Santorini, Greece

Santorini where do I even begin?! We went from seeing the most beautiful sunrise of our lives in Cappadocia to the most beautiful sunsets. Santorini is one of those places that’s famous for a reason and it did not disappoint!

G with arms outstretched as we arrived at the Hotel Grace

This part of the trip was definitely the most lavish and put us the most in the red, but was so romantic and special made even more as our time here took place during the anniversary of when we got engaged last year.

From Cappadocia, it took us 3 flights to get to Santorini (Cappadocia to Istanbul, Istanbul to Athens, and Athens to Santorini). From the airport, we went straight the Grace Hotel Santorini where we'd be staying for the next 4 days.

 A little bit about the Grace... before G and I even got engaged we saw photos of the Grace hotel and decided when we had our honeymoon, this is where we wanted to say. We booked the hotel using my Capital One credit card and points to get a slight discount on one of the nights (the only hotel we booked separately from our travel agent). While the Hotel Grace was incredibly expensive, it was well worth it for a special occasion like our honeymoon (though I am not sure if we'd be able to swing it again...maybe for a milestone anniversary!)

All that to be said, let me just say, this hotel did not disappoint and there's a reason it's been voted best hotel in the world! The location was also amazing, in the village of Imerovigli perched on the Santorini Caldera cliffside with panoramic views and sunsets, but away from the touristy area where the cruise ships come in (which we briefly ventured to and immediately got away from as quickly as possible).

That night, we had some dinner while watching the incredible sunset before retiring to our beautiful room. 

Our room had a "pillow menu"

Day 2: 

The next morning we enjoyed the complimentary breakfast (a multi-course rotating daily meal with fresh pastries, a yogurt parfait, smoothie, cappuccinos, and whatever your heart desires off the menu - all with an incredible view) before having a small dip in our private pool on our balcony.

Breakfast at Hotel Grace

Loved the private pool that was part of our room!

One of the best ways to explore Santorini is on an ATV so G and I rented one for the day to do a bit of island exploring and beach hopping. The ATV was easy to drive, not too costly, and get around in - and such a blast!

Our full day ATV rental

We had a great dip at Red Beach, briefly went to the touristy area of the island (Oia- would suggest avoiding at all costs besides zooming through on an ATV!) and enjoyed dinner in town that night at a casual, but delicious spot.

Day 3:

The next day we got on an ATV again, but this time as part of a small group Santorini Morning Quad Bike Tour. The tour started at 9:30 a.m. and was about 4.5 hours. We had a blast starting on the black sand beach of Perissa, following back roads to Venetian Castle, hitting up a wine cellar and drinking some Vinsanto, seeing the Windmills of Emporio, learning about Santorini wine growing, experiencing areas not as frequented by tourists, and more.

Having way too much fun on the ATV tour

Exploring

After bidding our tour group goodbye around 2, we went for another dip in our beautiful private pool before getting ready for the big evening highlight - dinner at Varoulko, the Hotel Grace's Michelin restaurant.

The views are just too good!

Varoulko did NOT disappoint. It was also really special because our dinner at Varoulko was one year exactly from the day G proposed. The 12-course meal was exceptional as was the service. While certainly more of a splurge, it really felt worth every penny. Even if we weren't to stay at the Grace again (due to budget), I would still try to dine at Varoulko.

Dinner at Varoulko

Sunset at Varoulko

The last dish - so sweet

With our bellies full and our hearts content, we headed off to bed to find yet another awesome turndown service with a sweet little gift (they leave something different every night).

The turndown service here and little gifts they leave are truly unmatched

Day 4:

For our last full day, we enjoyed another amazing breakfast at the Grace, a bit of a swim, and then joined a Santorini Sunset Small Group Cruise (organized by Sunset Oia Napa). The catamaran picked us up at 2:30 and dropped us off after sunset at 7:30 p.m.

It was an awesome experience watching the sunset from sea and had the perfect mix of chill, a little bit rowdy (right before sunset, think sing-a-longs and dancing), then romantic. The BBQ on board was also delicious.

G living his best life 

Yes, we wore matching swimsuits

After a few of the complimentary beverages 

The romantic part!

The sunset boat ride was a great way to end our last full day in Santorini.

The next morning we caught a ferry at 10:10 a.m. to Mykonos and said goodbye to beautiful Santorini.
Santorini is such a special and beautiful place and staying at the Grace Hotel was truly a once in a lifetime experience with the 5-course included daily breakfasts, PM turndown service, views, private personal plunge pools in the room, the food, cocktails, “pillow menu”…I could go on...

While I don't know if we'll be able to swing staying at the Hotel Grace again, G and I will definitely be back to Santorini!