nstead of hauling beach towels and bottles of lukewarm water all the way to the seaside, bag a sunbed at one of Santorini‘s best beach bars, with thatched umbrellas, live music, laidback lunch menus and cocktails infused with holiday spirit.
THEROS WAVE BAR- Santorini’s volcanic beaches look extraordinary, but they aren’t actually great for a cooling dip. The sea can be murky and the natural drama diluted by the thrum of basslines and jet skis. Vlychada is the polar opposite – it’s like swimming on the moon. And finding this mellow hangout on the beach is half the fun; navigating the dirt track through wind-sculpted rocks is like careening through a scene from Star Wars. Reggae floats across the terrace down to sunbeds shaded with thatched umbrellas. Get the party started with Palomas (mezcal, agave syrup and grapefruit soda). Address: Theros Wave Bar, Vlyhada, Thira 847 00, Greece
- Telephone: +30 22861 12015
Website: theroswavebar.grANA LUI
- Telephone: +30 22861 12015
- KATHAROS LOUNGE
- Only a few minutes from Oia, on a narrow deck wedged into a ravine and overlooking a secret beach, is the perfect post-swim hideout. It’s the creation of Bronte Oh and Vasilis Kavallierakis. Oh’s vegetarian menu is bright and beautiful: a rainbow of beetroot, orange, rocket and feta, griddled cauliflower with salsa verde, and smoked aubergine speckled with pomegranates. It’s easy to linger long past sunset drinking Crazy Donkey IPA (brewed locally), especially if some musicians show up – maybe a jazz trio, or a Syrian playing the oud. Address: Katharos Lounge, Oia 847 02, Santorini, Greece
- Telephone: +30 6970966754
Website: facebook.com/Katharos-LoungeGETTY IMAGES
- Telephone: +30 6970966754
- YALOS
- Exo Yalos roughly translates as ‘the outback beach’. Beside a huddle of tumbledown fishermen’s shacks and a marina bobbing with wooden boats, it feels deliciously out of sync with frenetically popular beaches such as Perivolos, Perissa and Kamari. Between sandstone cliffs and crashing waves (the beach catches the north wind), Yalos is a converted boatshed with a laid-back, surf’s-up vibe. After dark, there are bonfires in the shadows, tables in the sand, and garlands of lanterns twinkling between the canvas sails overhead. Order the catch of the day three ways: sashimi, ceviche and simply grilled. Address: Yalos, Exo Gialos Beach, Fira, Santorini, PO 84700
- Telephone: +30 22860 25816
Website: yalos-santorini.com
- Telephone: +30 22860 25816
THEROS WAVE BAR
Source: cntraveller.com
