Greece - Part 2 : Santorini

Oia, Santorini

Oia, Santorini

We flew from Athens to Santorini via Sky Express.  Though we didn’t pay to choose our seats, it was fine and we were assigned together on this tiny little prop plane for the short 45 minute flight.  Obviously parents claimed the windows on the 2x2 plane and we had no issue staring at the blue waters and volcanic islands as we went.  

Santorini is an island in the Aegean Sea formed when a volcano erupted and sank half the island.  What’s left is a crescent shaped island with sweeping views.  The land itself, like most Greek islands, is brown and volcanic or desert like, set in juxtaposition to the bluest waters you’ve ever seen. 

We opted to stay in Oia, the picturesque “instagram” town, in a tiny cave house set into the hill.  It was worth the splurge and it is vacation after all.  Though we did have a chance to see other towns and there are some amazing resorts on the island to also consider. 

Artia Mansion Cave House

The place we stayed was Artia Mansion.  It was really hard to choose a room on the island but I picked this for the balance of “cave feel,” the view of both the sea and the town, and the price (one night here was the total we paid for 3 nights in other places and that was on the cheaper end of options in Oia).  Overall the room was very cute, the kids took turns in the cave bed, and the patio was nice to sit each morning.  The host left us some yogurt, bread, jams, and other breakfast items to enjoy each morning. Like Athens, Santorini was very hot, so while the kids liked the “warm tub” I could see trying to get a place with a bigger pool if we came in the summer again.  Overall I give it 4/5 stars and would consider staying here again but would also look at other options or even a resort.  (Note if you go for a resort you’ll need to rent a car though parking generally seemed doable in each town with a short walk to where you wanted to go).  We didn’t get a car and instead used our host services to pick us up at the airport and take us to the ferry on the last day. 

Ammoudi Bay Swimming

Our first afternoon in Oia we walked around and eventually headed down to Ammoudi Bay for swimming.  The decent is 250 steps down… the ascent is 250 steps up… we did this 3 times during our stay.  As a side note, you can get a donkey ride back up for 10E each but it’s cash only and I kept forgetting to bring any.  When you arrive at the bottom, you’ll cross though a few restaurants and carefully swing past a fence.  Then it’s a short walk around the rocks until you come to the obvious rocky swimming hole.  There is a small current and it’s open bay, so make sure you can swim, but man it feels so refreshing on a hot day.  And the water is so clear! (Note that I packed goggles and one towel for the trip).  

That night we found a spot to watch sunset and then ate at Roka for dinner.  One consistent we found in Greece was that we didn’t really individually eat that much at each sitting.  We’d usually get 1-2 salads/appetizers and then 2 main dishes for the 4 of us, and it was plenty of food.  Roka was good but what stood out was the atmosphere and the aperitif Masitha.  So good and unique that we got some to bring home.

A note about sunset on the caldera in Oia.  Yes, it can get crowded, in fact Oia can get very crowded, but we found that we were lucky in early June.  The cruise ships were present however it only ever felt flighty “full” rather than packed.  We also didn’t watch the sunset from the old castle because we were worried about the crowds, but in retrospect I think we could have without much trouble.  While the sunset was lovely, we have some amazing sunsets in California and Hawaii so I didn’t put too much effort into seeing it each night.  Also it wasn't cloudy, which tends to bring more beautiful sunsets.

Caldera by Night

Nighttime however is, in my opinion, when the caldera view really comes alive.  After dinner at Roka, I wandered around town myself, looking at shops.  Just then I rounded a corner on a pathway and came upon a perfectly picturesque spot of the town covered in the night glow of the full moon and tinkling lights of the cave houses. It took my breath away.  The pictures don’t do it justice.  I had to go back to grab the family just to see the amazing view.

Start of the Fira to Oia Hike

Our first day in Oia, we headed out to hike from Fira to Oia along the Caldera. This beautiful, and hot, 10km hike is very popular and it was obvious why, with stunning views the whole time.  To reach Fira we hopped on the bus in Oia and got off in Fira.  It’s 2E/pp each way and was pretty easy once it arrived (island time so timetables are more guidelines than rules).  After grabbing breakfast in Fira we started off.  Most of the way it’s fairly flat with two large hills to climb as we got toward Oia.  Sunscreen, big hats, and neck fans helped keep us cool, though we still ended with red faces and in desperate need of ice cream.  There are many blogs online that provide great detail about the hike so I’ll just say that the key is staying close to the caldera edge and staying out of the “town Main Street” unless you need to stop in for food or water.  There are also helpful sign posts if you kept an eye out for them as well as a few churches along the way to find shade shelter for a few minutes.  

Side note, it’s not advised to drink the water on the islands so we bought a lot of spring water during our stay.  You can pay anywhere from 0.28E to 4E for a 1.5L bottle.  Yea, crazy.  So find markets to stock up when possible.

After 6.2 miles in the heat we made it back to Oia.  The hike was not the hardest we’ve done but it was hot and the kids did great. We made our way to Pitogyros for lunch.  Let me just say this place is amazing - best meat ever (and I used to live in Texas).  We got the mixed meat platter and the chicken gyro platter on day one then returned for the lamb kebabs and chicken skewers the next day.  

Ammoudi Bay Fish Tavern

After much needed rest in the AC, we showered and headed back out.  Jeremy and I left the kids to rest while we wandered the town for a bit and grabbed drinks at Karma.  We all then headed down to Ammoudi bay for dinner at Ammoudi Bay Fish Tavern.  I made reservations ahead of time and asked for a table near the sea (as opposed to up on the terrace).  About an hour before sunset was perfect to see the glow on the other restaurants and the hill.  The sun-dried and grilled octopus was amazing. 

Vista Yachting Catamaran Tour

Sunset from the boat

Day 2 in Santorini we woke late, wandered around town taking pictures, ate lunch at Pitogyros then spent the afternoon and evening on a catamaran touring and swimming in the caldera.  Everyone says you need to do a catamaran tour on Santorini and after having done a semi-private tour for sunset, I’d have to agree.  We opted to go with Vista Yachting on their Platinum Tour because of the food and drink selection and small group (18-20 people).  We had an amazing time and there was plenty of room on the boat for everyone.  We relaxed on the nets, on the bow, on the bean chairs, and the kids even had a chance to drive the catamaran!  We swam in the waters and ate delicious freshly cooked food including seafood pasta, grilled chicken and pork, and tzatziki. Sunset was magical and the weather perfect.  The company also provided our transfer to and from the hotel area.

Nutella Pancakes

Ferry

Our last morning in Oia we woke early, took more pictures, and just enjoyed the view before heading to the ferry.  We opted for the super jet fast ferry from Santorini to Paros and a similar 'fast ferry' from Paros to Milos later in the trip.  These are the quickest way to travel.  You really only need to be at the port 30 minutes ahead of time (and maybe even 15).  We sat and had breakfast at a cafe (Jesse got his staple Nutella pancakes) and then got up to board once the line started moving.  What’s impressive is how quickly they load.  The Seajet was a huge ferry with a large platform opening to load in cars followed by hundreds of people in a matter of 5-10 minutes.  They are pulling away from the port before the massive ramp is even closed.  You drop your luggage where they tell you then head upstairs.  It was all quite pleasant and easy. 

On to Paros!