JULY 2022
I was a bit hesitant when we were planning on visiting Santorini with little Hugo as it does not seem like a kid friendly destination. Santorini is known as the ultimate honeymoon destination, but if you are willing to do a bit of planning you can have the best time with kids as well! In this blog I will share all my recommendations for visiting Santorini with kids of several ages.
Santorini with a baby/toddler
Baby carrier: If you are visiting with a baby or toddler, who is not able to walk independently for long stretches, it is best to bring a baby carrier. The main towns on Santorini (Fira, Oia and Imerovigli) feature a lot of stairs and it is absolutely impossible to walk around with a stroller. We brought our travel baby carrier and were able to bring Hugo everywhere. Hugo also loves to walk the stairs and Santorini gave him plenty of opportunities to practice his skills.
Think about location: If you want to do some sightseeing with your baby it is important to think about the location you would want to be in very well. We decided to stay in the heart of Oia as that was the location that we wanted to explore. Hugo takes two naps during the day and we were able to accommodate that from a very nice place. If your baby does two naps you do not want to waste any extra time on travel. He usually wakes up at around 7-7.30AM which is the perfect time to start exploring Oia, before it gets really crowded. Our hotel was located in “the sunset view” of Oia, meaning we could watch the sunset from our terrace. This was perfect as we could bring Hugo to bed and enjoy the sunset and a glass of Vinsanto by ourselves.
Water fun: It might be worth it to spend some extra cash on a hotel with a tub. We visited Santorini with my mother and sister, so we booked three rooms of which one had a jacuzzi (unfortunately not an outdoor one). Hugo loved splashing around in it and it definitely added fun to our holiday!
Playgrounds: I was surprised to find a playground in the middle of Oia. It is called Parque Oia and located next to the iconic bell tower of Santorini. We loved letting Hugo play for a little bit, so he could lose some energy before he had to sit in the baby carrier again 😉 Luckily most destinations have kids living there, so you will find playgrounds in the most unexpected locations.
Baby chairs: We found that most restaurants had a baby chair, but we still brought our “totseat” portable travel chair so Hugo was assured of a chair as well. Especially when you are traveling without a stroller, it is nice to know this upfront. You can also hire baby items on Santorini, I found this website.
Recommendations for older kids
Santorini is a very different island, than for example Tenerife, which features a water park and a beautiful zoo. The tourism on Santorini is aimed at adults, with activities such as wine tasting, hiking, exclusive dining and sunset cruises. However we spoke to a couple with kids with ages between 5-10 years and they also had a great time at Santorini. If you are visiting with older kids I would recommend staying in a hotel/appartment with a pool. This is unaffordable if you are staying in Oia, so I would recommend to do this near one of the beach towns such as Perissa or Kamari and rent a car to get around. The kids found the island very scenic as well and found driving on the island a great activity, with lots of twists and turns and hills. If your kids don’t have to sleep during the day, location is less important. You don’t have to stay in Oia and can rent a more affordable hotel with a swimming pool instead.
