My trip to Santorini is one of the most memorable of all my travels, and I’ll definitely go back…in October when it’s cooler and less crowded. But this trip had to be in June when crowds are the worst. Add to that the fact that it was the hottest summer in European history and…well…yeah. Still, as I always do, I made the most of the trip and found ways to get around the crowds. If you visit Santorini, Greece in the summer, I hope these tips help you.

One of my favorite things about travel is those surprises that come out of nowhere. Imagine my delight when walking back to my Athens hotel in the evening, I stumbled across this gem! The fantastical Little Kook is an explosion of  Mary Poppins magic and sprinkles. It’s a sweets shop, selling gelato and pastries. I didn’t stop for a bite, but I reveled in the candycolored wonder that had taken over this quiet Greek alley. The servers were dressed up like Mary Poppins and Bert, and tourists all around me (including me) were snapping Insta-worthy shots left and right. It’s…

On my recent solo trip to Santorini, I divided my weeklong stay into two parts: the first half, I rented a traditional Cycladic home in Megalochori, and the second half, I stayed on the beach in Perissa. Both experiences were wonderful, but Megalochori stole my heart.