When I started looking into Santorini, the blue and white domes of Oia were the main reason for my trip. But I must admit, i completely fell in love with the town Fira instead!
We hadn't even planned to go to Fira until we got chatting to other holiday makers.
It has the same higgledy-piggledy layout as Oia but personally I thought it was much more quaint. Oia had a hint of commercialism, I completely get it, it's a massive tourist hot spot but Fira felt a bit more 'untouched'.
After wandering around (and getting lost, but that's the fun of it), we settled for drinks on one of the many cliff edge bars. This turned out to be the perfect way to spot the best restaurants for in the evening! The higher up you were, the more layers of restaurants, bars and shops you could see trailing down the coastal cliff below you.
Before I travelled to Santorini, i was told to not be scared to look behind closed doors! This sounded bazaar to me but I understand now. Entrances to the most fantastic sunset restaurants were tucked away behind doors situated on the complicated alley ways. So go for it, open the doorway onto your perfect sunset evening!
So here is my visual diary of Fira, along with two of the most fantastic bars/restaurants: Aestas bar for cocktails & La Colline Restaurant at Villa Bordeaux for a superb fine dining experience with an unforgettable sunset view.
Situated facing the ocean, this place had the most amazing view and their cocktails were fantastic. We didn't realise that the little white wall opposite was a sunset viewing prime spot.
The bar is elevated a level up so you are able to watch the sunset perfectly while sipping on one of their delicious drinks.
Earlier on in the day while lost and stopping for a drink, we peered over the bar balcony and spotted the pool and restaurant tables of Villa Bordeaux.
After a quick google, we realised this was an EPIC sunset dining experience not to be missed so we sauntered on down and booked ourselves a table for the evening. The waiter helped to choose the timing to get the ocean view with sunset experience spot on. The service and food were exceptional, eating a chocolate bomb dessert while the sun disappeared behind the mountains was indulgence at it's best!
Once the sun had set and our sun kissed skin felt a little chilly, the waiters came over with blankets and a very fancy fire heater on wheels (spotted just behind my menu below). Their attention to detail was superb, imagine what staying at their hotel would be like!
This is what I meant about the doors, don't be scared to open them because below is what is situated behind them . . .
