Santorini- Blue Ocean, Blue Sky, Blue Roofs, and White buildings. Blue & White-my go to colors, so staying on a cliff over looking the ocean in an infinity pool sounds pretty much perfect to me.
Canaves Oia Pool
Since I have not been yet, my research for this trip was pretty extensive: so I will walk through how I selected my hotel and maybe it can be useful for you. I use this research for pretty much every International trip.
Santorini Sunset
1. I am a subscriber to Condé nast Traveler & Travel & Leisure both magazine and I follow them on instagram. One, I like to see places I've never been and get ideas- and Two, I write down all of the recommendations from both sources then see which ones match up.
Canaves Oia Suites
2. Other sources I find to be incredibly helpful--This is for you wise folks using you credit card perks like a pro- With my Amex card I receive the Fine Hotels & Resorts magazine through American Express Travel, which shows me the perks I receive by booking or using points through them. With my Chase United Mileage Plus card, I receive the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection magazine... same thought process.
3. After I nail down hotels that keep popping up on all lists, I check out dates and prices. For this trip, as Santorini is on the pricey side (Honeymoon destination spot) I wanted to make sure I got the best hotel for the dime. The hotel I chose has a suite & hotel option. For the sake of my wallet, I chose to stay at the hotel 5 nights & the suite 2 nights: Canaves Oia Hotel & Suites.
*There are multiple excursions I want to do in Santorini, so saving some on the hotel side makes complete sense for me. But don't get me wrong, I'm not skimping, the place is breathtaking.
Map of Santorini
What to do in Santorini?
- Beaches! Monolithos & Kamari beaches are the most popular
- Satellite Islands of Thirasia, reached by ferry from Fira
- Cable Car
Cable Car
Monolithos Beach
Catamaran Sailing Excursion: Sail across the Aegean Sea--umm sign me up! These trips can be private or semi-private tours, and there are a few different size Catamarans.
Canaves Oia Catamaran Sailing Excursion
What to See?
- Fira : Bars, Restaurants, & Nightclubs
- Nea Kameni: Small, uninhabited volcanic island
- Oia: Most attractive village, with the best sunsets
Dimitris Ammoudi Tavern
When to go?
June-September: High Season (expensive season) But warmest temperatures and little to no wind or rain.
October& November, April & May: Shoulder Season, good time for sight seeing, a little less predictable weather.
November-April: Best Deals. This is the off season.
*Travel Tip: Santorini is a honeymoon destination and most of the nice hotels book up a year in advance, keep this in mind. Although, I'm sure you can get a last minute spot. This is a dream trip of mine, so I needed to make sure I was staying exactly where I wanted.