Santorini Reviews -General

It was our first time in Santorini and generally we had a nice time. The beaches were beautiful. We loved the swimming and snorkeling was a great experience. We very much enjoyed walking around the villages, looking at the scenery and shopping. Food was also great. We are a family of 5 and ate all of our meals out. It was a great benefit to ask the local people and the hotel were to eat.

However, we were quite disappointed by the local people. In Italy and Greece, we did not feel that we had to watch our backs all the time. In Santorini, we were scammed by multiple people. It was frustrating to have to be so cautious. We hired a van to take us to our hotel from the ferry. There were no working seat belts for us! We got gas on the way from Akrotiri to Thira (a gas station that only accepts cash, that should have warned us). He scammed us by charging us for gas and not putting any in. The gas tank needle did not move.

We also got a parking ticket that said 80 euros on it. We had no idea where it was illegal to park (the car rental should give a handout). 80 euros is an exhorbitant price. In our largest cities in Canada, we don't charge even close to that amount for a parking mistake. I am sure the local Santorini people don't pay those prices. The car rental said it would only cost us 40 euros in the end. We don't know yet though and I am not likely to believe them given our experience there. Many of the people of Santorini seem annoyed by the existence of the tourists. Having said that, one of the people at our hotel was very helpful. The rest were rude. We found the shopkeepers in Oia to be very friendly, nice people.