open mind, empty stomach

Santorini is the most photogenic Greek island, the one famous for its white buildings with blue roofs. The amazingness of the island is not limited to the architecture, Santorini may be the most beautiful place I have ever been. The Aegean is a magnificent blue and the coast is lined with steep cliffs, colorful beaches, and those picturesque white buildings.
I spent my first night at an overpriced hotel in Perissa before finding Ana Youth Hostel, where I would stay for the rest of my time on island. Perissa is in the southeast of the island and is more laid back than the capital city of Fira. Fira is heavily touristic and home to the only semblance of nightlife in Santorini. Since I was heading to Mykonos next, I decided to hold off on the partying until then and stick to Perissa.
Perissa is separated from the town of Kamori by a huge rock/mountain. There is a pass that allows you to go over, rather than around the rock and I took it. The way up was difficult, requiring you to walk up steep slopes in terrain that was mostly deep gravel. When I reached the top and looked down I discovered that there was a path and I did not take it… It was extremely windy on top of the rock and the way down to Kamori was very scenic and beautiful. The town has a long black sand beach with restaurants lining the adjacent road. I had grilled fresh sardines and an ice cold beer for lunch at one of them.
There are many options for getting around Santorini. You can take the bus or rent a car, scooter, or ATV. I went with the quad and it was so much fun! I checked out the red sand beach, black sand beaches, the lighthouse in Faros, the capital city of Fira, a quiet town on the east coast whose name escapes me, wine tasting at Gavala Vineyards, and watched the sunset from picturesque Oia all in one day.
I ate mostly seafood while in Santorini, having sea bass and sardines twice each. The food was good, fresh, and only moderately expensive considering it was the middle of high season. Santorini is definitely not a party island, but has a lot of natural beauty to offer visitors. Santorini was the perfect starting point for my travels in the Greek islands and I really enjoyed my time there.

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