Sunset view in Athens - the sun setting behind the Acropolis.

Morning

Morning sky

The views from the terrace were beautiful to both sides

Oia dogs

Sunset in Oia - from the roof of a restaurant - above any crowds

Oia itself wasn't crowded but we didn't go to where all the people were going to see the sunset from there.

Our sunset sky the second night - looking towards Oia. No view of the sun setting into the water, but gorgeous sunset skies. We were happy with it! No crowds. View from private terrace.

Thank you to everyone who has responded. I really appreciate your helpful advice.

Starrs, I love your photos! Do you remember the name of the hotel you stayed in that is located just outside of Oia?

Yes, Canaves Oia -
Canaves Oia Boutique Hotel ? Canaves Oia Santorini


There are four properties under that name. I was getting confused and just decided to go with the one my friend loved so many years ago. She went with her best friend, daughter and daughter's best friend and they had three bedroom "cave room". She raved about it and is usually very low key so I didn't shop around for other options. I knew I wanted to go there. They brought breakfast to our terrace and it was fabulous. There was wine waiting for us and they brought some other treats during our stay.


The first night we walked to the Sphinx for dinner, based on the hotel recommendation. It was a great place to view the Oia sunset without any crowds. We really experienced no crowds on the trip but we didn't go to the sunset point where everyone gathers.
Here's an article about the horrible crowds -
https://www.earthtrekkers.com/amazin...oia-santorini/
That didn't appeal so we stayed away.

It was a very short walk from the hotel to the shops and restaurants of Oia, but we weren't there for shopping so just explored the "front" side of town. I don't know how to describe it. The photos posted earlier reflect that there were other folks shopping and strolling but no crowds.


It was about 1 km from the hotel to the restaurant. A lovely walk back at night.


We used the hotel service for transportation from the airport and to the ferry. My friend loved the island and asked wouldn't it be great to get an ATV to drive all over the island. No. So at check in, I asked about it and the next morning they arranged for an ATV to be delivered to the hotel. My friend took off and had a blast driving around for the day. I stayed on the terrace, relaxing and soaking in the hot tub. She texted during the day and asked if I wanted to go. No. But she did return, I did agree to leave the terrace and we had a blast driving around. It was WAY out of my comfort zone but it was a lot of fun.

My plans for the day. Soak in the hot tub, watch boats and relax for the day.


We stopped at a family owned cafe and the food and the view were fabulous. I had to look at photos to see where we were.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura...th_Aegean.html
Here's the cafe. It's listed under Imeroviali restaurants. After our late lunch, we drove around wherever she wanted to go. To picturesque churches. Along the beach. Through a tiny town as school was getting out. She wanted to drive a road that I said no to, but she tried until she realized it was too small and too curvy and we headed back. I'd have to look at a map to see where we were.




We got back to the hotel in time for sunset and had drinks and apps at the hotel terrace restaurant. After that, back to the room and more hot tub time.





It was...perfection.

The hotel was a huge splurge but the other nights were at Hilton and IHG properties in Athens on points, so the nightly average was in the normal range. My friend only had a week off and although I would add more time on a future trip, I would not change a thing about that trip. We did use Challiman's suggestion for a private driver to Delphi and loved it - and the monastery on the way - as well as our meal in the town. Our driver, Constantine, was one of the best parts of the trip.


In Athens, we returned to the same restaurant in the Plaka several times and were greeted by the hostess like old friends each time. We tried a gelato place that was recommended by a Fodorite. We had room service at the Hilton a couple of nights. My friend chose Mystic Pizza for dinner one night and we used the taxi app to go there. A TINY place in an off the tourist area neighborhood but excellent pizza. Then back to our place in the Plaka for music and ouzo. Opa!

It was an easy, go with the flow kind of vacation. I adored it. We had no problems with crowds at all. We did have a morning cat who showed up for breakfast.

Starrs, lucky you to escape Santoroni’s crowds as well as having a good experience. We were there twice, once in September and once in October. More than the crowds was the lack of feeling Greek. We had already spent two weeks in Greece before getting to Santorini. Hotel staff, and other businesses there were run by non-Greeks. We couldn’t wait to leave and only returned to see Akrotiri after it reopened after the tragic accident.
I love Greece but no more visits to Santorini!

I've also heard the ferry services may not operate until after Greek Easter, which may be a few weeks after Christian Easter in April.

There are daily ferry services to Santorini all year round, because Greeks still need to travel in winter.

That was not the case for us. Everyone we interacted with was Greek, as far I as know, of course. The driver that met us at the airport. The lady who checked us in and took us to our room. It was a bit surreal to be greeted by Aprhrodite.


We chatted with a couple of the folks connected with the hotel, and because we were there in mid-October, and asked about their plans. Most were leaving soon to go "home", elsewhere in Greece, to return in six months for the beginning of the season. We ate at a local family restaurant. I really didn't pay attention to the server(s) at the nicer restaurant in Oia. We didn't shop a lot. My impression was that everyone we interacted with was Greek, but I don't know that to be a fact. I do remember having conversations with at least two of the hotel staff about their six-month on, six-month off schedule. They were looking forward to going home to the mainland but really loved the money they earned on Santorini each year. Because of the limited time and late in the season, we only visited Athens, taking trips out with private drivers (all Greek) and Santorini. It "felt Greek" to us. My brother had taken a small ship cruise in the summer and visited several islands. I'll ask him about his impressions at Thanksgiving. My guess is that, because it was a cruise, there was a greater mix of nationalities, but that's only a guess. I'm going through the places we stopped, restaurant in Delphi, monastery, the restaurants in Athens, and the places we stopped on Santorini - and we felt we were among Greek workers. I'm sure things are very different on smaller, less visited islands. Maybe we had a Brigadoon type experience, but everything was like a dream on Santorini. I knew about sunset point on Oia and we avoided it. Did very little shopping - some earrings and in a small market for snacks. Absolutely spoiled by hotel staff at Canaves Oia. Maybe we were incredibly lucky. I can't think of anything negative at all. My friend wanted to take the ferry back to Athens - to be on the water - and that was a long day but we lucked up with the taxi driver, really liked him, and we used him (twice) to return to the airport. Our flights left hours apart. Loved our drivers with Paul/ PK travel. Felt "Greek" to me.

Thank you to everyone who responded. And thanks again to Starrs for the beautiful photos. I am making note of your hotel in Santorini!

I absolutely loved it. I loved my friend's descriptions from over a decade ago and it was better than I imagined.... which doesn't always happened.

I know several other Fodorites have stayed just outside Oia. As in, a 2 or 4 minute walk, but evidently that makes a HUGE difference. When one is in the cave room and private terrace, facing the ocean, it's pure peace and tranquility. There's an official entrance to the hotel, down some steps,but also an entrance from the road, closer to the pool and restaurant, at the top of the hill and complex. On the other side of that door, peace reigns.

We didn't find Oia crowded at all in mid-October, as far as walking the marble street and shopping, but we didn't go to sunset point where all the crowds gathered. I would hate to stay in the midst of that chaos. It reminds me of staying right on Broadway in the center of Times Square. I love Times Square, but would not want to stay in the middle of the crowds. I prefer staying on 8th or even 9th, but I adore staying at the Belvedere. In less than 2 blocks, one can be in the midst of the crowds.... but less than 2 blocks in the other direction is quiet and peacefulness in a community garden. I would also chose the closer quiet option.

Has anyone combined the Cyclades with Corfu on a single trip?

They say too much of a hassle but the longest flight must be 2 hours at the most?

I’m sure someone has, but I’ve never heard anyone come back and say what a good idea it was. There won’t be any nonstop flights, so you will have to change planes in Athens, with maybe a 2 hour layover. Add to that the time you will need to check in for the first flight and collect your bags after the second, and you will spend more time in airport lounges than in the air.

I guess it's not easy to combine Corfu with any of the other islands. There doesn't seem to be other tourist attractions near Corfu, unless Albania has something to offer.

Also maybe Corfu weather in April or May isn't as warm or dry as other Greek destinations to the south and southwest?

On the contrary, Corfu is one of the closest islands to the Greek mainland, and there are some very important tourist sights nearby, including Meteora, and even closer the picturesque mountain town of Ioannina. Both are nearer to Corfu than to Athens.

Because all the Ionian Islands are just off the mainland, there aren’t as many ferries between them as in the Cyclades. Instead, it’s easier to travel between them by car or bus on the mainland, and take a short local ferry ride to the island. That way, for example, you could combine Corfu with another island in the Ionian, eg Lefkada.

Thanks, Meteora looks nice. But 4-5 hours drive or train seems tough.

It always helps to read up on an island, to get an idea of its appeal, and to whom and why. Corfu has long been a great favorite of the British -- and to some extent Germans -- dating back to the 19th Century when the Great Powers decreed who would have "influence" over various segments of Greece -- and BRitain got most of the Ionians, and especially Corfu. So naturallly, when "resorts" developed there, offering a complete beach vacation in one spot, this was and Is very popular among UK visitors, rather than the travel-around & sightseeing type of visit that North Americans more usually make. For Americans Greece may be a one-time trip, while Brits may come back to the same place year after year, for sunny holidays, the way N. AMericans return to FLorida. Therefore it doesn't matter as much about history or ancient sites. Another draw is because of the books & TV series about the Durrell family in Corfu... there are even "tours" trying to find the exact settings of the books (altho the Durrell time there was 80-90 years ago!). Because it's popular, there are many direct flights from Britain to Corfu, making it handier for them than for other nations' travelers.

Thanks, interesting background.

Yeah I heard about the Durell show, never saw it though.

Scrb11, what is it about Corfu that attracted your interest? Did you just read about it as a popular island, or is there something special you want to do or see? Corfu isn’t the best choice for island hoppers, but it is near enough to the mainland, unlike the Cyclades, to make it possible to visit from there. In fact, there may even be day trips to Meteora offered by Corfu travel agencies for all I know.

Travelerjan is correct about the history of Corfu, but there is more to it than that. I avoid like the plague any island that attracts package holidays, and Corfu is one of those. British can get a cheap holiday in the sun that includes flights and hotels, all booked with one of the many travel agencies in each town and city. An added attraction is that Corfu has the shortest flying time from Britain, and tour reps meet their clients at theairport, herding them like geese to the buses that bring them to their hotels. Many British holidaymakers won’t even consider an island that doesn’t have nonstop flights from their local airport. These package holidays are popular with people who have little interest in Greek history, and wouldn’t bother looking for Durrell locations even if they watched the television series.

Americans, on the other hand, except those like myself who live in Europe, normally fly to Athens where there is a choice of flights and ferries to anywhere in Greece. That’s why Crete, Rhodes and Santorini, for example, are high on Americans wish lists. British who do have an interest in Greek history and culture normally travel independently, sometimes booking a seat on a charter flight to an island they love.

I have felt the same as Heimdall about the package-holiday situation, but don't always express it because I get backlash from those who love their "holiday hive." I always say, we must remember that Brits & Germans etc don't have a Florida, and people have a right to want just "beach & beer" instead of experiencing another culture. However, others have rights also, to avoid those holiday-maker areas, and not recommend them to newcomers. As always, research provides knowledgeable decisions.

saw some pictures of scenic places on Corfu.

That would be the main reason.

I don't need to see Mykonos again, maybe would go back to Santorini and Crete.

Scrb11, there are scenic places everywhere in Greece, and I don’t mean to imply all Brits are interested only in beaches and beer, because that wouldn’t be true. If you want to visit scenic places you will find more on the mainland than the islands. But if you want to go back to the Cyclades for scenic views, have you been to Milos, Naxos, Amorgos, or my favourite island Antiparos, which has a stalactite cave and sea caves at the south of the island?

if you still want to go to Corfu it would be better to combine it with parts of the mainland, which are so easy to reach from Corfu. You could even make your way back to Athens, stopping at Ioannina, Meteora, and Delphi on the way. My daughter and SIL went through Greece on an overland trip in their Land Rover from London to Cape Town, South Africa. They arrived at Kalambaka in the dark for an overnight stop, and when they woke up in the morning were stunned at how beautiful it was there. They hadn’t done much research on Greece, because all they wanted there was to get the Land Rover on a cargo ship from Piraeus to Egypt. What they hadn’t realised is they had stopped in the dark near Meteora.