Airfare: This was a surprise trip for Erika’s birthday. I saw a flight deal from L.A. to Athens for $500 RT on Air Canada, so I booked it right away. This was about 6 months before the trip, so I began planning the best birthday surprise you could hope for. I led Erika on a treasure hunt with clues that ultimately led her to believe we were flying to L.A. for the week and staying on the beach. So we hopped on that flight (which we get free due to Southwest points and the coveted Companion Pass), and she didn’t know until we got to L.A. and I gave her the real final clue. Then we headed to Greece!

Transportation: In the Greece mainland, it’s very simple to rent and drive a car. We weren’t going to be on the mainland very long though, so we just used Uber once we landed to get a ride to our hotel. On the island of Santorini, we arranged directly with our hotel to pick-up/drop-off from the airport and our hotel. It added like $60 to the bill total, but was 100% worth it since we were on the opposite side of the island. Uber and other ride share services won’t work very well on the islands, so be sure to arrange something beforehand since taxis are more expensive.

Hotels: On the mainland, we stayed in the town of Vouliagmeni on the coast (outside of Athens). It was a beautiful location with lots of water and fun things to do. We stayed in an AirBnb for this portion and it was everything we needed. Once we got to the island of Santorini, I had booked our hotel stay beforehand at the Esperas Santorini. This is known as one of the nicest hotels and locations on the island, and for good reason. It normally costs $250-400 per night, but we paid most of it with Chase points, so we only spent about $110 cash. This hotel is located in the town of Oia (pronouned: ee-yuh) and I promise on everything that is holy, this is the town you want to stay in on the island. This is where everyone flocks to watch the sunsets, and you don’t have to deal with it at all since you’ve got your own private hotel that doesn’t allow all those people in. The pool is exactly like you see in pictures with the white caves and whatnot. You will not be disappointed if you stay here.

Food: Minus the views and vibe of Santorini, this was the best part of the trip. Erika and I both love Greek food to begin with, but getting it so authentic and fresh was life-changing. At the hotel, they literally give you a huge sheet with all the menu items for breakfast, and you just mark whichever ones you want them to bring, and what time you want them to bring it the next morning. Since food is my second love, I decided to put a check mark next to every item on the menu...The staff didn’t even make me feel bad about it, so that was a plus, and we had a massive feast each morning for breakfast. The gyros made me cry they were so good, and the greek yogurt is so different than what we have here in the USA. I’ve considered on multiple occasions having the yogurt imported in for lots of $$$ just so we can eat it again.

Activities: On the mainland we went to Vouliagmeni Lake, which is a small lake below some cliffs. It is more like a country club, where you pay for entrance and then enjoy the amenities, restaurant, etc. We also visited Vouliagmeni Beach, which has a small entrance fee but is relaxing and enjoyable. It’s similar to most beach feels, but the water is incredibly clear. In Santorini, we took Sunset Catamaran Cruise (booked through viator.com) and it was worth every penny. We sailed around the island, saw the volcanic hot springs, snorkeled by the pristine red sand beach and white sand beach, and were bbq’d the most tasty dinner in the middle of the ocean. It ends with the gorgeous sunset that you can’t see anywhere else in the world. It was a little over $100 per person, but we’d do it again in a heartbeat.

— DAL

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— ERIKA