Perissa, Santorini

I visited Perissa in Santorini in September 2012. It was my first time back to Greece in 14 years and it made me realise why I fell in love with the Islands over 20 years ago. This was my first visit to Santorini and I stayed at the Sandy Villas in Perissa. They were basic self-catering apartments but had a lovely pool to relax by during the day and a great location to walk to the restaurants and bars. The beach was a bit of a walk but it was worth it to see the black sandy beach with the dramatic back drop of the mountains.

There are plenty of taverna's along the beach where you can sunbathe using their luxury sunbeds for the day (not very expensive) or if eating and drinking there most of them are free.

Santorini is a beautiful island and I would definitely hire a car next time to explore further. We took a lovely sunset cruise and had great views of the Caldera. The capital Thira is worth a visit and few things we missed this time give us an excuse to go back. I would love to explore the volcano and swim in the hot springs, visit the Santo winery and visit Oia for its beautiful sunsets.

The restaurants and bars are all great, especially the Hellas Restaurant in Perissa, with lovely home cooked food and a great friendly service (it made me realise how hospitable the Greek people are). I was expecting Santorini to be expensive but you could get a lovely two course meal and a litre of wine for less than £20 per couple (and they always give you little extras free so you are bursting at the seams).

My passion for Greece has returned and I cannot wait to visit again.