Who says that going to Santorini in October is a bad idea? Well I’ll admit it was risky. With winter rapidly approaching and tourists heading home, a spontaneous trip to one of the world’s most romantic islands could have very easily turned out to be a bad decision. But I quickly discovered that I must have Irish blood – because that week I had double the luck of the Irish…

What had sparked this off-season ‘summer’ retreat? Well after briefly romping around Eastern Europe with some of the finest Adelaidian girls I was still in denial that I was about to experience a European winter. I was determined to chase the sun one last time before I completely resigned and traded in my shorts and singlets for beanies and thermals. So Santorini was an obvious choice. You never see photos of tourists wearing anything other than light summer-wear on that island… right? Well of course not – because as soon as the northern winds start approaching there is NOBODY there. NOBODY.

But the tourists must have missed the memo because the sun decided to grant Santorini with one of the most beautifully warm and sunny weeks in mid October, (I mentioned Irish blood, right?).Restaurants were peaceful, lookouts were empty and the sun seemed to set purely for my enjoyment.

I know you are all wondering why I didn’t choose to party with my own demographic on Mykonos or Ios – why would a solo 19-year-old girl want to surround herself with beautiful sunsets and romantic restaurants for a week? Running the risk of witnessing extreme PDA for 5 days straight? I know – it was risky and as I sat in my window seat watching my first Santorini sunset blind our side of the plane from above, I must admit I had to cringe at the obnoxious Australians questioning whether or not one side of the plane would have to be repainted more than the other…

But as my fellow Aussies collected their wheeley bags, I strapped on my backpack and waited to be picked up by my hotel accommodation… Yes I didn’t miss an ‘s’, you don’t need a loving partner by your side to book a romantic getaway. So no hostels this time, no snoring adolescent boys stinking up a dorm room, no irritating roommates spamming me with their latest ‘I was so drunk in this city’ story. Just me. Serious Kat time was needed. (To be honest I actually couldn’t find any hostel accommodation open this time of year so I was forced to upgrade… It was absolutely tragic….)

When booking ‘Hotel Villa Manos’ – one of the highest rated accommodation options on hostelworld, I must have forgotten to read to reviews. I was not warned that I would be spending a week hosted by one of the most amazing families I have ever encountered in my life. It is like staying with long-lost-relatives.

Upon arrival I met my ‘mum’ for the week. Poppy is one of the most caring and beautiful people I have met in my travels and from the minute I entered I was sat down at a table. Yep, no formal introduction to the accommodation, no demand to see my passport, just sit. It was late – and what does late mean in Greece? Dinner of course.

Yes I arrived at my accommodation to be immediately served dinner. And it was beautiful. Traditional Greek treats filled my plate and a glass of wine sat on the side. Poppy and her family know how to spoil their guests… Oh, and I was immediately upgraded to a double room…

So the accommodation was a winner and I could have easily spend the entire week by the pool and have an amazing time but I had a beautiful Island to explore. So how do you spend a week ‘isolated’ on a romantic island? Well here’s one way…

1) Make friends with an amazing group of young Americans studying abroad. Climb volcanoes with them. Eat delicious Greek food with them. Ride quads with them. Let them adopt you and treat you like one of their own. And don’t forget to thank them for being some of the friendliest most welcoming people. (THANKS GUYS)

2) Watch the sunset. Obviously. But don’t kiss anyone while watching it. Don’t let anyones mediocre face distract you from what is one of the most beautiful sunsets in the world.

3) Ride a donkey. Or don’t… 

4) Eat at as many cute romantic restaurants that you can find. Trust me, there are a lot. Enjoy being the only person in the restaurant. Feel spoilt when the typical flirtatious Greek waiter brings you double the amount that you ordered (and complimentary dessert of course).

5) Eat fruit. Eat lots and lots of fruit. Especially grapes. Be still my heart.

6) Read a book. More specifically, read a book from Atlantis Books. One of the most gorgeous bookshops I have ever browsed in.

7) Make friends with a lovely local who will let you experience a private tour of the island from the back of a scooter. (The most genuine way to see Santorini).

8) Appreciate your own company. You might just realise hanging out with yourself isn’t so bad…

I left the island feeling like I was saying goodbye to family (and bearing a bottle of local wine from the lovely Poppy) – I am sure that everyone who is lucky enough to choose Villa Manos is graced with the same feelings. My time on the island was filled with kind strangers, delicious food, beautiful sunsets and spectacular memories.

So to the people who told me that visiting Santorini in October was a bad idea… You were wrong. You were very, very wrong.

 

• Europe
• Greece
• Island
• Romantic
• Santorini
• Travel