Weddings, Wine & Cinema

Although I traveled to Santorini alone, it is a wonderful place for lovers with the dramatic vistas, easy island way of life, and warm people. I saw a total of three wedding in the 11 days I was on the island. Apparently Santorini is a wedding destination for many couples and there are wedding specialists who will help you arrange a ceremony at the venue of your choice. The first wedding I saw was in Oia, the picturesque town in the Northern part of the island; I caught this photo of the bride and groom as they were exchanging vows during sunset.

Santorini is also known for the vineyards and wine produced on this unique volcanic island. The most well known varieties are Assyrtiko, Nykteri, and Vinsanto.

Vineyards here are unlike those anywhere else in the world, as they literally make the vines into baskets to protect them from the winds and to help them get moisture in this very dry land with no ground water.

Many vineyards are open to the public for tastings and tours, so one thing I did was go to a wine tasting on the Caldera at Santo Wines.


There was also a wedding going on here when I was wine tasting.

I can see why people choose this as a place to get married, with views like this.



Another very Greek and fun thing to do is attend the outdoor cinemas in the summer.


They show film under the stars while serving drinks (alcoholic and not) and snacks. As you can see there are side tables for your food and drinks, and they even include an intermission in the film so you can use the bathroom or replenish your supplies midway through the film.

Cost is 7 Euros ($10), so the same as we pay in the states to watch a film in a stuffy cinema, and since the films are all shown in the original language with Greek subtitles, this is a perfect way to spend a warm summer evening.

Local Cafes & Local Foods

Greeks love their coffee and instead of Ouzo, they drink coffee all day long; coffee bars have replaced Ouzerias. My favorite coffee bar in Kamari was Anna's, which has both indoor and outdoor sections (like all restaurants and cafes along the beachfront).


In the summer, the coffee drink of choice if the Cafe Frappe, which is basically instant coffee, with sugar and milk poured over ice. They serve complimentary marble cake with all their coffee drinks and snacks with all their alcoholic drinks (some people were drinking beer as their breakfast beverage).


I asked for my coffee with no sugar or milk, but received it with a bit of both, albeit I'm sure less than the full dose. The coffee was not bad, but not something I would drink as often as I saw all the Greeks drinking it.


One of my favorite Greek foods is spanokopita, or spinach pastry, and they sell them in every bakery in Santorini for 3 Euros ($5 USD), so I bought one to taste an authentic one. I was surprised at the shape and size; they are about 8" in diameter and round coils filled with spinach and feta.


They heat them before giving them to you, so they are warm, delicious, and very filling; one pastry lasted me for two lunches!


Lucky's is so popular, they even have a Facebook fan page! They are located right on the main square of Fira, one block above the bus station, so they get plenty of foot traffic. The staff all speak excellent English and Veronica, the cashier, has relatives in California!


The gyro here was unlike any I have ever eaten; I think US tourists think the same thing about hamburgers when all they have ever tasted are fast food versions. This pita was fluffy (!!!!) and toasted (!!!!!) and the pork was grilled with a nice crust and spice(!!!!!). The pita I ate here made me redefine gyros. Yes, they put french fries in the gyro, and there was fresh lettuce, tomatoes and tzatziki in the meal that included a drink (soda or beer) for a grand total of 3,20 Euros ($5 USD). I think I smiled after every bite!


When I asked Vaggelis, the manager of Oceanis Studios for his favorite gyro place, he said there were two that were good, but one souvlaki place that was great in Kamari named Minas. I opted for Minas, located on the corner of Appollonas and an unnamed street between the beach and the outdoor cinema (more on that later). It opens at 5pm and most customers are locals (always a good sign); I was the only non-Greek in the crowd.


There is a self-serve salad bar for only 3 Euros ($5 USD) where I created my version of a Greek salad.


Since pork seems to be so juicy and tasty in the gyros, I ordered it as a skewer for only 1.20 Euro ($1.50 USD); this was one of the tastiest skewers of roast pork I have ever had. Everything in the place is immaculate, and they grill your order as soon as you hand your paid ticket to the cook. Some people ordered food to go and their plates were stacked 20 high with these skewers as they headed out for their large families or parties (there was no way I could eat more than 2 skewers).


I came back another night and tried the chicken skewer, which was good, but I preferred the pork from the first night. Vaggelis also recommended the cheese stuffed sausage, but when I ordered it and found a cheese stuffed hot dog, I simply chalked it up everyone liking something foreign in their meals.


Eating like a local is one of the greatest pleasures of traveling as a tourist!

Select, Galini, Dana & Vanilia - Santorini's Best Dining with a Views

Select Cafe (tel 30-22860-23893) has a perch atop the main area of Fira which offers incredible views.
I stopped by for a light breakfast (at noon) and ordered what was listed as toast on the menu for 5,50 Euros ($7). What I received was two pieces of toasted bread with cheese, tomato and ham; a very light version of a grilled ham and cheese pannini.


But the view from their terrace was worth the mediocre food.


Hotel Galini is on the rim of the Caldera and has rooms ranging from $120-$200 a night depending on the size and season. But they also have a wonderful cafe which is open to the public. A continental is 9,50 Euros or about $13 and includes homemade jam, marmalade, freshly baked bread, and freshly squeezed orange juice (most places on the island charge 6 Euros or $8 for a glass of fresh orange juice alone).




Dana Villas has a beautiful setting on the rim of the Caldera, but if you want to stay in the villas, be prepared for the 80 or so steps up to the main road; rates range from $130-$600 a night depending on season and size of the accommodations. It is worth the walk for a seat in their poolside cafe where you can enjoy a fresh tuna salad with a view of the sea for 11 Euros ($14 USD).


Dana Villas has a pool, which is a big plus in this part of town because in spite of the gorgeous views, there is no beach area nearby.


Vanilia serves the most wonderful gilt head Sea Bream grilled and served with seskoula (local wild greens), virgin olive oil and lemon for 18 Euros ($25). Because of their prime sunset viewing location, be sure you make a reservation before stopping by if you want a front row seat for the famous Santorini sunset.


Your table awaits.

Fira/Firostefani/Imerovigli

To give you an overview of the island of Santorini, here's the bus map. I stayed in Kamari on the Eastern side and today's post is about the main town Fira and the villages on the Caldera (Western side facing the volcano Nea Kameni).


Local city buses ran every 20 minutes from Kamari to Fira, which is the central hub for all transportation and the main city. Fares range from 1,40-2 Euros a ride (about $1.75-$2.25) and the ride was in an airconditioned tour bus like this:


Water on the island is safe for washing and brushing teeth, but not drinking, so everyone carried water bottles with them everywhere; the island has no ground water and only gets 11 inches of rain per year, so a desalination plant is the only source of water on this volcanic island for all plants and people. The daily morning delivery of water bottles at a small mini market looks like this:


The entire island is built on cliffs that dramatically rise and steeply fall into the sea.

Hotels and homes line the Caldera and the only way to get to them is to walk down the narrow steep paths.


Internet cafes abound, but wireless is nearly nonexistent in the windy beach areas. This is Mylos Cafe in Firostefani which offers food, drinks and views along with internet service for 3 Euros ($5) for 30 minutes.


This is the view out of the windows at Mylos Cafe:


I got great cardio workouts everyday just walking around town....this was the first set of stairs up from a hotel to the main road:


At the top of those stairs, there were these:


Many homes still use very old fashioned methods of locking up their houses, like padlocks.


The main town of Fira can be ugly, touristy, and crowded, but there are a few very beautiful side streets.


Fira is also home to some designer jewelry made with black diamonds that reflect the volcanic aspect of the island.


Even though donkeys are still used in remote areas, for the most part they are mainly tourist attraction rides up from the Old Port to Fira.

You have a choice of walking the 466 steps from the Old Port to Fira, taking a donkey, or taking the tram (I chose the tram).


The Old Port still has lots of boats taking people on boat tours of the volcano, hot springs and around the Caldera, but the new port Athinos, is where all the big cruise ships and ferries land now.


Views from the Caldera are breathtaking.


Imagine if this was your home and you had to climb these steps every time you wanted to go to the street!

No wonder the Olympics started in Greece:)

Kamari Beach

Kamari is the world class black beach where I stayed during my trip to Santorini.




The black rocks are a result of the volcanic activity (there is still an active volcano which you can visit) and because of the rocks, the water is clear, the area is dustfree, and you should bring water shoes if you want to walk on the beach or wade into the water.


Kamari is a well organized beach with water sports available for a fee, including windsurfing, jet skiing, and scuba.

The city also hires people who make sure the lounge chairs and sunbrellas are in good shape every day.



You can rent two lounge chairs and a sunbrella for the entire day for only 6 Euros ($8) or one chair and sunbrella for 4 Euros ($5).





You simply retain your receipt from the guy who comes by to collect the rental fee and leave your towel on the chair; you can leave your chair to eat lunch, go to your hotel, shop, and your place will be reserved from sunrise until sunset.



Life really is a beach when you are at Kamari.