Sandblu also has relationships with a variety of local vendors who can cater to your various travel whims. Tell the front desk that you want to go horseback riding, and they’ll make a call so that you’re trotting along the beach and through the mountains in no time. You can also rent a boat for a sailing tour of the island, where your own personal captain will take you to some of the best swimming spots that Santorini has to offer and even cook a fresh seafood lunch onboard.
If you’re in the mood for some self-guided exploration, on the other hand, the resort’s entrance is right across the street from a charming scooter rental agency called Santoride Rent-a-Moto. The owner is a spirited Greek woman named KiKi whose cropped and colorful haircut reminds me of the singer P!nk. (I had a feeling her music must have reached the shores of Santorini, and further research on P!nk’s Greek chart numbers supports the fact she was a likely inspiration for the ’do.) While there are multiple means of transportation for getting around Santorini, including taxi services and a public bus system, motor-bikes came most highly recommended by Sandblu staff and locals. Depending on your preferred mode of transportation—ATV, scooter, buggy—a rental at Santoride will run you anywhere from €40 to €70 a day if you include fuel and insurance. KiKi will even provide a map where she circles her recommendations for the best beaches, restaurants, and hidden gems on the island before sending you off.
A sampling of dishes from Kaliya.
Photos: Courtesy of Keaton Bell
Sandblu’s discreet location is a welcome refuge from tourist-dense hubs like Thira, where you could easily waste a day sampling olive oils and fine linens at the variety of shops. After buying ashtrays and soaps for friends back home, I ended my day walking around Thira with dinner at the Greek fusion restaurant Kaliya, which came highly recommended by the Sandblu staff. Built out of a 1950s-era building at the top of a caldera overlooking the Aegean Sea, it’s worth braving the crowds for some fabulous food and jaw-dropping views. My table sampled everything from the wild lobster spaghetti to the braised lamb over rosemary potatoes, with each dish more decadent and perfectly seasoned than the last.
Located on the northern tip of Santorini, the village of Oia is famed for the blue-domed homes built directly into the cliffside (the type you see on the cover of every Greek travel guide). Compared to the relative serenity of Sandblu and its surrounding villages, both Thira and Oia are where the bulk of restaurants, resorts, and shops are located. Home to less than a thousand permanent residents—but always bustling with the nearly three million tourists estimated to visit Santorini each year—the village is somehow even more picturesque than its popularity as a postcard would suggest. It’s delightful enough just to walk through Oia soaking in the views, but the village also boasts some of the best shopping on the island. Whether you’re looking for a locally made pashmina or a stack of Greek Playboys from 1996, there’s a variety of treasures to be found.
