How to: Santorini (Part Two)

Here is my part two of all you need to know while visiting Santorini, Greece. Yesterday I shared How To: Santorini (Part One), where I went over our travel, hotel accommodations and how we explored Fira, the largest city in Santorini. 

Today I will tell you all about our exploration of the whole island, with the help of our rent-a-car. We visited sites such as the Red Beach, Black Beach and the town of Perissa. 

Exploring the Island

On Easter Sunday, after our complimentary breakfast from the hotel which was brought to our terrace (Lovely!), we decided to hop into our rent-a-car (Which I highly suggest renting one, at least for a day, so you can see all of Santorini, we used Hertz.) I wanted to see the beaches, so we headed in the direction of the Red Beach, which was about fifteen minutes outside of Fira. The great thing about Santorini is that the island itself isn't that big, so it really enables you to see everything. When we pulled up to the Red Beach it was very busy, it was a main tourist attraction and there were tour buses and cars lining the entrance. I couldn't wait to see what was awaiting us, being from New York I've only really seen light sandy beaches on the East Coast, so I was really excited to see a beach of red sand. 


It was a little bit of a climb to get to the beach, we literally had to walk along the side of a cliff to get to our destination. I unfortunately wore the wrong footwear, I was sporting flip flops which weren't functional for the rocky surface we were walking across. So my suggestion would be to wear comfortable sneakers, if you ever plan on taking a trip to the Red Beach. When we got to the other side of the cliff, I lost my breathe. What I was looking at was so incredible, I was so happy I had my camera to capture it. 


The Red Beach is red due to the red lava that the Santorini volcano left behind. The color of the deep red sand and light aqua blue water is just gorgeous. We made our way down to the beach from the cliff, so we could really capture the moment. The sand felt like no sand I've ever felt before. It almost felt spongy like a running track and my feet fell in love instantly. The water was a little cooler then I thought it would be but it felt amazing  while standing in the Grecian sun. This is definitely a must see spot on the island. 


The Red Beach 

Stunning.

The manfriend at the Red Beach.

Loving the sand.

After the Red Beach we headed towards the town of Perissa, where the black beach is located. We were told that Perissa is a pretty popular spot, lined with restaurants and Greek tavernas. It was a ten minute trip from the Red Beach to Perissa, and when we entered the town it felt more tropical then any other place we've visited in Greece. This town was hopping and everyone was out and in the coffee shops that were on the beach. Yet again, I couldn't believe the beauty of this beach. It's amazing how this small island can hold so many treasures. 


The Black Beach was a lot larger then the Red Beach and there were more locals then tourists. The sand was so smooth, I was telling my manfriend that I wish we could have that exact surface as the flooring in our apartment, so that I could always feel close to the sea. The water was so clear and the sun shining down made everything sparkle. We walked along enjoying the sound of the crashing waves, seagulls and kids playing in the surf. 


The Black Beach

We were ready for a coffee and a light snack, amazingly enough we found a place called Coffee and Snacks. We each ordered a coffee, then ordered a fruit plate and a fruit a yogurt bowl. What our waiter brought out was heaven before my eyes. The coffee was delicious of course and the fruit plate and bowl were out of this world yummy. It was so nice to enjoy so treats and look out at the beauty that it the Black Beach.


Coffee and Snacks

Delicious.

After we fueled up we drove about three miles north to another part of the Black Beach, here there were a lot more hotels and tourists. It was weird seeing groups of Americans after being away for so long, hearing English was really comforting to say the least. This beach was gorgeous, we took a seat on the sand and relaxed. The sun felt amazing, I couldn't tell where the sky ended and the sea started, the blues looked like something out of a painting. A this moment, I truly felt blessed to be able to experience this. 


More of the Black Beach

Kyle taking in the view.

Enjoying the Black Beach.

Later in the day, after relaxing in our suite for a bit, we headed into Fira for some dinner. Before dinner we stopped at this really cool spot called Franco's. It was a bar over looking the caldera, set up with rows of lounge chairs and classical music. It was really a perfect place to start the night. The service was great and the view unreal. We enjoyed a glass of wine and our usual great conversation. 


Franco's Bar

View of Oia from Franco's 

Our view of Fira from Franco's

Kyle ready for some vino.

Relaxing at Franco's 

Cheers to happiness.

At the conclusion of our wine drinking, we were ready for a fantastic dinner. We walked a few meters from Franco's and discovered Niki's a Greek Taverna. We sat on the roof deck and again took in the marvelous view. 


We decided since it was Easter Sunday that we'd order some lamb with our dinner. Along with the lamb, we ordered saganaki (of course), a greek salad and a shrimp dish, along with some more Greek wine. The food was delicious, as everything has been in Santorini. The lamb was roasting out front of the restaurant for everyone to see, so we knew it was fresh. The shrimp was huge and cooked perfectly. The Greek salad was so yummy and you can never go wrong with some saganaki. 


Niki Restaurant

Pretty setup.

The manfriend ready to chow down.

Greek Salad

Saganaki.

Another day in Santorini came to a close and it was so memorable. It was an Easter to remember that's for sure. I was sad that we couldn't be with family, but we had each other to enjoy this special day. 


On Monday, I'll be sharing How To: Santorini (Part 3), which will be about our sailing adventure around Santorini and into the Volcano.