Inside the sun soaked European island with ‘warm golden water’ which is just a few hours from the UK
SIPPING wine on board a plush private motorboat, hair flowing in the breeze, I knew this was a holiday we would never forget.
Dad and I gazed in awe at the turquoise Aegean Sea as it washed against the bright red cliffs of Santorini.
Noticing our admiration, Captain Spyros remarked: “It’s nature’s very own Picasso.”
He was right.
The Greek island looks as if you have stepped into a painting — a landscape so beautiful you need to pinch yourself to guarantee it’s real.
I couldn’t think of a better sun-soaked spot for a holiday with my father.
During the pandemic I could not see him at all.
And even now quality time with my parents is limited, as they live in Switzerland and I have a busy life in the UK.
So, family holidays are precious.
Luckily, travel firm Eliza Was Here makes organising them really easy, arranging the important details — flights, hotel and a hire car for the week — all bundled into one price.
Plus, the neat package was settled with just the click of a button.
Eliza’s website offers budget stays at “off the beaten track” locations across Europe, but without compromising on quality — and our hotel on the coastline of Santorini, the stunning Desiterra resort, ticked all of these boxes.
Standing ovation
In a quiet spot, away from the buzzing tourist towns of Fira and Oia, the hotel is an oasis, with two large pools overlooking the ocean and a private plunge pool in every room.
Desiterra describes itself as “barefoot luxury” and it’s not hard to see why, with laidback holidaymakers padding from curtained day bed to pool and back.
There’s also a spa that does Mediterranean salt scrubs with exfoliating olive seeds and Argan oil, and has Jacuzzi and sauna areas that can be booked privately.
We felt wonderfully isolated from the main tourist spots, but were grateful for our hire car which meant we could get out and explore the best of the region.
A ten-minute drive took us to the city of Fira, the capital of Santorini and a picture-perfect spot for dinner with white-washed buildings perched on a cliffside overlooking the ocean.
You’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to food here, but for a truly divine Greek feast, head to the cliff-top restaurant Kaliya.
The sea sparkled against an orange sunset, 1,300ft below our table, while I sipped on my mojito.
Expect mouth-watering Greek fusion dishes too, including fresh tuna tartare, fish of the day drenched in buttery sauce and served with citrus fruits and a succulent prime short rib ragout served with local cheese.
Fanari, a couple of minutes walk away, offers the same breathtaking views and equally great grub like greek salads loaded with feta and spaghetti served with juicy lobster.
When you aren’t diving into the local cuisine, Fira is also a great spot for rambling, with breathtakingly beautiful landscapes and craggy walking trails.
We embarked on a six-mile hike across the island clifftops from here, all the way to Oia in the north of Santorini, where we marvelled at 360-degree vistas of the landscape and neighbouring islands.
Ending our trek at Ammoudi, a turquoise bay on the northern tip of the island, we recovered from the hard work by gorging on traditional plates of Melitzanopita, a Greek aubergine pie, and a smorgasbord of Mediterranean salads at the Sunset Ammoudi.
When you’re keen to sample a flavour of culture, head to the southernmost area of Santorini.
We visited the archaeological site of Akrotiri, which was heaven for history-buff Dad.
These well-preserved ruins, excavated in 1967, were once a Bronze Age settlement.
Some time in the 16th century BC the civic centre was destroyed in a catastrophic volcanic eruption, but the remnants were a fascinating looking glass into a lost world my father reads about in his dusty history books.
On our last day, we chartered a motorboat to tour the island and its hidden beaches, many of which are only accessible by sea.
There are plenty of boat hire companies with yachts and sailing vessels on the island, which can be picked up from Oia or Fira.
For eight tranquil hours we marvelled at “nature’s Picassos” and sea stacks that looked like sculptures in an art gallery.
Towering cliffs changed colours as the boat steered between coves, turning from red to white then yellow.
Beaming Captain Spyros, who spent eight years in the Hellenic Navy, kept the drinks flowing and he was always sure to anchor at the prettiest spots so we could jump in the refreshing, but by no means cold, sea.
The highlight of our boat tour was stopping at a hot spring near a small extinct volcano by the mainland.
It was like stepping into a giant Mediterranean bath with warm golden water.
The other real beauty about travelling by boat is that no where is off limits and you can access certain spots that you can’t reach by car.
For dinner, Spyros steered us to Thirasia, the small island opposite Santorini.
It’s so small that only 200 people live there and there’s next to no accommodation, but the excellent restaurants on the bay are a favourite among yacht travellers and a key reason to visit.
As we tucked into fresh seafood, meats and salads at Captain John restaurant, we were given front-row seats to a sunset worthy of a standing ovation.
We grinned as the burning mass painted the sky in deep shades of pink, orange and red.
It was the perfect finish to a fantastic getaway with Dad.
I’ve promised Mum it’s her turn next time.
GO: Santorini
GETTING/STAYING THERE: Five nights’ room-only at the Desiterra resort in Santorini costs from £889pp, including flights from Manchester on July 3 as well as car hire.