Bienvenue à Santorin

Start with a transfer straight from the airport; the first 30 minutes of the drive let the island announce itself without you doing anything. Skip Fira on day one — it’s too concentrated for a tired traveller. Aim for Pyrgos instead, or Megalochori, where the pace is human and you can actually hear the wind.

Dinner: something small and local. We’ll recommend places based on your hotel; there’s no single right answer, but the wrong answer is always the closest tourist menu to the caldera railing.

Morning: the best light is between 7 and 9am, and Oia is yours if you arrive before the cruise shuttles. That’s when the photographs happen without people in them.