthy than Bernie Madoff at a charity fundraiser, the city itself was amazing. While Athens, Greece is worth visiting for the food alone; this was one of those cities that just felt like home. Athens is a place where I walk from a spot to stuff my face, to a spot where I can look at something built 2000 years ago, then back again. I never felt unsafe in the city; Greece is one of the most relaxing places I have been visited, thus far….

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