- Désirs de Voyages July-August 2025 edition focuses on Santorini.
- Magali Frère visited for an official press trip in May 2025.
- In-depth look at Santorini’s luxury, wellness, local life, and top-tier food and wine.
- Features jaw-dropping landscapes, volcanic beaches, and iconic villages.
- Audience: French-speaking high-income travelers who seek unique experiences.
- Print runs of 70,000 copies, plus significant digital reach.
The French Luxury Travel Bible Gives Santorini a Starring Role
Désirs de Voyages, France’s leading luxury travel and lifestyle magazine, devoted its July-August 2025 issue to the iconic island of Santorini. The spotlight follows a trip by travel writer Magali Frère, who spent May 8-13, 2025, on the island during a press trip arranged by tourism authorities and local officials, including the Municipality of Thira and its council president, Georgia Nomikou. The result is a six-page spread titled “The Best of Santorini – The Cycladic Gem”, capturing both the island’s obvious draw and its hidden corners.
The coverage, created during an expertly planned journey, lands in the hands of Désirs de Voyages’ well-heeled audience, primarily urban and mostly over 35, eager to discover genuine luxury far from the usual crowds. Print issues number 70,000, often reprinted, with a lifespan of three months after release and 180,000 readers overall. The digital edition is available for sale through major platforms, including Cafeyn, Fnac, Apple, Viapresse, and Tourabo, reaching not only France but also Canada, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Morocco, Tunisia, and French territories overseas. Since September 2023, online sales have jumped by nearly 40%, making Désirs de Voyages the second most downloaded magazine, behind GEO magazine. This kind of reach ensures travellers everywhere get a perfect taste of Santorini at its best.
From the very first lines, Frère sets the tone: “A place like no other… without rivals among the Cyclades, its volcanic shores and villages perched on high cliffs are unforgettable.” She goes beyond postcard photos, showing how Santorini offers not just dramatic vistas but also refined living and deep tradition—a message tailored for luxury-seeking French travellers.
What Sets Santorini Apart: Sights, Flavours, and Experiences
Frère spares the clichés, instead highlighting the island’s dramatic volcanic coastline, black and ochre cliffs, and those famous whitewashed villages teetering over the Aegean. “It’s undeniably the most famous of the Cyclades, the archetypal postcard island. Its volcanic beaches and black rocks host white villages clinging to cliff edges—there’s nothing quite like it.”
Santorini is described as a land of vivid contrast, where traditional ways shape everyday life. Take the vineyards, for example. “Here, the vines are wound into nests to protect them from the wind—an ancient trick. They survive on nutrient-rich volcanic soil, not watered but left to draw sustenance deep below the surface.” No empty praise—these tough vines produce Assyrtiko, a white wine that’s now an international standard. The magazine nods to local wineries, such as Sigalas, where oenologists invite visitors for tastings at sunset, nestled between rows of vines.
Food lovers get more than just a mention of healthy Greek cuisine. Specialities like fava (yellow split peas, pureed or fried) and the unique Santorinian “olive” tomato take centre stage. Frère suggests a visit to the Tomato Industrial Museum for a comprehensive exploration of the island’s tomato history, describing it as “a gorgeously restored factory close to the legendary black sand beach, where augmented reality brings the tomato’s story to life.” For even more authenticity, guests can join a cooking class at Anydro Vlyhada farm, where Ana Maria welcomes visitors with homegrown charm and classic recipes under the shade of ancient trees.
Hotel lovers will find paradise in places like Perivolas. “Its rooms and suites nestle into the cliffside, carved into the rock itself. These troglodyte cocoons, bright white against blinding blue sea, offer private pools and the illusion of isolation—a perfect spot for lovers or honeymooners.” Gastronomy plays its part, too, with top restaurants such as Lauda, where French star chef Emmanuel Renault oversees dishes that make Santorini’s humble ingredients shine alongside lobster and caviar.
Why Désirs de Voyages Readers Return to Santorini
Désirs de Voyages attracts readers with high expectations and the means to match. They often return to favourite spots, and Santorini matches their longing for fresh experiences with all the trimmings—luxury, wellness, cuisine, and culture. Most travel with family, partners, or solo, taking three or four major trips a year. The magazine’s coverage reads like a checklist of what this crowd craves:
- Breathtaking landscapes, unlike anywhere else in Greece;
- Wellness experiences and world-class hospitality;
- A flourishing food scene, from humble fava beans to fine dining with renowned chefs;
- Distinctive wine tastings and tours led by passionate locals;
- Insider moments and hands-on activities, like farm cooking classes or museum tours;
- Iconic sights with just enough privacy and space to feel special;
- Repeat visits motivated by authenticity, not hype.
“Santorini does not kid around with gastronomy—there’s something for every palate, and every budget.” When a leading French magazine singles out Santorini, it’s not hype. For the thousands of loyal Désirs de Voyages readers, it’s a well-drawn map to a place that keeps calling them back.
