Santorini, Greece

Possibly one of the coolest perks of being a photographer is some of the places that it has taken me, along with the incredible community that I've found among my peers. So when my incredible friend Rachael booked an elopement in Santorini and was figuring out logistics of bringing a second shooter, it didn't take long before both me + another friend decided it was the perfect reason to tag along! Here is a peek into some of our Santorini adventures exploring the island and living our...holy cow...BEST LIVES :D

Day One | Vothonas + Santos Winery

After a full day + night of travel we started our first day familiarizing ourselves with the walkable little town of Vothonas. With groceries bought and a delicious breakfast had on our adorable patio, we headed out to explore our surroundings. While trailing through the winding roads toward the cliffside, we passed a handful of the tiny churches Vothonas is known for, along with countless wildflower-filled fields and wandering horses. After a beautiful thirty minute walk we arrived at Santos Winery, which sits perched atop the cliffside, overlooking a majority of the northern side of the island. The views were...INCREDIBLE...and the wine was too. Running on little sleep, we headed back for a nap, before catching a bus into the more populated town of Fira to do some shopping + have dinner overlooking the volcano (The restaurant was called Rastoni).

Day Two | Perissa Beach + Pyrgos

Tagging along on the "adventure photoshoot" day the team had planned left us plenty of time to explore + play at the locations chosen. First up was Perissa Beach - famous for it's black, pebble beaches + cliffside views Perissa. Since we arrived at the end of the off-season, most everything on this side of the cliff was empty or closed, meaning that we had the beach almost completely to ourselves. Of course there were plenty of stray dogs + cats to share it with.

Pyrgos was definitely one of my favorite areas to explore...steep, winding walkways zigzagging past shops, homes and churches leading up toward some of the most incredible views.

I absolutely fell in love with the shapes, colors and textures of the architecture.

Day Three | Santorini Brewing + Kamari Beach

Day Four | Catamaran Cruise

After a late night out, that included a spectacular midnight display of fireworks celebrating Greek Easter, we couldn't have planned this relaxing cruise more perfectly. I HIGHLY recommend taking the time to do this...especially if you only have a few days to tour. There are plenty of companies to book through, so I encourage you to take a look at a few here! Our cruise took us to a handful of secluded beaches, sailed around the volcano and swam in the hot springs. Of course we did it...although during the off-season, the hot springs are "not so hot". Oh well!

Day Five | Oia

On our last full day we took a leisurely approach, with a relaxing morning at our hotel followed by a day exploring the romantic town of Oia.

We walked through the bustling cobblestone streets, lined with glitzy shops + souvenir stands alike, headed down toward the famous Amoudi Bay. While the upper section of Oia was crowded with tourists, the farther we wandered down the steep, slippery stone trail, the quieter it got. By the time we reached the bottom if felt like there weren't more than 40 people throughout the entire bay. After seeing recommendations from almost every source, we enjoyed a beer + fried calamari at Katina Fish Tavern.

Oia absolutely lived up to it's highly-romanticized reputation, with its adorable shops, iconic blue domes and spectacular views. While all of Santorini was an incredible + beautiful experience, it is obviously a heavily populated tourist destination. The greek people that we met were hands down some of the nicest, most hospitable people that I've ever come in contact with, and frankly I just can't wait to explore more of Greece in hopes to experience less tourists + more of the Greek culture.