On a summers night, I have sat on the balcony drinking Ouzo, watching the ghosts of Greek Heroes sailing past,
listening to the rustle of their sail cloths and the gentle lapping of their oars…
and lain alongside Pythagoras watching him study the myriad of triangles in the constellations twinkling above us.
Whether it was Crete, the heat, the Ouzo, or a combination,
it is unequaled anywhere other than Santorini, in my humble opinion.
-Phil Simpkin-
listening to the rustle of their sail cloths and the gentle lapping of their oars…
and lain alongside Pythagoras watching him study the myriad of triangles in the constellations twinkling above us.
Whether it was Crete, the heat, the Ouzo, or a combination,
it is unequaled anywhere other than Santorini, in my humble opinion.
-Phil Simpkin-
Day 1 Santorini
We flew into Santorina from Athens and highly recommend this. We had arranged for a transport to take us from the airport to Oia. So easy and a time saver! In Oia, we stayed in a 'cave house' on the side of the caldera. So much fun! |
Sights around Santorini
Santorini is beautiful and bustling! Arriving in May, it wasn't super busy ......yet!
But it was certainly still crowded in certain areas.
The shopping areas can be quite congested with many people taking photos of the architecture (and selfies!)
Santorini is beautiful and bustling! Arriving in May, it wasn't super busy ......yet!
But it was certainly still crowded in certain areas.
The shopping areas can be quite congested with many people taking photos of the architecture (and selfies!)
We walked down, down, down to the Katina Fish Tavern restaurant by the waterfront.
Absolutely wonderful food and a relaxed setting.
Nope, not tired of Greek salad yet - it's so good here - it's the Greek olive oil! And the seafood was extraordinary!
The wine was quite nice, too!
After supper it was time for that long hike back up the the hill to find a spot to watch the magnificent sunset over the caldera.
And finally, time to enjoy the nighttime view over the caldera from the patio of our cave house!
Day 2 - Santorini Hike - Fira (Thera) to Oia
Early next morning, we caught the local bus to go to Fira.
We wanted to hike the 10-12 kms from Fira to Oia.
Our favourite hike of the trip!
Many people recommended starting in Fira as it is less uphill hiking back to Oia.
Plus you have the view of Oia as you approach which is quite lovely.
Also, make sure to start early as it get hot quickly!
Take lots of water and a snack, a hat, good sturdy shoes (no flip flops!) because it is a very rough path in places.
It took us about 4 hours. Steady walking but not rushing and I took many photos as well.
Early next morning, we caught the local bus to go to Fira.
We wanted to hike the 10-12 kms from Fira to Oia.
Our favourite hike of the trip!
Many people recommended starting in Fira as it is less uphill hiking back to Oia.
Plus you have the view of Oia as you approach which is quite lovely.
Also, make sure to start early as it get hot quickly!
Take lots of water and a snack, a hat, good sturdy shoes (no flip flops!) because it is a very rough path in places.
It took us about 4 hours. Steady walking but not rushing and I took many photos as well.
Our early morning start - fog over the caldera in Fera
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We did it! Time for a swim in our pool!
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Sunset Sailboat Cruise!
Before we left on our hike, we made a spur of the moment decision to book at Sunset sailboat cruise. So glad we did!
We departed our hotel about 4:00 in the afternoon, and transportation was provided to the marina.
Only 8 passenger total on the trip!
Were we ever lucky! Our fellow passengers were 5 delightful young women on a college reunion! They quickly adopted us as Ma and Pa!
We cruised along the coast and were entertained by our fabulous captain!
Our captain, George, was a merchant marine for 15 years and now runs his own sailboat company.
He really does run a tight, tidy ship! He is thoroughly professional!
He had interesting stories of piracy in Somalia, and of his adventures all over the world.
He also has a great cure for seasickness! If you are feeling queasy, he invites you to steer the boat! And it works!
We all took a turn steering - queasy or not!
Before we left on our hike, we made a spur of the moment decision to book at Sunset sailboat cruise. So glad we did!
We departed our hotel about 4:00 in the afternoon, and transportation was provided to the marina.
Only 8 passenger total on the trip!
Were we ever lucky! Our fellow passengers were 5 delightful young women on a college reunion! They quickly adopted us as Ma and Pa!
We cruised along the coast and were entertained by our fabulous captain!
Our captain, George, was a merchant marine for 15 years and now runs his own sailboat company.
He really does run a tight, tidy ship! He is thoroughly professional!
He had interesting stories of piracy in Somalia, and of his adventures all over the world.
He also has a great cure for seasickness! If you are feeling queasy, he invites you to steer the boat! And it works!
We all took a turn steering - queasy or not!
Swimming with the fishes before supper! We docked in a small cove and had a refreshing swim!
We throughly enjoyed a delicious traditional greek supper cooked and served on board our sailboat!
Time to head back to shore but not until we had enjoyed the sunset!
What a marvellous day!
What a marvellous day!