swishbelly

My fiancee and I are planning our honeymoon and are seriously looking at going to Santorini. The honeymoon would be next August.

What do people think of Santorini?
What Town (Oia, Therra, etc) is the best place to stay?
How are the restaurants?
Is Santorini considered very expensive (lodging, eating, and drinking?)?
How are the beaches?
Do most places accept CC's or is cash preferred?
What's the weather like in August?
Are there any other islands that might be like Santorini only less populated?

We appreciate any answers to these questions (plus more hints)...

Craig

lwinokur

Oooh, Greece...that's a great place to spend your honeymoon.

Santorini really is a beautiful island, but it's SMALL. I would research other islands as well, because come August there will be PLENTY of backpackers so the island will be pretty crowded.

Besides, why don't you island hop? There are so many different islands to see.

I found Santorini to be a good stop. I was there last in May. It was quiet, but cold. in August it will be hot, for sure. It doesnt really matter where you stay (Oia vs Therra) cause it such a small island. I would recommend first finding a hotel you like and base your decision off that. I stayed in Oia cause of the black sand beaches, and to be honest, I found them to be overrated...if I would do it over again, and wasn't choosing based on the resort, I would stay on the other side this time.

If you're looking for an island that's less populated, I would stay away from the Cycladels (spelling) or try to find one that's not such a "popular" island, because Mykonos, Ios, Santorini, etc will be crowded.

My favorite island personally is Paros. Its considerably bigger and theres more to do, more restaurants to choose from, and i think there should be less confusion come that time of year.

But Greece is such an awesome place almost nothing could ruin your trip, and especially your honeymoon! Congrats and have fun!

brotherleelove2004

Santorini, or Thira, is a fantastic honeymoon destination. I've been there several times, twice for around 6 months. It's true that many things are more expensive on Santorini, but that's true to a certain extent on all the islands since everything has to be shipped out to them. August is the very hottest month as well as the most crowded. Prices are at their highest then so you can expect to pay a minimum of $40 USD for a basic room (domatia)away from the cliffs and not in a hotel, and 3 times that (or more in a luxury hotel with a pool) for a room with a view of the caldera in Peak Season. Fira (not Therra) has as many restaurants as you could ever hope to choose from, as well as the most shopping possibilities. CCs are accepted widely now although cash is preferred to avoid the CC merchant fees. Kamari Beach and Perissa Beach are the two most popular beach areas, both with many different small hotels and domatia available. There is a very efficient and inexpensive bus service that covers every village on the island, although the buses will all be standing room only in August. Kamari is a black rock beach and Perissa black sand, both VERY hot, and in August you'll need to wear flip-flops or reef shoes to protect yourfeet from burning.

Oia is the most beautiful and traditional village on the island, but there are NO black sand beaches there, only one small red rock beach at Amoudi below the village. I don't know what lwinokur was referring to. The black sand beaches are on the other side of the island. The closest is Baxedes which is nearby but not really a good beach, and the others are as described above. Oia has more upscale shopping than Fira and very good restaurants as well.

Nightlife is most active in Fira. There are many bars and a few large discos.

Here's a link to a pretty good website for hotel selection.

http://www.santorinihotels.com/hotels.php

First decide your daily hotel budget then whether you want to be at the beach or on the cliff. That will help you decide which village is best suited for you.

All the islands will be crowded in August, and there is no other island like Santorini. Ios is the closest island, a backpacker's haven. Then come Naxos and Paros. They are all close enough for day trips, and the Hellas Flying Dolphin fast boats can take you through the Cyclades much faster than the car ferries.

syddiez

We spent part of our honeymoon in Santorini this summer. We were there the first week in July, and it was hot, but great! We stayed in Oia - definately a better "honeymoon" spot than Fira in my opinion - All the restaurants we ate at were great! some more expensive than others - I think there is a large variety on the island -- there are many places to get an inexpensive sandwich (especially in Fira) and also very upscale restaurants.

Santorini is a magical place - Take the pictures and multiply the beauty 10 times! There are no words to describe the oia sunset! We arrived at our hotel just as the sun was setting - they had a bottle of champagne waiting, and we drank it watching the bright orange sunset - I literally cried! I couldnt imageine a better honeymoon destination.

The rest of out honeymoon we spent in Halkidiki (our favorite), Athens and Crete. It was a perfect 2 weeks! Enjoy!!

lwinokur

sorry about the mix up then....my rec would be not to stay on the side of the island where the black sand beaches are, whatever that part is called.

taggie

Santorini is beautiful and very romantic, a very popular spot for honeymooners. August will likely be hot and pretty crowded.
I am currently putting my photos from our September Greece trip onto DVD and the Santorini ones are making me weep with their beauty.
I recommend Imerovigli as a good spot to stay... close enough to walk to Fira but much quieter. Great views in the evening of not only the sunset but the lights of Fira reaching down the cliff. We were at the Chromata, which we really enjoyed. Oia is beautiful too. I would avoid the "beach" side of the island as a place to stay... you most definitely want the caldera view!
Check out my trip report for more details.

tropo

Swishbelly, although I haven't been the Greek Islands yet, I have heard from so many people who have, that Santorini in August, will be "crowded", and additionally the cruise boats call in there, further adding to the population.
Might I suggest one of the more less visited islands, and staying in a town, away from the tourist areas.
I have been researching a trip to the Greek Islands for next year, and I am leaning towards a company called Laskarina, (www.laskarina.com)
They do charter flights from airports close to the London, and fly to the islands, then transport you by boat to one of their islands, staying in either a hotel, or an apartment. Each island has a Laskarina Island Manager, who is there to help organise tours, rental cars, or beach BBQ's, etc.
We are thinking of flying to the island of Samos, via Gatwick Airport, then being transferred around to the fishing village of Ormos, to stay in an apartment overlooking the village and harbour. I should mention that we are going in mid September to early October, hopefully, the tourist crowd will have dropped off. Hope this helps.
I guess there are some beautiful islands off the beaten track of Santorini, Paros, & Mykonos.