Travel Tuesday: Ammoudi in Oia–Santorini

I never dreamed of going to Santorini. It was always one of those places that I thought was surreally beautiful and unreachable. A place that did not exist other than in photoshopped postcards. The truth is that Santorini is even more beautiful than the most stunning photograph on any postcard that depicts it. The sky, and the Aegan sea are a deep shade of blue. The sun is so bright that it makes all the colors pop. Oia, a small and picturesque town in Santorini, is one of the most romantic places I’ve ever been to.

Oia is perched high, stunning cliffs surrounding it. You will find Ammoudi bay some 220 treacherous steps below Oia . The only sign you will find to guide you is this one:

Those are 220 slanted, uneven, and misshapen steps that you will have to climb back up. Ammoudi Bay is a small harbor with a pebble beach and many tavernas with fresh seafood. Fishermen tie their boats to poles in the water and then jump on the restaurants’ platforms to deliver their catch of the day.

Ammoudi is also one of the places where you can see the famous Santorini donkeys. Did I mention you have to share your path with them? Of course, you can always choose to ride a donkey down to and back up from Ammoudi, I just didn’t have the heart to do it.

Although it’s a gorgeous spot, the reason for my trek down to Ammoudi was to have a meal at Katina. You can’t mistake it, the cheerful orange chairs stand out before you complete your descent down the 220 steps.

Once my boyfriend and I arrived at Katina, we were offered drinks and then we were led inside to choose from their fresh seafood display. We ordered a Greek salad, chargrilled octopus, and grilled seabream. Our server recommended that we try a fried red mullet, as it is considered a Mediterranean delicacy. We enjoyed a lazy afternoon lunch, and savored every bite of food and every sip of our drinks without being rushed.

At the end we were stuffed.

I don’t know how I made it up those steps and back to my hotel. Needless to say, once back at the hotel I only had energy to end the day on a chair by the pool.

A shout out to Robyn Webb, who gave me fabulous recommendations for Santorini when I was absolutely clueless about where to stay, what to see, and where to eat. Katina was Robyn’s recommendation, and it was simply fantastic.