Inside the sun soaked European island with ‘warm golden water’ which is just a few hours from the UK
SIPPING wine on board a plush private motorboat, hair flowing in the breeze, I knew this was a holiday we would never forget.
Dad and I gazed in awe at the turquoise Aegean Sea as it washed against the bright red cliffs of Santorini.
Noticing our admiration, Captain Spyros remarked: “It’s nature’s very own Picasso.”
He was right.
The Greek island looks as if you have stepped into a painting — a landscape so beautiful you need to pinch yourself to guarantee it’s real.
I couldn’t think of a better sun-soaked spot for a holiday with my father.
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During the pandemic I could not see him at all.
And even now quality time with my parents is limited, as they live in Switzerland and I have a busy life in the UK.
So, family holidays are precious.
Luckily, travel firm Eliza Was Here makes organising them really easy, arranging the important details — flights, hotel and a hire car for the week — all bundled into one price.
Plus, the neat package was settled with just the click of a button.
Eliza’s website offers budget stays at “off the beaten track” locations across Europe, but without compromising on quality — and our hotel on the coastline of Santorini, the stunning Desiterra resort, ticked all of these boxes.
Standing ovation
In a quiet spot, away from the buzzing tourist towns of Fira and Oia, the hotel is an oasis, with two large pools overlooking the ocean and a private plunge pool in every room.
Desiterra describes itself as “barefoot luxury” and it’s not hard to see why, with laidback holidaymakers padding from curtained day bed to pool and back.
There’s also a spa that does Mediterranean salt scrubs with exfoliating olive seeds and Argan oil, and has Jacuzzi and sauna areas that can be booked privately.
We felt wonderfully isolated from the main tourist spots, but were grateful for our hire car which meant we could get out and explore the best of the region.
A ten-minute drive took us to the city of Fira, the capital of Santorini and a picture-perfect spot for dinner with white-washed buildings perched on a cliffside overlooking the ocean.
You’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to food here, but for a truly divine Greek feast, head to the cliff-top restaurant Kaliya.
There are plenty of boat hire companies with yachts and sailing vessels on the island, which can be picked up from Oia or Fira.
For eight tranquil hours we marvelled at “nature’s Picassos” and sea stacks that looked like sculptures in an art gallery.
Towering cliffs changed colours as the boat steered between coves, turning from red to white then yellow.
Beaming Captain Spyros, who spent eight years in the Hellenic Navy, kept the drinks flowing and he was always sure to anchor at the prettiest spots so we could jump in the refreshing, but by no means cold, sea.
The highlight of our boat tour was stopping at a hot spring near a small extinct volcano by the mainland.
It was like stepping into a giant Mediterranean bath with warm golden water.
The other real beauty about travelling by boat is that no where is off limits and you can access certain spots that you can’t reach by car.
For dinner, Spyros steered us to Thirasia, the small island opposite Santorini.
It’s so small that only 200 people live there and there’s next to no accommodation, but the excellent restaurants on the bay are a favourite among yacht travellers and a key reason to visit.
As we tucked into fresh seafood, meats and salads at Captain John restaurant, we were given front-row seats to a sunset worthy of a standing ovation.
We grinned as the burning mass painted the sky in deep shades of pink, orange and red.
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It was the perfect finish to a fantastic getaway with Dad.
I’ve promised Mum it’s her turn next time.