It took us nearly 24 hours to get from Fort Lauderdale to our hotel on the beautiful island of Santorini, but the trek was well worth it. We should have been exhausted after hopping three flights to get to there, but I think we must have been fueled on adrenaline to see all it had to offer! I wore this bright dress by Torn by Ronny Kobo and pretty pieces by Park Lane Jewelry our first night out and the city didn’t disappoint as we went exploring.
We booked our trip to Greece in February, before the financial crisis fallout hit the news. When the media was painting the picture of this forlorn country that was crumbling, part of me thought we should change our destination and rethink our plans. Thank goodness I didn’t, because this trip was out of a storybook for us – something truly magical that has changed our lives forever…
Of all the places to see and visit first, we chose to go to Santorini first. It made sense to get to the furthest destination first of our three cities and traipse backwards to Athens before making the trip home.
Our home away from home for the first handful of nights was the Honeymoon Petra Villas, a recommendation from a friend of mine from high school who stayed there the year previously. We planned our entire trip with Josh Alexander from Protravel International and we’re already planning our next big trip with him too. Being Type A like I am, I had never used a travel agent in the past. I can honestly say that I won’t book another one without them. Not having to research hotel after hotel was a blessing, and their connections with luxury hotels are second to none. Using them for this vacation took it from great to superb.
You might be wondering, “Why didn’t you stay in Oia? It’s known to be the most romantic spot in Santorini.” We chose our hotel in Imerovigli because it’s the highest point on the island. It gave us great views of the entire landscape and it didn’t have all the commotion that Oia has come to draw from the many cruise ships in the port. Although I loved shopping and watching the sunset in Oia, I was very happy we were in a quieter, less touristy, area.
I brought a ton of white clothing on this trip (which you’ll see in coming posts), but I knew this Torn by Ronny Kobo piece was going to be perfect for Santorini (and I brought along another similar to this flirty style here). I wore it to our first traditional Greek dinner at a tasty restaurant, Aegeon. The restaurant is actually owned by the son of the family who runs the hotel where we stayed! It gave us a gorgeous view of the homes and hotels on the cliffside as we watched the colorful sunset. I highly recommend the tzatziki there – it was one of the best we had on our entire trip. I also loved the pork loin I had that came in a sweet vinsanto sauce. The flavor was out of this world!
If you’re traveling to Greece – a word to the wise… bring lots of sandals! I wore these animal print gladiators (similar here) at least a few times. With all of the steps and inclines, it was much easier to get around, and I didn’t slow us down by wearing heels.
I brought a ton of fun baubles for the trip. I wore the gold Velocity Ring or this Dimension ring by Park Lane Jewelry pretty much every day. Right now you can get $10 off your $30 purchase or $25 off your $75 purchase by using code AGLAMLIFESTYLE on their site.
Have you been to Santorini? Is it on your bucket list? I’d love to hear your favorite part!
Dress: Torn by Ronny Kobo (old, love this striped version and this updated black style) // Sandals: Vince Camuto (similar here) // Clutch: Gigi New York // Bangles: Alexis Bittar // Ring: Park Lane Jewelry c/o
