Getaway Vacation to Greece: Santorini

Next stop: Santorini!

After another beautiful ferry ride across the Mediterranean Sea, we arrived in Santorini, already in awe of the dramatic landscape we saw from the boat. I knew little about the island before we arrived, but had read about the caldera and volcanic history there. As we approached the island, it was clear to see the different layers of earth – something I’d never seen before – as if it’d been sliced open and we could see the brown, red and orange layers of Santorini, towering tall above the deep, blue water.

We hopped in a bus to be taken to our hotel, up and over the narrow switchbacks etched into the mountain. It took at least 15 minutes just to get from sea-level up to the top, and then we were finally heading through Fira to get to Oia, just in time for the famous sunset we’d be hearing about. We stayed at the (wonderful!) Laokosti Villas, at the very beginning of the foot path that runs over a mile through the quaint, quiet, charming town of Oia, where it ends at the 200-steps down to Ammoudi Bay. We saw this church right away and decided it must be "the one" that's shown in all the pictures. We soon learned that these magnificent, blue-domed churches are everywhere, dotting the island in such a unique way.

We dropped off our luggage and then a brisk walk turned into a run as we raced to see the sun go down, catching it just in time, along with hundreds of tourists hoping to do the same. It was beautiful, but what was almost more beautiful was the orange, golden glow on the caldera and the U-shaped island, buildings and Greek churches sparkling in the last remaining bits of day light. We walked back along the foot path to our hotel, admiring all of the hotels built right into the steep cliffs of Oia. I loved all the swimming pools with their colored lights, against the white-washed buildings and night sky. It was beautiful and so, so different from anywhere we’ve stayed before.

My husband had been craving some good, Greek street food, so we set out to find the perfect gyro, and boy, did we find it. We went to Oia Souvlaki, in a little alley way near the Oia bus stop. We ordered two gyros and Greek salad at the counter, and they brought our food to our table on the patio, under the wood canopy. It was very cute, and the food was outstanding. This was somewhat ironic because Oia is one of the more upscale towns in Santorini, full of honeymooners and couples setting out for fancy, expensive meals. And I think we paid less than $10 for this unbelievable meal. We left with full bellies and happy hearts, and strolled back through the town, stopping for a Greek dessert at a little café overlooking the ocean and all the little swimming pools lit up beneath us. It was a wonderful first night in Oia.

We woke up early the next day to do a hike from Fira to Oia.  This was by far the best thing we did in Santorini; possibly all of Greece! If you enjoy being active, outdoors, and seeing magnificent views on vacation, then don't let anyone discourage you from doing this! I’d read about this online and it sounded somewhat like the hike you can take through all five towns in Cinque Terre, Italy, which is quite possibly my favorite place on Earth. We took a 20-minute bus ride to Fira (about $2 one-way on the public bus), and were on our way! The hike took us about four hours – I think it’s seven miles? We stopped to take pictures and to enjoy the scenery, so it was definitely a leisurely hike. First you walk through the narrow footpath through Fira, similar to Oia, walking past all these hotels, restaurants, shops, again built right into the cliffs. There were stairs leading to little lookout points as we strolled through Fira, and then we finally got through the town into more of a hike, on a dirt path, looking right out onto the ocean with the caldera straight in front of us, cruise ships starting to dock. 

We stumbled upon Greek churches, remote hotels, but mostly we passed magnificent views in every direction. This was by far the best thing we did in Santorini; possibly all of Greece. The views were so stunning, from the crystal clear water down below, to the deepest blue I’ve ever seen out in front of us, to what looked like snow-capped mountains with the distant town’s white-washed buildings crawling up the side of the cliffs.  If you enjoy being outside, active, and getting away from the tourists, and marveling in the beauty of a new place, I can’t recommend this enough. It was just awe-inspiring.

The hike ends in Oia, but we actually continued on down the footpath to the 200 steps at Ammoudi Bay because we’d made reservations for a sunset sail! The walk through Oia before sunset is so beautiful; the way the light hits the buildings. There were what felt like a thousand tourists walking around, rushing in and out of little alleyways and staircases, trying to get the same, perfect picture. We finally made it out of the tourist maze (I can see why people enjoy going in the off-season!), and arrived at Ammoudi Bay. This is a cute, little bay with a few fish restaurants, and is the docking point for many of the sailboats and catamarans. Just like the drive from the ferry, here the steps were etched into the mountain like switchbacks, and you could see the reds and browns striping the mountain like something out of a painting.

We set out on our sunset sail, gliding through the Mediterranean Sea, looking up in amazement at the steep cliffs, the whitewashed buildings perched on top like snow-capped mountains. We first docked near the caldera at a hot springs area where the water is slightly warmer than the rest of the sea due to geothermic activity. We dove off the boat and swam into the warmer, shallow area, soaking in the warmth. The next stop was supposed to be the Red Beach, following by the White beach, but the currents were too strong that day so we docked near the island opposite the caldera (can’t remember the name) where people actually live and it’s not infiltrated with tourists. We had our Greek-style BBQ there and went snorkeling. The water was pretty cold so we didn’t last long, but it was so clear and beautiful, with the afternoon sunbeams filtering through -- I will never forget it.

From there we set sail back toward Oia, stopping at the perfect spot to watch the sunset. Oh man, was it beautiful! It was worth it just to be away from all the tourists trying to get the perfect angle for their pictures. We picked a great night as there were those low clouds dangling in the blue sky, and what I’ve been calling “pirate ships” dipping toward the horizon, making the most picturesque, fairy tale scene for our sunset sail.

We stayed docked out there until every last bit of pink faded from the sky, and day officially turned to night as the stars and the moon came out, seemingly one by one. We met some fun people and had a great trip – although expensive, I’d highly recommend this to others. We went with Sailing Santorini and they were very easy to work with.

After our sail, we hopped on a shuttle back toward our hotel instead of climbing up the 200 steps in the pitch black after the “all you can drink” Ouzo, Greek beer and wine on the boat. We then decided that although we’d had a Greek BBQ dinner just a few hours ago, we absolutely had to eat at the “pita place” one last night.

The next morning we took the public bus through Fira and to the opposite end of the island to Perissa Beach, one of the few beaches on the island. Santorini isn’t your typical island consisting of beautiful beaches everywhere; most of the island’s towns are high up on the cliffs, and there are only a handful of beaches, most of them with rocks rather than a sandy beach. I think if we’d had more time in Santorini, we would’ve stayed out there at least for a night. 

Perissa Beach was a really fun, very chill area with some bars, restaurants and shops lining the beach. The town, of course, had a Greek church. Unlike the other towns we’d explored though, Perissa was right on the beach at sea level, so it wasn’t quite as dramatic as Fira and Oia with the buildings built up on the steep cliffs. It was, instead, set beneath towering mountains, and the beach itself was that of hot, black, round pebbles. You actually couldn’t walk on the “sand” so the beach was lined with huge outdoor restaurants, chaise lounges underneath umbrellas and walkways perfectly lined from the restaurants to the water, so you could avoid the “sand.” We grabbed a chaise lounge and quickly learned that you had to buy something or pay to sit there, so we had a light lunch (Greek salad) and were able to stay there all afternoon without a problem. This was our last day in Santorini, and in Greece, so we lazed around, reading, going in the water, and walking along the beach, taking it all in, not wanting to leave!

Once 5pm rolled around, it was time to make our way to the ferry, and then back to the Athens airport. (Traveler tip: For anyone going to the airport straight from the ferry terminal, a word of caution that ferry schedules seem to change frequently, and we got in about an hour later than expected, and had to take a cab to the airport rather than the metro. Unfortunately the cab fare increases starting at midnight, so we were forced to take a very expensive, unexpected cab ride in order to make our flight.)

We had a wonderful trip, full of everything we’d dreamed Greece would be -- deep blue water, whitewashed buildings, and water-colored sunsets. Unbelievably fresh Mediterranean food, so simply prepared. Friendly people, ancient history and age-old traditions. I would go back to the Greek islands in a heart beat, and next time, I will go off the beaten path to those less traveled. Mykonos and Santorini were incredible, and I can only imagine the beauty the other islands have to offer.

Previously: Mykonos