Top 10 Favorite Cities Visited – #7 Santorini, Greece

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Top 10 Favorite Cities Visited

With 33 countries under my belt, I’ve experienced some of the most amazing cities that the world has to offer. From great beaches, climate, friendly people, personal interests, world-famous attractions, architecture, history and culture, there are many different factors that make a city great, let alone top ten!

#7 Santorini, Greece – The City Above the Sea!

Not only is Santorini one of the most beautiful islands in the world, it is also geologically and archaeologically one of the most dramatic.The mythical, ancient island, which I know… is not technically a city, felt like no other place on earth. Here, everything was brighter and more beautiful: the whitewashed cube-shaped houses, the sparkling Aegean Sea, and the breathtaking sunsets. When I first arrived, I couldn’t help feeling like I stepped back in time to another era when time seemed to move at a lot slower pace. The relaxing atmosphere and the multi-colored beaches of Santorini made it the perfect location to kick back, relax, and enjoy life after several weeks of backpacking.

When I sat on the deck of the hotel hanging ominously over the edge of a cliff in Oia Village, I forgot that everything else existed in the world. Nothing else mattered and nothing else was important, except basking in the eternal magnificence that surrounded me. It was the first time in my life that I let everything else go and truly relaxed. 

Oia Village was the best place to watch the Santorini sunset with the most magnificant views of the nearby island of Thirasia and almost the entire island of Santorini. 

From Oia, we went down the 300 steps to Ammoudi Port and Armeni Beach. Small white houses tiered the hillside, interspersed by splashes of deep fuchsia, cobalt blue, and earthy red. Around every corner of the smooth, winding interconnected paths there was something new to discover. 

Santorini offered peace and quiet and allowed me to recharge my batteries for the rest of
my backpacking journey around Europe. The uninterrupted sun that sank below the horizon and the never-ending Aegean Sea made discovering Santorini a treasure. It is an island like no other in the world. 

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194 thoughts on “Top 10 Favorite Cities Visited – #7 Santorini, Greece”

  6. Wow! This is the first city you have posted on your “Top 10 Favorite Cities” I haven’t been to…however, I definitely would love to go there! Thanks for your excellent articles, beautiful pictures, and sharing your experiences with us!

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  7. I just love the pictures. really make me want to travel more. I guess when the kids are older we will plan a vacation other than Lake Powell, which btw is a incredible place to vacation. Hike, boat, kayak and explore!

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  12. My husband and I visited Greece on our honeymoon. We went to Crete, Mykonos, and Athens but we skipped Santorini! I will have to go back for sure just so I can see Santorini for myself. It looks absolutely amazing.

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  15. Thank you. I visited Santorini during a carefree gallivant through Europe — in 1984! Your photos took me back instantly. I’m so glad you experienced this place, for which I pine still. Thank you for jogging my memory!

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  19. I am dying to go to Greece. You just made it far, far worse. But that’s okay. Your blog is too good for me to hold a grudge…

    Speaking of good, I just gave you one of the spread-the-blogging-love awards. It is today’s post on my blog (“49″) if you want to check it out. I’m sure it is your four gazillionth award, but I couldn’t not include you (double negative and all).

    Cheers!

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    • I have received a few of these awards but they always mean something to me regardless. I’ve only been blogging for 6 months and it has totally changed my life. I’m addicted and in love! I could spend hours reading other posts, writing my own posts, or just waiting for my stats to change.

      I adore your funny little posts. They make my day, especially “Alice the nose-picker” lol.

      Good luck with your blog and stay in touch,

      Lesley
      https://twitter.com/LesleyMCarter

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  20. So far I’m 3 for 4 in your top cities! Yay! It’s making me feel well-travelled.

    Please tell me you did the uphill donkey ride! It was the most hilariously scary experience of my life thus far.

    Ios was one of my other favourite islands….

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  22. Beautiful photos. As you have said, the town of Oia at the most Western end of the Island is really most famous for it’s sunsets. I hope you don’t mind my asking, but I was a little disappointed when I read your article, because it is entitled top 10 cities, so I had expected to see a travelogue about Thira the capital city of Santirini and some of the many places of interest that you can visit there but you have not mentioned it at all and I am wondering why that is?

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      • Thank you for explaining, Oia is one of my favourite places too and if you get an opportunity to get off the main drag there are some interesting restaurants.

        It is a shame that you didn’t get the opportunity to see a bit more of the Island though. If you ever return to the Island, you might find that the City of Thira is well worth a visit for the churches and museums alone. If you arrive by boat you actually sail into the port through the caldera.There are many delightful bars and restaurant perched on the rim of the caldera offering spectacular views over the Islands of Nea Kameni and Paleo Kameni

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  24. Did you take the pics Lesley? Wow they are amazing- particularly the sunset one. Have you been to Positano? Perhaps I can submit my experience there for you if you haven’t been there. It was an amazing experience too- and after reading your post- Santorini is next on my list:)

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  31. your pictures make me wish I could escape the Chicago winter and lie on the beach somewhere…just 45 days until my trip to CA, but who’s counting 🙂 looking forward to read about your other favorite cities!

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  32. Wow Lesley, your travels leave me in awe. How do you do it? I so wish that I could travel more 😦 I love your pictures, they are just beautiful. Thanks for liking my blog, although quite boring compared to your wonderful adventures!
    Andrea

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  37. I took a painting coarse in Santorini and absolutely fell in love with the Island! I think I watched every sunset for 2 weeks straight. Those were amazing pictures – but then again Santorini is a great model :). I’m working on my list of top 10 places and can’t wait to share!

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  47. Why isn’t this Freshly Pressed?! Though I’ve never been myself, every time I see the images of Santorini instill a peace in my soul all the while reviving my spirit. I beg of you, please, please, please, write more about Greece, the people, the culture, and your experiences.

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  48. I’ve also done some backpacking in Santorini – an absolutely beautiful island. Glad I visited it 20-odd years ago when it was probably much less touristy than it is now. (And parts of it were bad enough then!)

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  50. Totally agree… I loved Santorini and found it to be one of my fav’s! That Black sand beach can really burn the feet if your not careful!

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