What to do in Santorini in October

8:30 AM

Wow. That's the only word I have to describe the Greek island, Santorini. It is truly just as picturesque as the postcards and seeing the beautiful white walls, blue domes and expansive sea is truly breathtaking. I spent 4 days on the island, exploring all over the place. This was my favorite part of my entire honeymoon. Santorini is the perfect destination for couples who looking for a relaxing vacation. Scroll down to view my favorite places on the island, must-see sites and delicious food to try!

1. Akrotiri Ruins

This was such an interesting site to see. Akrotiri was a Bronze Age settlement in the south-west region of Santorini. A volcano eruption lead to Akrotiri's demise. This settlement was founded in 1967 and is still an active excavation site today. You can walk around the ruins, which are expansive and beautiful. There was some information available, but it's much better visiting with a tour guide so you can get a bit of the history and learn what each part of the ruins used to be. Many of the ruins used to be 2-3 story homes - you can see remnants of a staircase, bathroom, etc as you walk passed.

2. Red Beach

Red beach is truly beautiful. We came here after seeing the Akrotiri Ruins. It's about a 10 minute walk from the ruins. Red Beach is pretty secluded, you have to climb over a hill and on the other side is the beach. The views are truly stunning. What's unique about this beach is the color of the sand. Not only are the rocks red, but the sand along the water is red as well. It is quite a view!

3. Hike to Fira from Oia (or vice versa)

Yes, it is possible! There's a beaten path that connects Oia and Fira. Not going to lie, it's not that easy to find, at least starting on the Oia side, but it's possible to get there. The hike is long - it's a little over 9 miles, which takes 3-4 hours one way. It isn't too strenuous of a hike if you start from Fira, it is quite flat until you get to Oia. Then, the hike starts becoming steeper as there are more hills there. I do recommend that you hike earlier in the day since it gets really hot around noon. My hubby and I started at 9 am and got to Fira at exactly 12 pm. We ended up exploring the town, visiting museums and grabbing lunch before taking the bus back.

4. Megalochori

A lot of the towns in Santorini are riddled with tourists, like Oia, Fira, Akrotiri and Perissa. I had the opportunity to venture to a small town called Megalochori and I loved it. It's a very different vibe from the other popular towns, but it was very charming. I had one of the best traditional meals there as well: grilled haloumi cheese with tomatoes, mousaka, and braised lamb (not pictured below).

5. Oia Sunset

I highly recommend watching the sun set in Oia. You get the best views from this part of the island. Beware - A LOT of people try to watch the sunset in Oia. Around 2 hours before, people are already claiming their spots along the streets and walls. Oia Castle is the most popular spot, so you have to head early to claim a good spot (see 2nd photo below). If you are walking on the main strip, I recommend turning right after you pass the big church. You will end up walking towards a parking lot that has an AMAZING and secluded view of the sunset. We didn't have to fight with anyone to get a spot at all. But when I went, the clouds blocked the sunset; it wasn't the magical experience I expected.

6. Amoudi Bay

This is a great place to stop by before or after watching the sunset in Oia. Amoudi Bay sits at the bottom of Oia Castle. Be prepared for a long walk down! It's about 2 miles down hill to get to this cozy waterfront. There are a ton of restaurants down here that serve fresh seafood, similar to Red Beach. It's worth the trip and you get your exercise going back up!

7. Venetsanos Winery

I highly recommend visiting a winery in Santorini. Though Greece is known for their locally grown olives, they also produce a significant amount of wine. I visited Venetsanos Winery, which is very close to the Santorini port. I recommend coming here on your way down to the port - you can booze it up before heading to your sea jet for Mykonos. The views at Venetsanos winery is inexplicable. The picture below doesn't even come close to capturing how breathtaking the view is in person.

They offer great prices on wine tasting and small plates for food. A lot of groups ended up sharing a wine tasting and a small plate. My husband and I love wine so we each ordered a wine tasting. It is a selection of five wines: two white, one rose, one red and one dessert wine.

What to Eat

I'm a little embarrassed to admit how much I ate during my trip...but c'est la vie, right? Out of everything I ate, my favorite dishes/items (excluding what I already showed above) are below:

1. Spinach and Feta Cheese Pie & Iced Coffee with Foam Milk

Nothing beats a flaky crust. That filo dough is cooked perfectly - the perfect, delicate crunch you get from biting into the pie is heaven. I love the filling as well. Spinach and feta cheese is a very classic combination. Traditional feta cheese is very strong and dense, but is well-balanced when paired with the sauteed spinach. I enjoyed the pie with a cup of iced coffee. Santorini was about 80 degrees in early October, so still relatively warm out. The iced coffee was a nice way to cool down.

2. Tomato Fritters

I had no idea this was a traditional Greek dish. Tomato fritters are probably the most popular, but zucchini fritters come in second. The flavor of tomato and pepper really come through. They are fried to perfection, but they are heavy. One ball filled me up significantly and I couldn't have more than two.

3. Baklava

I've had Baklava before, but never in Greece. Yes, it is that much better in Greece. You can taste the difference when Baklava is made fresh. The liquidy syrup is amazing, but will certainly be contributing to my diabetes. Baklava does pair well with ice cream. I originally thought the ice cream we received was vanilla, but upon tasting it, it actually had a bit of a sour-ish taste to it. The ice cream isn't great alone, however, when paired with a bite of baklava, it helps to balance out the sweetness.

4. Watermelon & Feta Cheese Salad

Who knew that such a simple dish could be so delicious? This salad is made from four ingredients: watermelon, feta cheese, mint and balsamic vinaigrette. The freshness of the watermelon works really well with the strong flavor of the feta cheese. Real Greek feta cheese is completely different from what I've tasted in the United States. Greek feta cheese has much more flavor and is heavier/denser. It's hard to eat a lot of feta cheese because it's so filling.

Complete your Greece trip by visiting Athens and Mykonos as well! Both places have very unique ambiance/feel and purpose truthfully. Athens has so much culture and history to it, while Mykonos has this laissez-faire attitude during the day and a crazy party vibe at night. It's worth visiting all 3 places to get a taste of everything.

What do you think? Would you ever go to Santorini? Share your thoughts below!