Formed around the collapsed crater of a volcano, Santorini is one of the most beautiful Greek islands in the Aegean Sea. Bright blue Mediterranean waters, whitewashed walls and azure domed roofs make this the most colourful and oft photographed of all the islands.
Fira, the main city, sits atop a dramatic cliff making this a tender port. Upon disembarking there are a number of ways to get up to Fira. The cable car runs continuously and for a small fee you can get up, and later back down to the tender dock. If you are more adventurous you can take the donkey trail, either on the back of a donkey or walking. If you want the ride consider it for the end of your day because you will be as pungent as the donkeys and no one will want to sit next to you on the tender.
The earlier you arrive at the dock the less of a wait you will have for the cable car. This is a very popular stop on most Mediterranean itineraries so this island can be very crowded. On the day we arrived there was one other very large ship in port extending wait times for transportation and other amenities.
We decided to skip both of the above options and took a “high speed boat” to the other main city on the north end of the island, Oia. As part of the transportation package there was a bus back to Fira later in the day and the roundtrip cost us less than €30. There is some time commitment for this option; what we consider high speed differs for the Greeks, and on the ride back congested traffic delayed the bus but the cost was well worth it. From Fira we did take the cable car back down to the waiting tenders.
Although there are a few small museums and beautiful Orthodox Cathedrals to visit the main attraction of Santorini is the view. We wandered along with the rest of the crowd occasionally ducking into a tiny shop or down a less crowded path. The view from atop the cliffs around Oia is breathtaking. Back in Fira we found an out of the way restaurant where we ran into friends and enjoyed a leisurely lunch.
If you have the time there are two archeological sites heading east and north from the port towards the other end of the island, Ancient Thira and Akrotiri. The times these sites are open to the public vary so check in advance before making the trip. Both are accessible by bus or as part of a ship excursion. Fira houses the Museum of Ancient Thira and is worth a visit if you plan to combine the ancient sites together.
Also Santorini is best know for its wineries. Many of the formal excursions include a tasting and it is a fun way to spend some of your time on the island.
We loved the island of Santorini, as brief as our stay was. I understand now why anyone who has been there names it as a highlight of their cruise.