72 Hours in Santorini: Day 3

Our second full day in Santorini also started off bright and early. We did a bit of research the evening before about which beach to visit (we settled on Vlychada, pronounced "vlee-kada" with a throaty 'k' sound) so we threw on our suits and settled in for breakfast before meandering to the bus stop.

I really miss breakfast by the sea. I live so close to the ocean and yet, I rarely look at it. Probably because the view of the Atlantic from the tri-state is quite lackluster compared to Mediterranean views.

VLYCHADA BEACH
We took the bus from Oia to Fira (for €1.80) and then a bus from Fira to Vlychada (for €2.40). The journey in total probably took about an hour, which was a little annoying, but also kind of nice as we got to see some more parts of the island.

This beach is located on the southern coast of the island, which is great because even on really windy days, it's a bit sheltered from the strong breezes.

The reason we chose Vlychada was because of the interesting rocky face lining the beach. Apparently, it's just limestone that's been affected by the salty sea air and wind; the elements have carved such interesting patterns into it.

It turned out to be a great choice because later, whilst eavesdropping on a group, we overheard that the popular beach of Perissa was way too crowded, that the red beach was underwhelming and stained everything, and that Monolithos was loud thanks to the planes flying in and out of the airport.

We grabbed a pair of sunloungers, which was €6, not bad at all, and relaxed.

It was actually quite painful to walk along the black sand because it was so hot and it was quite coarse so it was uncomfortable. And if you went in the sea and walked back out, your feet ended up coated in the sand and looked like an everything bagel.

Also, it was rather painful getting into the water, as it was quite rocky and slippery and we watched several people struggle to get in. Even those with water shoes had quite the time. However, the water itself was quite lovely and refreshing and a welcome relief from the hot sunshine.

When we got a bit peckish, M went and grabbed a sandwich from the beach bar. It was a delicious fluffy roll filled with tomato, eggplant, and feta. It was delicious and totally hit the spot.

LOLITA'S
Our journey back to Oia took about an hour as well and when we arrived, we immediately treated ourselves with a gelato by the bus station. M went for pistachio and chocolate while I went for just a scoop of pistachio. It was lovely and refreshing and really good gelato and definitely tasted lik epistachio.

SUNSET AMMOUDI TAVERNA

On our last night in Santorini, we went to a restaurant I'd made a reservation with; it was the only reservation I made in all of Greece. We booked in at the Ammoudi Sunset Taverna so that we could enjoy the scenery with a delicious meal right by the sea.

We went a bit crazy and ordered several starters and I actually got myself a glass of the house local wine, which was fruity and dry at the same time. For our starters, we had the Greek salad, which had the most delicious feta ever, the grilled octopus, and saganaki cheese. The saganaki tasted like Cheetos, according to my sister, but I thought that was a good thing. The octopus was really nice and tasted better thanks to our proximity to the water.

For our main, we shared the dish that this town is known for: lobster pasta. The pasta itself was briney like the sea and the lobster was deliciously prepared and cooked to perfection. It was v. enjoyable.

For dessert, we went for the baklava. The top layer of phyllo was crispy while the underlying layers were soaked in a delicious rosewater-scented honey. It was phenomenal.

After dinner, we made the climb back up to town, which wasn't too strenuous but made worse by the fact that there was donkey poop everywhere and it was too dark to see it (but don't worry, we used our iPhone flashlights to guide us in a poop-free direction).

We relished our final night in Santorini on our little balcony before heading off to bed. The moon was on its way to being full so it was a really nice view.

xoxo.