The perfect holiday in Santorini, Greece's most romantic island

Favoured by honeymooners from around the world, there's no denying the romance of Santorini 's volcanic crater with its sheer black and red walls rising steeply to a sugar-sprinkling of white villages where blue-domed churches rub shoulders with gourmet restaurants and boutique hotels – many of them carved out of the kanaves that were once used for storing wine.
Nourished by volcanic ash from the c.1600 BC eruption that decimated the island's Minoan population, Santorini's fertile soil is used to grow grapes that make inimitable wines, along with sweet cherry tomatoes, unique white aubergines and the yellow split pea fava that star in the island's distinctive dishes.
The caldera-side capital Fira, with its shop-lined streets, and Oia's castle sunset spot and are, understandably, the main draw for many travellers. From ancient kalderimi hiking paths to lost-in-the-past hamlets and family-run vineyards, however, Santorini also has another more authentic side that's well worth discovering.
For more Santorini inspiration, see our guides to the island's best hotels, restaurants, bars, things to do and beaches.
How to spend your weekend
How to get there and how to get around
When to go
Where to stay
Know before you go
How to spend your weekend
Day one: morning
Pack swimwear and set out before sunrise to explore the top end of the island, stretching from Oia in the north to Akrotiri in the south. From 10am onwards when the cruise hordes arrive, Oia is jam-packed, but in the early morning, the island's famed white village is far more manageable, making it the perfect time to get photos of sunrise spilling its pink-orange glow over the caldera from Oia's celebrated 15th-century castle.

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