I may or may not give a straight answer about where I would go back to, but I can absolutely tell you which place so far has lived up to all the hype. Santorini, Greece. In fact, this destination exceeded my high expectations which were first molded by Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Don’t judge me. We were there for 3 days and despite it being a small island, I could have easily stayed there for at least another week. It will surprise no one that my fascination starts with the geological aspects of the island formed by the volcano. Thermal waters, volcanic activity, implosion, Greece’s own Pompeii at the Akrotiri Archaeological site - Enough said.
Putting all the volcano talk aside the island is packed with some great scenic versatility. From the black, white, and red sand beaches to dramatic cliffs, to cliff-side villages and fishing docks, to the sun-dried grilled octopus and other fresh seafood there was always something new and beautiful to experience and photograph. There are two areas that seemed to get most of the tourist attention - Oia and Fira. My wife and I stayed in Imerovigli, which after some small talk with locals seemed like the best decision - and we were proven right on our first night there.
Imerovigli is a small town perched on the cliff not too far from Fira. We stayed at a place called Above Blue Suites with views to the Aegean Sea and picturesque views of the towns around us where beautiful white houses with blue tops packed the cliff-sides. It seemed like while we were living in each moment, nothing could possibly get more beautiful, yet we were proven wrong over and over again. And then it was time for sunset and I found extremely hard to appreciate beautiful anymore after getting punched in the face with breathtaking. The sunsets here are something that words can’t honestly describe other than this; I felt like Robin Williams in the final heaven scene of What Dreams May Come. I am sure many may disagree, but the hype of Santorini sunsets alone lived up to expectations. Just make sure you enjoy the best part of it when the sun finally sets behind the horizon and the afterglow brings out amazing colors.
Do yourself a favor and explore the whole island from all perspectives. Get on a boat, climb to the highest point, get lost in some ally-ways, walk the steps to Amoudi Bay. It is ALL worth it on this island.
Santorini sunset afterglow with the town of Oia to the right.