1. Rent ATV’s as your main form of transportation
If you do nothing else exhilarating in Greece, let this be the one thing. Not only are ATV’s SO fun to drive, but it saves you a ton of money instead of paying for taxis. It’s the perfect way to get around all of the islands and get a tan while doing it! ATV rentals can be found at just about every corner in town; just make sure you get one with enough horse power to make it up all the hills! Our first rental was awful in this aspect and we learned the hard way getting stuck one too many times. I loved it so much that I considered trading in my normal car at home for one… If only they were legal to drive on the freeway! ;)
2. Go swimming and cliff jumping in amoudi bay, Santorini
Hope on that ATV and head over to Amoudi Bay for a dip in the crystal clear Mediterranean Sea; I promise you’ll be glad you did! This small finishing village is located at the edge of Santorini and is worth getting lost for. Follow the dirt trail around the cove and when you hear the people screaming as they cliff jump you’ll know you’re in the right place!
3. go off the beaten path and catch sunset with the Bride & Groom’s instead
I knew watching sunset in Oia Santorini was a must, but I also didn’t feel like doing it with 200+ other people… There is nothing I hate more then crowds, so when I stumbled upon this local suggestion of where to watch sunset instead I was ALL about it! There is almost always a bride & groom having their wedding photos taken here which is how you know its a magical place. Look for the sign for Captain John Traditional Houses and follow the stairs down, continue on the dirt path for a few minutes until you standing on the cliffs overlooking the stunning sea! (use this pin for reference https://goo.gl/maps/xFwe8a91c7g2Qxux6)
4. skip the blue domes and take pictures here instead
Those beautiful “blue domes” that everyone raves about were a big pass for me. There were 3, and when I got there I was extremely disappointed. Why were 50+ people crammed into a tiny corner to take a photo of something that wasn’t photo worthy? Don’t get me wrong I took a picture to say I’ve been, but if you’re going to take photos in Santorini, take them sitting on the beautiful white steps that overlook the sea! You’ll start at Captain John Traditional Houses and follow the path while you awe over the scenery (do this the same evening as you do #3 because they are right next to each other!) The view is 1000 times better and there were maybe a handful of people. It’s the prefect place to get your insta worthy photos!
5. eat lots of greek frozen yogurt
Oh Greek Froyo, how I love you. This is coming from the girl who avoids just about all dairy at home. Greek Froyo has a special place in my heart and my stomach :) I took it upon myself to try as many different stores as possible to do a taste test comparison, and I encourage you to do the same! Natural flavor is my fave and overloading on the toppings is a must!
6. drive to the highest point in Santorini to watch the sunset
Guess what; its time to hop on that ATV again! Go watch sunset at Monastery of Profitis Ilias, the highest point in Santorini. Its about a 20 minute drive from the town of Fira and 100% worth it! You can see everything from up here and if you’re as cheesy as me an Alyssa you can sing “A Whole New World” from Aladdin because it seemed fitting :)
7. buy handmade jewelry in mykonos
I consider myself to be a bracelet queen. If you’ve ever meet me I have on at least 10 at one time. More is more right? While strolling the streets of Mykonos we stumbled upon the cutest jewelry store ever Filippa Art (https://www.instagram.com/filippa_art/?hl=en) It’s sister owned, everything is handmade, and I could have bought the whole store. The quality is amazing and styles are different then what you’ve seen on every other corner. They will even customize things for you like they did for me! The shopping in Mykonos is way better then it is in Santorini so try and do it here instead. While your walking around don’t forget to take pictures along all the adorable blue and white alleyways, you’ll be glad you did!
