With limited time in Greece, here are the best food and sights to see in Santorini, especially if you’re an older, more mature traveler and don’t need to do selfies and Instagram posts every two minutes!

I debated returning to Santorini. With many places I still want to see in this world, I don’t usually like to double back on a place (but of course, Paris is an exception to the rule!).

My travel companion had never been so I thought she had to see it and it had been a little while for me so we added Santorini to our Greece itinerary.

The Best Food and Sights In Santorini

Of course, I remember Santorini being beautiful but I also remember it being full of tourists, T-shirt shops, and drinking.

OK, the drinking part might have been more a product of my age and mental state when I last visited. A fun night out for me used to include sitting in a bar for an entire evening (or maybe day?) and sampling ALL the drinks.

That’s not the case anymore and if you want more tips on healthier drinking, I got you.

A good evening now is a long leisurely meal with good food, good company, and good conversation.

I like to get to bed at a reasonable hour so I can sleep well and have energy for the next day of exploration. Yup, I hear how old I sound, and I don’t care.

I prefer having great memories of unique places and experiences over drink upon drink where I forget half the night and feel horrible the next morning!

So here are my favorite Santorini experiences as an older, wiser woman. 

Fira to Oia walk

You must do the Fira to Oia hike.

Well, you must do it if you’re in reasonably good shape, and are also older and wiser, and have energy in the morning for this 6.5-mile walk.

Santorini used to be one big island and then there was a volcano that broke off bits. You’ll essentially be walking along the top of black cliffs that have the most stunning views of all the pieces of Santorini.

You’ll see the beautiful white buildings of Santorini dotted against the dark landscape. The blue-green water below crashes into the mountains with a brilliant aqua sky surrounding.

Thank goodness for digital photos because I would have used quite a few rolls of film trying to bring these views back with me.

Starting in Fira, you’ll walk through the shops along the caldera and into the first town of Imerovigli. If you’re ready for lunch, Avocado is a good choice.

You’ll wander past stunning resorts with views for days and you’ll think, yeah, I could come back here. I don’t need to be near the town. I like quiet. That’s the older wiser woman in you.

Your mouth will continue to be agape as you walk along the ridge, snapping more pictures. You will need to watch your footing in a few places though, as there’s loose rock in a few stretches.

Just when you start to get really hot from the lack of shade and the uphill climb, you’ll see signs of your final destination, Oia, on the horizon.

It may take you 2-3 hours or more depending on your speed and how many pictures you MUST capture.

Santorini Dave has a great overview of the walk with lots of details, pictures, and recommendations if you want more information.

Explore Oia

The town of Oia is quite posh. It’s definitely the most upscale area in Santorini.

Wander the shops and time your dinner for sunset on the water in Ammoudi Bay.

That will involve climbing down several hundred stairs, but don’t worry. After dinner, one of the restaurants on the water will call a taxi to take you back to Fira.

We really enjoyed Ammoudi Fish Tavern.

Lightly fried sardines, scallop carpaccio, shrimp with crisp fennel and pepper, oh yes. It’s all fresh and simply but well prepared and well earned after your walk.

Santorini Island Tour

The last time I was in Santorini, there was no touring. I couldn’t be bothered.

I’m so glad we bothered this time as it was a highlight of our trip to Santorini.

There’s no real reason to rent a car while in Santorini, except of course if you want to see the rest of the island, which we did, and you can do in a day.

But given our mature status, we also wanted to be driven around and given the history. We really enjoyed Santorini-Road Trips who led our private tour.

Pyrgos

We started in the oldest village in Santorini, Pyrgos.

Small winding walkways allow you to peer into small homes, churches, and shops.

The top of Pyrgos has a 16th century castle and lots of sweeping views.

You’ll want to spend a little time in this adorable town.

Megalochori

Megalochori is even smaller and on par with the cute factor from Pyrgos.

Just a handful of shops and restaurants dot the main road off a tiny square.

Homes are built into the volcanic rock, making for very cool residences in the heat but if you’re looking for your towels to dry (as we were in our AirBnB), you better hang them outside.

Emporio

Emporio is the commercial center with more homes standing side by side up sloping paths.

Another old castle adds to the beauty.

The Akrotiri Ruins

The Akrotiri ruins are an interesting site to see in Santorini.

The sophisticated settlement was well preserved due to a volcanic eruption covering the 4000-year-old town in ash a la Pompeii.

They’ve also constructed a beautiful bioclimatic roof to keep the ruins covered and further preserved.

After all the touring, we dined on delicious Greek food on a nearby farm overlooking the water and free-roaming goats.

The quiet, the homecooked meal, and the view felt worlds away from the bustle of the souvenir T-shirt shops.

Again, my kind of travel.

Santorini Red Beach

Our final stop was to see the beautiful red beaches of Santorini.

It was quite the finale to see the red and black volcanic rock contrast with the piercing blue-green water.

More Tours

There are also water tours where you can get a different perspective of Santorini from a boat.

You can also hike parts of the volcano on one of the islands or you can take a food tour of Santorini. There are many ways to take in the island.

After our tour, we took a taxi to Metaxi Mas. It’s just a few minute’s taxi drive from Fira and offers all the Greek greatest hits in a pretty setting, complete with wandering cats, hoping for leftovers and a little love.

Catch a Santorini Sunset

The sunsets in Santorini are not to be missed.

Hopefully the weather will work for you so there’s no rain or a stacked sky of clouds.

Even still, it’s hard to miss a gorgeous Santorini sunset.

Mature travelers, if you’re in Oia for sunset, you will be navigating a crowded terrain with MANY younger Instagram kids, decked out with their selfie sticks, waiting to fill their social media profiles. You’ve been warned.

Being on the caldera facing the water is a good spot to admire the colors as the sun goes down.

Even better, take in that sunset while eating some great food and enjoying a drink.

We enjoyed Argo for all of the above.

They don’t need to serve good food with the view they have, but they do!

Oia also offers more fabulous sunset views with white and blue building contrasts.

Santorini Special Occasion Dinner

Many people go to Santorini for their honeymoon. We also saw many “honeymoon suites” at resorts we walked past.

Honeymoon or not, find a special occasion to celebrate at Athenian House.

It may just be the best restaurant in Santorini.

They offer a multi-course tasting menu with elevated Greek food.

There are also flights of wine to complement the food as well as give you a good education on Greek wines.

It’s a special meal with beautiful views from their deck.

I also love how the Athenian House has a video of how to get to their location. This made sense after our AirBnB host told us that there are no addresses in Fira. There are just rows upon rows of winding walkways and similar looking buildings. You learn to find landmarks to chart your way and after a few days you feel like a local.

Shop Fira

So yeah, I mentioned the T-shirt shops and they’re still there in Fira.

BUT, there are also artisanal shops with handmade crafts, fashion, and souvenirs.

We seemed to have found, and supported, many female owned shops who were working with other local women making handmade jewelry.

One woman opened her own store during the pandemic and makes her own jewelry. She even customized a few bracelets for us where we got to pick out colors, designs, and beads.

I will say that we came in the shoulder season at the end of April. While it was a little cooler, it was also a lot less crowded.

All of the locals were bracing for the onslaught of visitors due to arrive in a few weeks. It’s a different experience with many more people in this smaller setting.

But again, I’m an older, wiser female traveler now and I’d much rather trade cooler temps for less people.

More Eating in Santorini

When you’re in Fira, you have to go to Lucky’s.

It’s inexpensive and fabulous for gyros and souvlaki. I recommend the souvlaki plate and chatting with the energetic and lovely owner.

I asked how he got the meat so flavorful and he says he sings and dances with his ingredients.

Good lesson to remember to enjoy cooking as well as eating!

I was also surprised to see items labeled Paleo on menus. There was avocado toast, smoothies and lots of healthy options in many places like Bohemia and Eggomio.

And seeing as much of Greece is seafood heavy, there’s always fresh fish and vegetables on the menu.

Since no one is perfect, and there’s always some fun in indulging in local delicacies, you’re going to want to try the sinfully delicious spanakopita. It’s layers of flaky, crisp phyllo dough with local honey, pistachios and fabulousness. Definitely not something I eat every day, but definitely a lovely treat.

You’ll be getting your steps in with this Santorini itinerary so don’t sweat it and do have an amazing time!