As one of the most photogenic Greek islands, I had high expectations for Santorini. What surprised me most was that Oia, the picture-perfect town perched high on the island, is very different to the rest of the volcanic island. We arrived by tender boat after hopping off the cruise ship and met a bus which would drive us up the island to Oia. We passed the island’s strange, flat vineyards, tiny settlements and the capital of Fira as we traversed the dark brown, rocky and often desolate landscape.

Fira is unlike any other capital city I’ve ever visited. I felt more like I was at a suburban village than a capital. Just as Sydney steals the spotlight from Canberra, Oia could be Santorini’s unofficial capital. It was a drive of about 45 minutes to an hour to Oia, so keep in mind when you visit Santorini,  you’ll lose almost an hour and a half in return travel time.

Oia is spectacular. One thing that did surprise me was how many coloured buildings there were, as opposed to the entirely white washed town I had imagined. Mykonos is more monochromatic, but it makes for a more interesting landscape in Oia. We found an amazing rooftop bar and restaurant for dinner, Pelekanos.