A Dreamy Greek Island Escape: Santorini, Paros, Mykonos
There’s something magical about Greece—the whitewashed villages, crystal-clear waters, incredible food, and breathtaking sunsets. Our journey through Santorini, Paros, Mykonos, and Athens offered the perfect mix of relaxation, culture, and adventure.
We began in Santorini, where dramatic cliffs overlook the sparkling Aegean Sea. Watching the sunset in Oia was every bit as spectacular as promised, and wandering through the charming streets lined with blue-domed churches felt like stepping into a postcard.
Next was Paros, a laid-back island with its picturesque villages, beautiful beaches, and authentic Greek charm, Paros offered a slower pace and a chance to truly unwind. From there, we headed to Mykonos, known for its vibrant energy and stunning coastline. We explored the iconic windmills, wandered through the maze-like streets of Little Venice, and soaked up the lively atmosphere that makes the island so famous.
Our trip concluded in Athens, where ancient history comes alive. Standing atop the Acropolis and taking in views of the city below was a powerful reminder of Greece’s rich past. Below is our itinerary:
Travel Itinerary
Day One
Day Two
Day Two
We flew through Munich before arriving at Santorini Airport. We prearranged a hotel transfer with Welcome Pickups . We drove straight to our home for the next few days – the spectacular Aris Caves . This is a boutique collection of apartments you can rent, each equipped with great amaenties and views. We secured the Patari suite which had a master bedroom, a double bedroom and an open loft with two twin beds. It had a small kitchen and two bathrooms and the views off the balconies were amazing. We also had our own personal hot tub. While it is not a full-service hotel, the husband and wife that run it are wonderful and helped us with reservations, transfers and even did some laundry for us upon arrival! We booked far in advance though as they book quickly!
Day Two
Day Two
Day Two
We spent the day marveling at the quiet streets of Oia, before any of the ferry boats or tourists swarmed in. It was magical. We grabbed coffee and pastries and relaxed sunbathing, shopping and grabbing Gyros from a nearby stand. That evening we ate at Roka which was a five minute walk from the hotel.
Day Three
Day Two
Day Three
Our favorite day! We were picked up in a car right outside our hotel and brought down to the marina for our private boat tour. We booked with Santorini Yachting Club. While pricey, this is the day that all of our kids still talk about and loved the most. We had a full size catamaran with captain who cooked a gourmet lunch for us on the boat. Highly recommend doing this is you are in Oia.
We showered and then took a taxi to Athenian House which is about a 20 minute ride from Oia. The views were spectacular at this restaurant, but we all agreed that the food was just okay and my husband and I agreed it wasn’t worth the price or the trek there.
Day Four
Day Five
Day Three
We walked down 300 steps to get to Ammoudi Bay. Travel Tip – we purchased these thin beach towels from amazon that each of us packed before the trip which we used almost daily!. This is a great area lined with restaurants, ice cream shops and bars. We ventured to St. Nicholas area where we laid out our towels and the kids went cliff jumping. The beach is jagged rock formations without sand or restaurants, but we could walk back and forth to grab beverages and snacks from the main marina.
We had reservations at Ammoudi tavern, but instead showered and stumbled on a place off the main strip in Oia which was probably our favorite meal. While I don’t remember the name, we had great views, wood fired pizzas and life was good!
Day Five
Day Five
Day Five
We packed up, wiped a tear saying goodbye to Santorini, and headed via Welcome Pickups back to the Ferry boat in Paros. I was very nervous about the ferry boats due to motion sickness but it was very pleasant. These are HUGE Ferry Boats (cars literally drive on to be transported from island to island). There is food and beverages available, it was a short one hour ride to Paros.
We rented a car here and drove to our Airbnb. We decided to stay outside of town at Acron Villas and we were so happy we did. We had three bedrooms, a full kitchen and a private pool with views of the sea.
Day Six
Day Five
Day Five
We hung by our pool and then went into town to shop, explore and eat dinner at Statheros which was right on the sea. It was beautiful with great service. Make a reservation in advance!
Day Seven
We took the ferry to Mykonos. Upon exiting we had a complimentary shuttle pick us up from our hotel. We drove about 20 minutes outside of downtown Mykonos and stayed at the Mykonos Grand . This is one of our top five hotels ever. This is a luxury experience that came with a luxury price tag, but it lived up to every penny we spent. The service was impeccable, the views unbeatable overlooking the sea and it had a private beach with attendants to get you anything you wanted. The hotel offers free shuttle into town, so we went to shop and eat at Kastros that night and saw the famous windmills!
Day Eight
We spent the entire day between the pool and the beach. At 4 p.m. – we were picked up at our hotel to head to our cooking class. We booked this via get Your Guide. Mykonian Spiti & Farm was at a YiaYia’s home, where she helped us to cook and authentic Greek meal. We always try to do a cooking class when in a new country and this was a great experience.
Day Nine
We departed Mykonos via Ferry to Athens. I can tell you this was the only time I got seasick. Mykonos is known for constant trade winds and that equates to choppy water. Luckily it stopped about an hour into the boat ride – take Dramamine! At Athens we checked into our hotel and grabbed dinner.
Day Ten
Day Ten
We did a guided tour of the Acropolis. It was 95 degrees this day and we had to walk up a large hill. While learning about the history was interesting, we did leave the tour before it was over as there was no shade, and we all needed a break. When at the bottom, we headed to the Plaka neighborhood, which was a very cute area. We grabbed a drink and lunch and then did some shopping. To be honest, if we weren’t flying back from Athens, we could have skipped this leg completely. It was not our favorite city.
The following morning, we headed back home.