Category: Tips

AirBnB pro in Santorini – cook amazing dishes

Posted in About Santorini, Culture, Greek food, TipsTagged , , , , Leave a comment

Be an AirBnB pro in Santorini – cook amazing dishes

AirBnB is a great way to save on travel costs, that’s nothing new. And Santorini is no exception, you get all types of airbnbs ranging from very simple rooms to exclusive house locations with views, privacy and great interiors. I’m quite saure there’s something for everyone on there.

What people forget is that you can actually cook at your Santorini home and that would be one more way to bond with your travel partners. Santorini has some amazing markets that offer fresh local produce and I would say cooking authentic Greek dishes here is a breeze. So here’s some simple hacks on how to eat amazing food every day for a fraction of what it would cost in a restaurant!

Grilled fish. Santorini is one of the best places for Greek seafood. The problem is that the demand for the local restaurants is so high, that the prices have skyrocketed recent years. You can easily grill your own fish in your AirBnb and it will be no different. Any fish market will sell you extra fresh fish, my recommendation would be Tsipoura – a nice white fish, very traditional for grilling in around here.

Simple Greek Salad. This is a classic, of course. And the best part about Greek salad is that it is so damn simple to make – the secret lies in combining the fresh ingredients. Just head to the local store and buy some feta, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and whatever else your heart desires and mix it together. Optionally add some grated cheese on top for some kick and you’re done – simple as that! You can also just pay attention to the exact ingredients of your favorite Greek salad and recreate it.

Greek Fava. Another classic around here – very filling and heartwarming dish that’s easy to make and has few ingredients. Here’s a great recipe.

Desert – fruit with Greek yoghurt and local honey. One of my solid favorites that basically requires no cooking at all. Buy your favorite fresh fruit in the local bazar, have some nice Greek yoghurt (Total yogurt) to go with it and top it off with some extra sweet honey from the local street sellers you will see around Santorini villages. Heaven!

A lot of the Greek cuisine is very simple, that is the charm of it. And of course, this is a chance to have a glass or two of great wine and connect with people over some great cooking. :)

Practical tips on how to get the most out of your Santorini off season photoshoot

Posted in About Santorini, Anniversary, Engagement, Photo Session, Photography, Tips, VacationTagged , , , , , Leave a comment

Practical tips on how to get the most out of your Santorini off season photoshoot

Santorini weather is often a mystery – there are contrasty warm and cold days during off season, and that usually makes couples pretty confused about what to wear on shoot day. Fear not, here’s some tips from a Santorini photographer!

Let’s begin with defining the off season – I would say it’s the winter months from December till March. That’s the time when the weather gets a bit more chilly, and you can take advantage of no crowds of tourists to really explore the whole island of Santorini and it’s small villages and streets. Not to mention it makes for beautiful romantic photoshoots!

The main thing to remember is not to rely on stable weather. It’s really so unpredictable that it might be 18 or 4 degrees outside during your trip. So just be ready and bring a warmer layer of clothing for an unpredictable temperature drop. Dressing in layers is a really good idea for this season, because you can easily adapt by just removing a layer of clothing if it gets too hot.

If you’re one of the couples facing a really cold shoot day, no worries – the weather is still sunny most of the time, so you can wear your flowy dresses etc., just make sure to take a jacket to wear in between locations for maximum comfort. And you can always rely on a cup of hot coffee to get you warm fast ;)

And the last thing to keep in mind is planning. Since the weather is really fluctuating these days, it is best to plan the time of your photo session in the beginning of your trip. This way you can always reschedule if there’s some unpredicted weather change.

Hope this helps, see you in Santorini soon!

Photo shoot in December
Photo shoot in November
Photo shoot in February
Photo shoot in March
Photo shoot in March

Santorini photo sessions in low season with Anna Sulte

Image

A couple travel tips for Santorini, Greece

Posted in Anniversary, Engagement, Honeymoon, Photo Session, Tips, VacationTagged , , , ,

A couple of couple travel tips for Santorini, Greece

The little island of Santorini in Greece is the perfect romantic couples getaway. Each year thousands and thousands of lovers rekindle their love over gazing into the sunsets over the Mediterranean Sea.

That being said, there’s a lot of stuff to do here, and you might quickly be lost, especially if you come for a shorter period of time. No worries, today we’ll look at some highlights.

  1. You HAVE to see the sunsets. There’s so many spots that light up around the time when the sun goes down and the whole vibe of the island changes. So get out of your hotel, even if you don’t feel like it. :)
  2. Invest in a boat ride. The Santorini boat tours give you a whole new look at the island, especially if you’re feeling like you’ve seen it all already. Plus it is a true adventure for the both of you.
  1. Try and not have a super structured down-to-a-minute schedule. Remember to enjoy the carefree moments in each other’s company. Breathe deeply, enjoy the sun and feel the wind on your skin. Seeing places is nice, but take a look at each other more.
  1. And make sure you capture the memories, these trips will be something to remember and talk about, as life gets a bit too hectic at times. And if you need some help, I know someone, wink wink. But seriously, there are times when a blurry snapshot says more than can be put in words.

Santorini photographer Anna Sulte 2019

Nice vegan food options in Santorini, Greece

Posted in About Santorini, Culture, Greek food, TipsTagged , , Leave a comment
Food in Santorini

Nice vegan food options in Santorini, Greece

Being vegan is easier in certain parts of the world than others. Everyone has their favorite vegan treat, but when it comes to travelling, it’s certainly more challenging. No fear, today I’m sharing some Greek vegan food hacks – really nice meals you can have right here on the island of Santorini!

Gemista

Gemista are vegetables, usually tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers or egg plant filled with rice. It is a very heart warming and filling dish that highlights some of the best mediterranean flavors and makes use of our fine olive oil. One thing to remember – ask if these are vegetarian, some taverns like to put a bit of meet in theirs.

Dolmadakia

This one follows pretty much the same stuffing logic, but makes use of something more exotic – the rice and herb mix is stuffed in a fresh grape leaf. Perfect chance to try out something new ;)

Briam

Basically these are oven-baked vegetables with a mediterranean twist – the herbs and spices used on them differ a bit from place to place, but you can be sure it takes out the best in the vegetables they are baking at the time of the year.

Greek salad hack

Everyone knows about Greek salad, of course. But the problem for vegans is one of the main ingridients – Feta cheese. But guess what, Greek salad is pretty fine without it! They will gladly exclude it, if you just ask.

Some bakery options

Of course, this depends from the place, but the two vegan things that are pretty much always there are spanakopita and kuluri. And then you can of course always ask for any other vegan options, and depending on the season you’re visiting they’ll have two or three more treats for you.

So these are the essentials for any vegan coming to Santorini. Let me know if you can think of some more!

Food in Santorini
Vegan/vegetarian food in Santorini, Greece
Santorini honeymoon photographer Anna Sulte

Enjoy some fine beer and learn more about brewing it in Santorini

Posted in About Santorini, Culture, Greek food, Photography, TipsTagged , , , , Leave a comment

Enjoy some fine beer and learn more about brewing it in Santorini

 

Apart from the classic well known tourist attractions that Santorini has to offer all the wonderful people that flock to the Island of Love every year, there’s also some more hidden and niche things to do around here. One of such is definitely is the amazing Santorini Beer Company visit in Thera. Santorini Brewing Company.

This brewery opens its doors to everyone interested and provides a deeper look into their craft beer brewing process as well as some fun facts about the local beer brewing scene and enjoying a cold one in general.

Apart from soaking all the knowledge, this is also one of the best and cheapest ways to enjoy some high quality local beer. If you compare it to the prices you would get in a restaurant, this is definitely the spot to visit and try all the types of Santorini Donkey beer.

It’s also open till late hours, so it can be a nice experience before or during your pub crawl evening around the island :) – it’s ready for you all week long from 12PM to 12AM – just make sure to call them beforehand and check availability.

Photo credit to: Adriana Yampey

Blog post by Anna Sulte photographer on the island of Santorini, Greece

Safety warning – watch out for snakes in Santorini!

Posted in About Santorini, TipsTagged , , , Leave a comment

Safety warning – watch out for snakes in Santorini!

 

This will be just a quick update about an important topic that you guys should be aware of.

In recent years zoologist have released poisoned snakes in Santorini to keep our nature intact. These snakes are enjoying the warm climate here and have spread quite a lot.

This particular snake is called Ochia, and it’s pretty widespread in Greece. Their activity period is around Spring, so you should definitely be more careful when going on some hikes around the island. Their color is very much like the grass and branches so keep your eyes open. They are not aggressive, but they like to hide under some rocks or come out in the heat of the morning sun on hiking paths where there’s less grass.

If you’re unlucky to get bitten by any snake in Santorini, first thing you do is try to remember the details about its appearance (or even take a photo if possible) and then visit the local veterinarian or hospital for an antidote. These snakes are not deadly but they sure can cause some pretty heavy discomfort, so please do that in at least 3 hours to be on the safe side.

Photos by Anna Sulte

 

 

Lost luggage in Greece? Here’s a quick fix!

Posted in About Santorini, TipsTagged , , , , Leave a comment

Lost luggage in Greece? Here’s a quick fix!

 

With all the plane travel going on around the globe, sadly you’re bound to run into this problem at least once in your life. You arrive feeling all ready to enjoy what Santorini has to offer, but – oh no – your airplane company has sent your luggage to some completely different destination. First of all, very sorry this has happened to you. But just breathe deeply and hear out my solution.

If you’re coming to Santorini, most likely you have landed in Athens. Now you have two choices – either to accept defeat or do something about the situation. And I can help with that! So what you do is find a couple of places that can provide you with summer clothing for an affordable price, of course. Plus, you might find some real gems in these stores. What you do is head to the single best spot in whole Athens – Sintagma. It’s a shopping area that has some of the biggest clothing stores around, that also includes shops like Zara and H&M.

If for some reason it’s the inland flight to Santorini that has messed up the luggage situation, no worries. You can go to Fira which has a great store called Tali or, if it happens to be closer to you, try out Kamari or Perissa which both have a great store chain called 2Friends. Friendly prices and a quick solution to get on with your holiday and forget the clothing problems ;)

These places should easily cover all you need while the rest of your luggage arrives, or even if it doesn’t. Do not let this ruin your holiday – Santorini is a great gem of an island that has the magic power to let all the worries fade away if you allow it to.

 

Photo by Anna Sulte, photographer located on the island of Santorini.

Ready for a wine tour? Read this first!

Posted in About Santorini, Culture, TipsTagged , , , , , Leave a comment

Ready for a wine tour? Read this first!

 

It’s a little known fact, but Santorini actually has some of the most unique wineries in whole Greece. The reason for this lies in the origin story of the island – this small island in the Aegean Sea was actually created through a volcanic eruption and most of its land was born from molten lava mixing with the sea bottom and water minerals. This makes it one of the most interesting places to grow grapes that can be turned into a wine that still carries some special taste in each sip.

Now the wine is great of course, but what you have to know is that not all wine tours have been created equal – the offers you get in Santorini range quite a bit in terms of price and experience they offer. The best way to go about to finding your perfect tour is doing some actual research before – walk around and ask for prices (or use the good old Google), and also drop by some online review sites like Tripadvisor – they have been a great help for me for all kinds of tours and restaurants, and since these tours can get a bit expensive it is a good idea to spend those extra five minutes to double check.

The two of the major places I can recommend looking into are Boutari Santorini and Santo Wines – both are well established and nice places that have good reviews and customer satisfaction. So these are a good starting point if you’re looking for a good time and want a general overview of what Santorini has to offer in terms of wines.

Also while we’re at it, I should mention that there’s actually a Wine Museum in Santorini – if you’re into wine and want to get deeper knowledge about how and why Santorini is a special place to enjoy some fermented grapes, this is definitely the place for you to visit.

 

Cheers!

 

Volcano Festival. Santorini.

Posted in About Santorini, TipsTagged , , Leave a comment

Volcano Festival. Santorini.

Every year there’s one day in the late August – early September when thousands of locals and tourists are gathering on the cliff side of Santorini to watch the culmination of the Ifestia Festival – the reenactment of the volcanic eruption that took place around 1600 BC and devastated the Minoan civilization. It is done using the fireworks on the volcanic island of Nea Kameni and it’s a show to remember and not to be missed if you happen to visit Santorini at this time of the year. Best spots to watch the fireworks are all along the Western coast of the main island, Thira, the most notable being the SantoWines winery, the Mexican restaurant Senor Zorba or any other place with caldera view in Fira and Firostefani. If you’re of the adventurous type you can join many of the offered boat trips that will take you so close to the action. The fireworks are usually followed by performances by local and international artists in many of the island’s concert venues.

Volcano Festival (August)

Photos by Santorini photographer Anna Sulte

Some ideas for your next Santorini sailing trip

Posted in About Santorini, Greek food, TipsTagged , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Some ideas for your next Santorini sailing trip

 

Santorini is a beautiful small island with some of the best views into the Aegean Sea. But usually after you have been here a while, you start craving a different adventure. Then you know it is time to set sails and head into the sea and look at all this beauty from the water!

This time I’ll share some ideas on sailing trips around here. What goes on on these? What can you possibly do on a boat all day??? No worries, I got the answers, or at least some of them.

The first thing you need to decide is how long do you want the trip to be. Usually there are two options – you can either spend an entire day on the boat, which would mean a tour around the island and then some leisure time with swimming etc. or you can go with half a day and do mostly touring.

After that, you need to settle on the type of sailing trip you’re looking for. Around Santorini there are actually many options, some of the best include:

  1. sunset sailing
  2. volcano sailing
  3. fishing sailing
  4. sailing trip along with traditional Greek foods

So when you know the answer to these two questions, you can start contacting some of the companies offering trips. Be wise and call a couple before settling for one – sometimes the prices and the types of tours differ greatly. Of course, reading some online reviews from previous sailors does not hurt.

This should set you on your way to having the best time on the waters of the Aegean Sea. Let me know how your trip went and see you back on land!

 

Professional honeymoon photographer Anna Sulte

The search for the perfect hidden Santorini beach

Posted in About Santorini, TipsTagged , , , , , Leave a comment

The search for the perfect hidden Santorini beach

 

Greece – the place of perfect azure beaches all over. Not to mention the Greek islands that have some of the best hidden gems in the beach game. And I might even add that Santorini is definitely among the best among them. This little island is the perfect getaway for lovers that want to enjoy lazy beach days and each others company.

And what better place for you both than a hidden beach somewhere off the big crowds? Today I’m going to share some of them ;)

 

Theros beach

This one’s closer to the South of the island and has its own wine bar as well. A nice small beach with impressive cliffs. This is the place to go for a lazy day – since it is quite small, there won’t be big crowds of people and because of the cliffs you feel like your enclosed in your own small world.

 

Yalos beach

A small beach with dark volcanic sand. If you haven’t been in a black beach before, this will be a unique experience for you. The azure water is a nice contrast to the dark sand and gives a whole new understanding of the various beaches here. Also there’s a great beach restaurant waiting to fulfill all your needs.

 

Pori beach

This one is nearly a lagoon, so it’s a bit more shallow and really accents the nice color of the water of the Aegean Sea. If you’re after that white sand and azure waters, this is the place for you. No cliffs in sight, so maybe not the best for more windy days. Otherwise, a nice beach for escaping the crowds :)

 

Of course, there’s plenty more beaches to be discovered in Santorini! Use these as your starting point – they’re nice and more quiet, also very different from each other. Going to a beach in Santorini is a whole adventure, they come in all shapes and sizes. Enjoy the summer and sea you there!

Photo by Anna Sulte santorini honeymoon photographer

Top spots to watch the Santorini sunset

Posted in About Santorini, TipsTagged , , , , , , 3 Comments

Top spots to watch the Santorini sunset

 

Sunsets in Santorini are a big deal. When the time comes, everyone heads out to their secret spot to watch the sun slide into the Aegean Sea. And it’s totally understandable – the island envelops in the magical golden hour light and it’s truly magical.

 

Of course, it is beautiful on any corner of the island, but some spots are more beautiful than others in this time. And today is your lucky day, because I have some to share :) Here’s some Santorini sunset spots that I often use for photographing or just chilling with some good wine:

 

  • Amoudi bay
  • Santo Wines
  • Church of Prophet Ilias in Imerovigli
  • Akrotiri light house

 

If you have the time, why not stop by a new place every evening? Start with these and you won’t be disappointed for sure. Just type this in your favorite navigation device and head on an adventure! As for things to do, some like to do a small picnic, others bring a bottle of wine and that special other (and a camera of course).

 

The kinds of sunsets here make you appreciate the people you are sharing them with. Because that is what truly matters.

 

Flying to Santorini direct or through Athens – pros and cons

Posted in About Santorini, TipsTagged , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Flying to Santorini direct or through Athens – pros and cons

 

The Santorini adventure begins even before you step on the island. Getting here is a quest, especially if you come from outside Europe – embrace the adventure and soak in the most of it! You read the title, today we’ll look at some basic pros and cons for choosing whether to fly directly to Santorini or to the capital Athens first. I’m by no means an expert, but here’s some of my own thoughts sprinkled with some things I’ve heard from the couples I’ve photographed over the years.

 

Direct flight to Santorini

  • Many times these end up costing more money, the companies know that Santorini is a hot destination so they adjust their airfare accordingly.
  • Flying direct you obviously save some time spent in the airports
  • These days airport worker strikes might occur – these people are fighting for better payment terms and that’s fine but you might get caught in the middle. So if you choose to fly direct, you minimise the chance of being stuck in an airport.
  • The island weather is a bit unpredictable, so you might have a bit of a rough flight if you come from overseas and the landing can’t be scheduled for a later time. Nothing serious, but if you’re not too comfortable with some turbulence, Athens will probably be more smooth sailing.

 

Flight through Athens

  • Well, you get to see Athens! That is, if you plan it right. I would recommend staying there for a day or two, best at the end of your travel – it’s a vibrant city with rich history and you can only gain more from your travels.
  • If you end up doing it, it of course comes with some costs, generally short hotel stays will be more expensive than longer package deals.
  • If you go for a simple layover without staying, you might save some money on the airfare expenses.
  • As said before, you have a bit more risk to get stuck in the airport due to strikes. In this case you could choose ferry for alternative travel option.
  • There’s also a slight possibility that your luggage can be lost. On long overseas flights that happens more often. Nothing is lost at the end, but you might arrive to Santorini and have to wait for your bag to catch up :)

 

So here’s some things to consider. Of course, do your own research for precise dates before choosing, but these should serve as general pointers on what to look out for.

Santorini located photographer Anna Sulte

Boho chic style adventure in Santorini

Posted in Anniversary, Culture, Photo Session, TipsTagged , , , , , , Leave a comment

Boho chic style adventure in Santorini.

 

Santorini is a place known for its scenic landscape with traditional Greek buildings on the Caldera and it attracts thousands of tourists every season. With that comes some pretty standard ways of enjoying what the island has to offer. But there are alternatives.

If you’re looking to strand off the beaten path a bit and do things differently and are looking for more of the authentic island life, this is for you. Tourists usually flock to Oia and that’s for a reason – it has most of the scenic architecture and little churches that couples love. It’s a great place to visit, but the crowds of tourists might ruin your vibe a bit in the busy season.

What you can do is to look at smaller, not so popular villages like Emporio and Pyrgos – these are places where you will meet locals more frequently and see people living a simple and sincere life – if you visit a cafe, you can be pretty sure that it is frequented by locals. Or you can set on your own little adventure equipped with fresh Greek produce and wine (of course) and head to a spot on the Caldera and then end the day with a magnificent sunset view from one of the rooftops in Akrotiri just to meet the sun early next day on a peaceful beach walk.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can always find ways to enjoy places a bit differently than the crowd and find your own little diamonds on the island and connect with locals and your fellow travellers on a different level. And above all, remember:

”The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”  (Marcel Proust)

Photo from photo shoot with Danielle and Keith.

 

 

The ultimate Santorini Instagram spot list – the best places to level up your profile

Posted in About Santorini, Places, TipsTagged , , , , , , Leave a comment

The ultimate Santorini Instagram spot list – the best places to level up your profile

 

This small island in the Aegean Sea could be the most Instagramable place on earth – there are small alleys, white church domes, cliffs and lots of other picturesque places and small details literally everywhere you go. But some places are true gems, and today you get the insider knowledge on where to head to take your Instagram game to the next level!

 

Red Beach

The Red Beach of Santorini is the perfect place for your laid back exploring shots while getting your tan on. This is a volcanic island and the red color of the sand is the proof for it – the red sand is literally formed from the elements remaining from the volcanic eruptions that formed the whole island, how cool is that!?

 

Oia Blue Domes and Oia crosses

The Oia church domes and the cross are among the most essential Santorini views. The traditional cathedral has nice views and the essential Santorini architecture look. The most daring even go up to the cross – be careful, this is more dangerous than it looks. The best time to arrive is early afternoon, when there’s not so many people around.

 

Oia Castle

This place is usually crowded in sunsets, and it’s for a good reason! The views from there are majestic. Here’s a pro Instagram tip – instead of lining up with hordes of tourists, get up nice and early and go for the sunrise, it’s even more beautiful!

 

Santorini Doors

Keep an eye out for the unique doors all over the island. It’s a great opportunity to frame portraits and get creative. The best thing is that there are hundreds of them and you can discover new ones every day! Watch these types of details and you’ll be amazed of the little things.

 

Other honorable mentions

There are many other really good Santorini Instagram spots, here’s a small rundown of the remaining essential ones: Amoudi Bay, Imerovigli steps and of course the wonderful small streets of Eborio or Pyrgos. These are some of the top places, but I encourage you to stay curious and look around everywhere you go in Santorini, there are hidden unknown gems everywhere – I live here and I never run out of things to photograph :)

 

Photos by Anna Sulte, photographer based in Santorini