Greece

Santorini’s jaw-dropping vistas and viewpoints rarely disappoint (see our Cyclades island itinerary for more info), but finding the right accommodation in one of the most popular island destinations in all of Greece, can certainly be a challenge.

Oia

Oia (pronounced ee-a) is the postcard perfect town that you will have seen all over the internet and it is one of the most desirable (and expensive) areas to stay in. The caldera facing side of the town is littered with small boutique hotels, sun lounger covered balconies and tiny cyan plunge pools.

Although these may look great at first glance, there are a few downsides which may affect your decision:

Hordes of tourists from all over the world flock here for their selfies and sunset pictures. This of course means the accommodation is at a premium. Everyone is vying for the same hotels and the same AirBnBs driving the prices to extraordinary heights during the summer months. The most affordable rooms in the town don’t have the views and often don’t even have windows (look out for these as hotels don’t always make this obvious in the descriptions!).
Everyone who comes to Santorini takes photo after photo of the beautiful town and its remarkable caldera setting. If you’re sat on your balcony or in your plunge pool, you’re likely to feature in several thousand photos per day. Some of the more relentless posers and selfie-takers will go to great lengths for the perfect shot, including climbing on roofs, balancing on walls and clambering down private staircases. Privacy simply doesn’t exist here.
If you fancy popping out for a nice quiet dinner or a trip to the shops to pick up some drinks and some snacks, you will have to weave your way through the crowds. In the heat of summer, the crowds can be quite overwhelming even for a short errand.
Due to the year-round popularity of the caldera facing accommodation, there is never any time for the owners to update the property. In many places the bathrooms are tired, the interior is old fashioned, and the exterior needs a fresh lick of paint. In fairness, if the demand is there and it doesn’t put people off, why should the owner change anything?

If you’re all about the magnificent view it’s probably worth it, but there are some other options worth considering.

Finikia

Oia town pretty much joins onto the adjacent town of Finikia, in fact, it’s not always clear where Oia stops and Finikia starts. Finikia still boasts the same views across the caldera and the same sugar cube architecture built into the cliff but with a noticeable drop in price tag and crowds. It is well worth investigating accommodation options here, as you will only be a 15 minute down hill walk from the centre of Oia and you could save a pretty penny.

Fira

The other popular base on the island is Fira, the capital, which is where we chose to stay. Here you are halfway along the island, a half hour bus from Oia or a 3-4 hour walk. Fira is widely considered to be a just a bigger version of Oia – which we feel isn’t quite correct. The stretch along the caldera side of the town still has great views over the caldera and the sunset over the town is extremely pretty but the rest of the town is busy, noisy and altogether less pleasant than Oia. The road is packed with topless blokes revving their ATVs and the main square feels a little bit tacky. Perhaps because of this, the accommodation is cheaper than Oia and so many people base themselves here if they have no luck in Oia.

Firostefani

If we were to go again, we’d recommend staying in Firostefani, the town adjoining Fira. Here the town is cleaner, brighter, quieter and altogether much nicer than Fira. You’re still only a 15-minute downhill walk from Fira if you feel the need to go there. There are many different options for accommodation here, most of which are on a par with the prices in Fira.

Imerovigli

Imerovigli is another town which is worth considering. Here you have stunning views looking back towards Firostefani and on to Oia perched on the northern end of the island. Again, the town is almost inseparable from the stream of white buildings that make up Firostefani and Fira. Being at the far end of the three towns, the walk to the centre of Fira is slightly further so it can be slightly less convenient.

If you are looking to move around the island and visit the main sites, the public buses are a very useful, regular and reliable connection between all the towns. If you have booked a tour, the tour operator will likely pick you up at your hotel as well, so location is not as important as it may seem.

Paros was our favourite island on our trip to the Greek Cyclades Islands, and its food options did not disappoint. We stayed in Naoussa, a lovely and stylish fishing town in the north of the island. We loved the white washed cubist architecture (which is synonymous with the Cyclades), interrupted by flashes of fuchsia bougainvillea, and cobalt blue decor. If you are interested in reading more about Naoussa or Paros in general check out our one week itinerary in the Cyclades!

We have put together a great list of restaurant recommendations across the island of Paros to help you choose where to stop for lunch, dinner and drinks.

Safran – Naoussa

One of our favourite restaurants in the centre of Naoussa was Safran, a rightfully popular restaurant which serves traditional Greek and Mediterranean cuisine.

The dishes are sophisticated and delicious, served on an interesting array of crockery. The service is extremely friendly and we were well looked after by a waiter who was a big Tottenham Hotspur fan.

We ordered the taramasalata (a traditional Greek dip made from fish roe), followed by the tuna steak and the lamb shank. Each dish was exquisite and extremely tasty; the tuna was almost melt in the mouth and the lamb shank was hearty and tender.

We would recommend booking ahead for a prime time evening slot.

SOSO Restaurant – NAOUSSA

Soso was another great find close to the centre of Naoussa – and the dining experience was certainly not so-so. The restaurant does have an indoor dining area, but since we were visiting in summer, we opted to eat in the pretty white-washed street. Soso is located just off the busy, boutique lined streets in the centre of town, making it a reasonably quiet and relaxing atmosphere to dine in.

The food is Greek/Mediterranean cuisine which is very well put together. We had two starters: mini halloumi cheese pies in honey, and aubergine rolled in bacon with a cheesy, creamy sauce. For our mains we had a grilled sea bass and a veal orzo dish, both of which were very tasty.

Kafeino Palia Agora – naoussa

This little restaurant is where you go for your real down to earth, local grub. It doesn’t look particularly special at first glance – if it wasn’t for the huge queue, we might not have noticed it. Found in the buzzing narrow alleys running parallel to the sea front, this little beauty is a must for dinner.

The food is small plates, all of which are excellent examples of traditional Greek food. We got a selection of plates; a Greek salad, taramasalata, fried zucchini balls, stuffed eggplant and chicken fricassee. This was more than enough for two people and was by far our cheapest dinner on our trip. It was extremely cheap for the quality of food we ate. No wonder it is so popular.

One downside is that because the restaurant is so popular, there is a long and quite unclear queuing system that they employ. To get a table you basically need to stop one of the waiters and ask to be put in their virtual queue (based entirely on the waiters’ memory!). Although you are entirely reliant on the waiters not forgetting you and there is no real way of knowing how many people are ahead of you, the upside is you are encouraged to go and grab an alfresco cocktail at one of the many bars lining the street while you wait.

ITRIA Cocktail bar – NAOUSSA

This nice colourful little cocktail bar was where we sat in the virtual queue for dinner at Kafeino Palia Agora. It is about twenty metres down the same narrow alley as Kafeino, making it the perfect place to sit and relax with a cocktail while waiting to be summoned by the waiter.

We were drawn in my the colourful, wooden furniture and the lengthy cocktail menu – especially the espresso martinis.

Taverna Glafkos – Naoussa

Taverna Glafkos is the perfect bar for a sun downer. We stumbled on this gem quite accidentally while wandering through the labyrinth of alleys. This taverna offers a wide range of cocktails in a prime location to see the sun light up the pearly white Naoussa sea front. Of course the price of the location is reflected in the drinks!

Sommarip a consolato – NAOUSSA

This cocktail bar takes the night up a gear – compared to some of the other quaint tavernas by the sea, Sommaripa Consolato is a bar with some heavy tunes and strong cocktails to go with them. Its main draw is it’s prime people-watching terrace overlooking the harbour, where you can be entertained by the array of buzzing fish restaurants and live music below. But you will have to wait your turn or arrive there early to get one of the balcony tables with that view.

LEFKIANO – LEFKES

Lefkes is a little village nestled in the hills of central Paros. It is one of the prettiest places we visited in Paros and perhaps in all of the Cyclades.

This picture-perfect blue and white restaurant is located immediately on your right as you enter through the main gate into the Lefkes centre. We were a little concerned that we had fallen into a tourist trap at first, as it was literally the first restaurant we saw. But after walking around the centre of Lefkes we decided that this restaurant was really too pretty not to try. We’re glad we came back.

You can choose to sit under the trees downstairs or upstairs on the terrace. The place was pristine and the staff very accommodating. We chose a starter of zucchini balls followed by shrimp linguine and lamb chops; all of which was superb.

Kafeneio I Oraia Plateia – Lefkes

This simple alfresco cafe is situated in a pretty little square at the centre of Lefkes. It is run by an old lady who has clearly been serving coffees to tourists and locals for quite some time.

The cafe has a lovely character to it and clearly makes good use of the summer months with its colourful, wooden chairs and tables squeezed into the square under the shade of two large pine trees. The Byzantine trail starts from here, and it is the perfect place to grab a drink and some homemade baclava before embarking on a hike.

ΤΟ ΜΟΥΡΑΓΙΟ – Aliki

We visited Aliki in the south of Paros for a trip around the coast with Rofos boat trips. We managed to find this beauty on the sea front of this coastal town for lunch after the trip.

Pronounced “To Mouragio”, this family owned taverna has been perfecting its almost exclusively fish and sea food menu for the last 30 years. The drying octopus on the restaurant veranda is an indication that the food is incredibly fresh. We had a feast of fresh squid and fried sea bream which we enjoyed at a little table precariously placed on the edge of a parasol shaded peninsular jutting out into the harbour. We would definitely recommend asking for a table on the peninsular where possible, it was great being surrounded by the sea and watching the fish swimming below as we ate.

The restaurant is connected to its sister restaurant which also has a peninsular but instead of the fish courses, it majors on more meaty dishes.

Sunburnt Zebra Travel

Travel itineraries, tips and inspiration.

Where to Stay in Santorini