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Published: April 2nd 2023
A good man says no slowly; a wise man says no at once… ~ Greek Proverb
HE SAID... Today we were exploring the stunning island of
Santorini.
We had an early start! We were embarking on a four-hour / twelve-kilometre hike from Fira (the stunning capital of Santorini) to Oia (an equally stunning village on the northern tip of the island). The picturesque hike would take us along the rim of Santorini’s
caldera (a large volcanic crater), and it marked the beginning of Ren’s milestone birthday – one of the primary reasons we decided to undertake this Greek adventure.
We didn’t have the best preparation. A large tour group had taken over the hotel, and the occupants in the room beside ours decided to party hard into the night. The room was jam-packed with people, and the music was blaring. There was no chance of sleep, and the night staff at the hotel were uncontactable. Luckily, our friendly and diplomatic guide was up to the task. He was leading our caldera rim hike, so he needed sleep as much as anyone. I watched in awe as he tactfully closed the party down without any ill will or negativity. Some people can confront difficult situations without malice, and he was a master. The hotel
fira to oia hike - sunrise
photo credit: nasos angelousisfell silent, and we were able to sleep!
We woke bleary-eyed at 4am, crammed our pre-prepared breakfast parcels from Hotel Albatros into our daypacks and headed off at 5:30am in absolute darkness. We first walked through Fira, retracing the same path we’d taken the previous night, although this time there was one key difference. There were no tourists or locals about – the cobblestone streets of Fira were completely empty. Because of this, and because it was still dark, I didn’t mind the narrow path with steep drops along the way. I’ve never been good with heights, and the Aegean Sea was around 300 metres below us. Eventually the sun would rise, and the sheer height of the trek would become evident. I decided to make the most of the dark morning… 😄
When the sun did rise, it was spectacular. So spectacular, in fact, that we stood silently as it emerged in the east. A deep orange glow shrouded the horizon; a lonely crescent moon flickered in the dawn sky; lights shimmered from remote houses on Santorini’s eastern coast. This truly is a stunning island.
We walked through lavish and affluent sections of Fira, where local
houses have been converted into five-star accommodation complexes with opulent swimming pools and spas, all within arms-reach of passers-by. There were times when I could easily have lifted a newspaper from someone’s courtyard table. There is little privacy for the occupants of Fira’s caldera-frontage apartments.
We passed through the well-heeled villages of Firostefani and Imerovigli, which lie just north of Fira, and marvelled at the modern whitewashed lodgings with perfectly arranged sun lounges and swanky private pools. The aqua blue water of these pools was so pure and still, it almost seemed unnatural. I felt I was looking at highly saturated images that had been photoshopped within an inch of their life. But of course, I wasn’t. The pools were very real, and they were picture-perfect.
When we eventually emerged from the narrow cobblestone streets of Imerovigli, we were walking in the brisk morning air along an unprotected section of the volcanic caldera rim. This was an incredible and inspirational hiking experience, but it was also a significant challenge for me, as some sections of the exposed caldera tested my fear of heights. One of our fellow hikers suggested the fear of heights is often misunderstood. He felt
my fear was much more related to the increased potential of slipping and falling. When something stands between me and a sheer drop – like the window of a plane – I’m okay. When nothing (or very little) stands between me and a sheer drop – like a walking path around the rim of a caldera – I’m not okay. I liked his reasoning, as I have never experienced vertigo. I simply get very uncomfortable around sheer drops.
Anyway, enough about my fears. By this stage of the hike, the path was predominantly rough gravel, with occasional sections of cobblestone. We rambled past old churches and residences. We climbed mountain paths. We walked along sections of track that were little more than two metres wide, with steep slopes to the Aegean Sea below. The experience was exhilarating and enriching in equal parts, and it was still early morning.
We stopped at an old church and settled on a ledge along one side of the miniature building to feast on jam croissants from our breakfast parcels. Extensively damaged by an earthquake, the church had been rebuilt by a local man who still resides near (and maintains) the church. I
noticed a narrow path leading from the church to the edge of the caldera, and our guide quietly informed me that the next 400 metres would be the most difficult for me. And they were. However, the limited distance made all the difference. I stared ahead and beelined for a tiny village at the end of the path, knowing I’d be there in a very short timeframe. And I was! Did I manage a quick sideways glance at the rocky slopes of the caldera disappearing into the Aegean Sea below us? Not a chance! 😄
We had been walking on a downward trajectory since our breakfast stop at the old church. However, after walking through the tiny village along a bitumen road, we started climbing to the highest point of the trek. The path had changed to a fine black volcanic gravel, and the ascent was quite steep. On reaching the top, we stood in awe of the extraordinary panoramic vista before us. We could see:
> the caldera rim stretching back to Fira
> the Aegean Sea stretching to every horizon
> the whitewashed buildings of Oia below us
> the stunning (and very small) hilltop chapel that
marked this high point of the island.
After cooling in the wind that gently embraced us, we began our descent into Oia. It was a relief to be walking on a gravel path that was set back from the edge of the caldera! We eventually arrived in Oia at 9:30am, after a four-hour ramble along one of the most breathtaking tracks I’ve ever experienced. It had been a truly remarkable morning.
We wandered the quiet cobblestone lanes of Oia for a while, marvelling at how the village is perched so precariously on the slopes of the caldera. In its tranquil morning ambiance, Oia is a beautiful place with breathtaking views of the shimmering Aegean Sea. Everything changes around 10am. The buses start rolling in and tourists swarm the narrow lanes. The atmosphere changes in a matter of minutes. Flying dress photographers abound, and there’s no shortage of wannabe models who’ll pay anything to pull on a ridiculously bright dress and flap around in the sun. They sprawl seductively on rooftops, pout in alleys and frolic in front of churches. Nowhere is sacred. This is hedonistic exhibitionism at its purest, and we couldn’t get enough of these attention-seeking drama
queens! 😄
Having surreptitiously captured a few flying dress models and their clamouring entourage, we also managed to photograph Oia’s stunning rooftops, alleys and churches (sans the models) by waiting in line to secure a suitable spot to frame each photo. However, we soon began to tire of the relentless momentum of tourists surging through the tiny village. It was time for a break!
We took a shine to Meteor Cafe, a tiny alcove with a relaxed atmosphere and amazing outlook. We settled at a small table near an open window and ordered an iced coffee (freddo cappuccino) for me and an iced chocolate (freddo chocolate) for Ren. The view of the shimmering Aegean Sea below us, and the whitewashed houses of Oia on either side of us, was simply beautiful.
Feeling hungry after our hike, we walked to Piatsa Souvlaki Grill House (a bustling eatery beside Oia’s frenzied bus terminal) for an early lunch. We settled at a table in small shady courtyard and shared a chicken souvlaki and a pork souvlaki in pita bread, while I cooled down with a very welcome beer. We were being picked up at the bus terminal, but there was
confusion about the time. As we waited, we witnessed the utter mayhem of public transport into Oia. I can only describe the scene as chaotic – a disorderly and shambolic flow of cars, bikes, buses, trucks and pedestrians.
When our minibus arrived, we jumped in and sped back to our hotel in Karterados. After relaxing in our room for a while, we walked into Fira (a 20-minute trek from the hotel) to explore the township in the mid-afternoon. I’d received a private message from two of Ren’s friends in Australia, asking if I could monitor her shopping interests and buy what she fancies as a surprise birthday gift from them. As luck would have it, Ren had noticed a couple of gorgeous Greek plates in the Art and Icon Studio (a small craft shop near the Catholic Cathedral of St John the Baptist). It was a perfect birthday gift, and a very special one – from two friends half a world away.
We were leaving Greece the following day, so I purchased a necklace from a small shop on a busy lane in the heart of Fira. The pendant on the necklace is a representation of the
Phaistos Disc (an ancient clay disk imprinted with script-like symbols), which was discovered in Crete and dated to the 2nd millennium BC. While its purpose is disputed, many feel the symbols are decipherable as alphabetic writing. Others feel the disk is a hoax. Regardless of its purpose, I was immediately drawn to it, and it will forever remind me of our time in Greece.
Unfortunately, the weather had begun to turn. The sun had disappeared behind clouds, and a strong breeze was gusting off the Aegean Sea. For the first time in three weeks, the daytime temperature in Greece was cool and we didn’t need to seek shelter from the sun. After exploring Fira’s narrow lanes for the final time, we walked back to Hotel Albatros and organised our packs for the long flight home to Australia. It had been a very early start to the day, and we were feeling it.
In the early evening we walked to nearby To Fagopoti for dinner, a Greek taverna just down the road from our hotel. The place was very local and very intimate, and we immediately felt welcome and comfortable. We went up to the bain-marie, where the owner took
us through all the local home-made dishes on offer that night. Ren opted for the Greek
moussaka (a layered dish of eggplant and minced meat, topped with a white sauce), while I choose the rabbit stew. I love rabbit in any format, and it was the first time I’d seen it on a Greek menu. I was in heaven.
We also ordered a half litre of house wine each (white for Ren and red for me), forgetting that Greek tavernas have a loose definition of volume. When the carafes were placed on the table, they seemed to contain a lot more than half a litre of wine… and it certainly felt that way the following day. I loved this place. The staff were friendly, the atmosphere was welcoming and the meal was fantastic. It had been ages since I last had rabbit, and I’d forgotten how good it can be in a stew. Ren’s
moussaka was also excellent, so we were more than happy with our meal choices.
This small family-run taverna was a perfect place to celebrate Ren’s milestone birthday. It was also a perfect place to celebrate a perfect day. We had trekked along the caldera
rim. We had explored the beauty and splendour of Oia. We had wandered the narrow cobblestone streets of Fira. Santorini is a stunning island, and it was a great place to end our Greek adventure.
We stumbled back to the hotel, settled in the dining area and shared a few drinks with our friendly and caring travel companions – who had organised a surprise birthday cake for Ren! After a raucous rendition of
Happy Birthday, we finished the night with a large glass of ouzo… and then crashed in our respective rooms.
It had been a long and extraordinary travel day, and an incredible celebration of Ren’s 50th birthday. We were exhausted!
SHE SAID... When the alarm went off at 4am, it was almost a relief. I never sleep well when I know we have a super early start, and it didn’t help that there’d been a small ‘incident’ in the hotel the night before. The large group I mentioned when we were checking in had been quiet during the day. However, when we returned from dinner, there was a lot of movement between the rooms and loud talking in the hallways etc. The sort
of thing you’d expect from an excited school group.
We could have dealt with all this, but the room right next to ours seemed to be the designated ‘party’ room, and the extremely loud music not only came straight through our adjoining wall but also streamed in through our balcony window and door. It felt like we were literally in the room with them. It was a Friday night and we didn’t want to be party poopers, so we decided to give them until 11pm before we said anything. By 11:30pm the party seemed to be actually getting louder, and we had no choice but to act. The reception desk seemed to be unstaffed, so I messaged Nasos (our group leader). I got a brief ‘I’m sorting it out right now’ reply, and two seconds later Nasos and the night receptionist were banging on their room door… which very ironically, they couldn’t hear because the music was so loud!
After a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, the party was totally shut down by midnight. It seems there’d been other complaints and the receptionist had already asked them to turn it down, but they were being smart arses about
it. So, they had been ordered to shut it down completely. Did they honestly think they could treat a hotel room like a club and get away with it? And why would they come all the way to Santorini to party in their hotel room? Anyway, that being sorted, we went to bed knowing the alarm would be going off in four hours, and our sunrise hike would be starting in five and half hours. 😲
Despite the not-so-great night, I woke up very excited. It was my birthday! We had a scheduled 5am birthday video call with my family before our hike. My family is spread across three time zones, and it was the only time we could do it that day – even though it was 3am for my sister Romy in London, 6am for Ruthanne and Ralph in Dubai, and midday for Mum in Melbourne. Andrew and I walked upstairs to reception for a better Wi-Fi signal, but wondered if we should turn back when we came upon a dark room. However, the TV was on, so we figured the night receptionist wasn’t far.
We finally found a light switch and settled on a couch
for the call. Our family video calls can get a bit loud and boisterous, and when they started singing Happy Birthday… the night receptionist startled awake on a couch behind us! Probably not the nicest way for him to wake up, but it was the loveliest way for me to start my birthday. 😄
After last minute preparations in our room, we were back in reception at 5:30am to meet the rest of the group who had opted to do the hike. When Nasos had been discussing the hike the night before, in a moment of brilliance, Shaun had set a ‘no grumpiness’ ground rule for those taking part! And it was a fabulous suggestion. We were in varying states of tiredness, but we all put on cheery faces and brought our ‘can do’ attitude. It really does make a difference being around positive energy that early in the morning. We picked up the breakfast packages prepared by our hotel and set off.
It was 5:35am but still very dark when the seven of us stepped out of Albratros Hotel in Karterados. The only sign of life was the 24-hour Erotokritos Bakery across the road, and we stopped
by in case anyone wanted to grab any freshly made pastries. The bakers were hard at work in the back room, and I’d normally have been very tempted to get something… but given I already had a slightly nervous tummy, I figured I’d better not tempt fate.
We were setting out on a 12km hike, which would take us from the village of Karterados into (and through) Santorini’s main town of Fira… then along a coastal path passing a couple of small villages and onto the town of Oia (pronounced EE-ah), which sits at the very pointy northern end of the Santorini landmass. The coastal path hugs the cliff walls that surround the ‘caldera’ (volcanic crater) that was created when a catastrophic volcanic eruption submerged the middle of the island. We were going to be walking along the curved rim of the volcanic island that remains.
There were three things on my mind as we started – I hoped Andrew’s issue with heights wouldn’t be triggered; I hoped my lungs coped with the hills; and I hoped the lack of access to a toilet wouldn’t be what I remembered this hike for! 😊
The just over one
kilometre walk along the main road from Karterados to Fira wasn’t great in the dark. There were sporadic street lights, but they never seemed to be shining their light where they were needed – on sections of uneven pavements. We weren’t exactly setting a cracking pace, but we weren’t strolling either… so we had to carefully side-step and occasionally duck under the branches of eucalyptus trees that were planted on the pavement.
The road was deserted and the cool morning air was lightly scented with eucalyptus. It was fresh and invigorating. But then we turned left into the street that took us into Fira. Our fresh air disappeared in an instant, and we found ourselves facing the wrong end of a garbage truck. I have a very low threshold for bad odours at the best of times, and being chased up a hill by a reversing garbage truck was as gross as it was hilarious… especially that early in the morning! 😄
At the top of the street, we sat on a low wall in a small square near Hotel Atlantis (and across from the Orthodox Metropolitan Church of Santorini) to regain our breath. It took a few
minutes for my heart rate to drop to a normal level. We’d been at this very spot the evening before, but the stunning western view across the caldera was now shrouded in blackness. This was the ‘official’ starting point of the hike between Fira and Oia.
We walked through Fira’s deadly quiet cobblestone lanes, and I wondered how annoying foot traffic must be for the occupants of hotel rooms right on the lanes. We were whisper-quiet, but our footfall on the cobblestones couldn’t be muffled. And I’m guessing drunk people returning from the late-night bars wouldn’t be so courteous.
We hadn’t walked far when our nostrils were assaulted for a second time in a short pace of time. We were passing the donkey stables, and the foul smell had wafted over the whole lane. The plight of the donkeys in Santorini is a sad one. The old port where the cruise ship passengers enter Fira is 300 metres below the town, and while there is a cable car that runs the whole day, some tourists still opt to ride the poor donkeys up the hill. 😖
While acknowledging the owners of the donkeys are just trying to
make a living, it’s not reasonable that this is at the cost of the poor donkeys. I’ve heard that animal rights organisations are trying to work with local authorities to find alternative job opportunities (such as in the wine industry) and ultimately ban the use of donkeys. However, this seems to be a long way off. There was some progress in 2018 when the government banned anyone over 100kg from riding the donkeys, but that’s only solving part of the problem. The sheer number of people booking donkeys is the bigger issue.
In the meantime, there are charities trying to educate tourists on the spine and leg injuries they are inflicting on the donkeys, and they also provide respite and palliative care for the beasts as needed. How anyone could support such cruelty is beyond me… but I choose to focus on the good souls who are trying to fix the system – they need all the help they can get.
It was still dark when we reached the panoramic lookout we’d stood at after dinner the night before. Thankfully we were the only ones there, so Andrew could scuttle across the open ledge section and seek refuge
on more solid ground on the other side. After a quick photo of a slumbering but well-lit Fira slanting down to the sea, we kept winding our way upwards, past more sleeping hotels that bordered the caldera.
It was here that we left the pedestrian streets of built-up Fira behind. We were now on a paved path more or less in the open air, but a line of hotels beside us continued even after we’d left Fira. It was still darkish when we started approaching the village of Firostefani about 15 minutes later.
We had the path entirely to ourselves, and when we were away from the lights of the hotels, we looked like a line of shadows moving single file through the calm grey pre-dawn. Our surrounds were so silent that if I concentrated, I could distinguish all our different footsteps.
As we entered the outskirts of Firostefani, we encountered people for the first time since starting the walk. A baker stepped out of a bakery’s back door, and a delivery man was preparing his van for the day. I really liked the feel of Firostefani – it was picture postcard perfect without the overdevelopment of
Fira. It had all the normal amenities of a normal village – a bakery, a supermarket, grocers, kids play equipment etc. – that are distinctly (and very sadly) absent from places that exist purely to service tourists. These were all distinct towns and villages once, but tourism has caused rampant urban spread – especially because this path along the caldera is very hot property.
Eventually, a very red dawn sky began to show itself. About an hour into our walk, Nasos led us off the hiking path and we veered east to find a spot to watch the sunrise from. By dodging and weaving through a couple of buildings, we came upon a beautiful setting over a vineyard. The eastern side of Santorini didn’t have the dramatic cliff of its western face. Instead, it sloped gently to the sea… a sea that was now lit up in red, orange and yellow sunrise highlights. We watched in silence, and then took some photos to record this memorable moment, including a fabulous group shot of us silhouetted against the lovely sunrise. 😊
By the time we returned to the coastal hiking path, it was significantly lighter. We could spot the
dark water below us in the caldera, and we could also make out a grainy view of Oia – our destination at the very end of the crescent shaped island. We were now walking through the next village of Imerovigli. It seemed to be very spread out, and much posher than your average Greek village. Our path took us past very high-end hotels and spas, and the views from the west-facing room balconies would have been quite stunning.
As we reached the outskirts of Imerovigli, Nasos informed us that we were at the end of civilisation until we reached Oia. While this was good news, it also meant that there would be absolutely no opportunity for a toilet stop after this. Nasos being Nasos, he stopped outside Nobu (yes that global high-end restaurant and hotel brand) and told us girls to go in and use their bathroom. I baulked at the idea, but Romy and I dutifully walked past the sign that said ‘regretfully our toilets are for the use of our patrons only’ and approached the girl at reception. Unsurprisingly, the answer was a very polite ‘no’. I totally understood their position, but Nasos was incensed. To avoid
a potential argument, I convinced him that neither of us needed the bathroom anyway… which was a big fat lie. 😄
We were on a very popular hiking route, and we were quite surprised that we hadn’t met any other hikers. It wasn’t until it got quite light that we saw a couple of hikers and a jogger on the path, and I guessed they were staying in hotels in Imerovigli.
At one point we walked up a small hill and saw the eastern coast of the island laid out below us (to our right). It was breathtakingly beautiful. Squat white houses huddled in small groups against the brown earth, all of it awash in early morning sunlight. I know that the western views of the caldera are stunning and unique, but the eastern side of the island looked extremely lovely too.
A bit higher up that hill, we looked back and could see that Imerovigli sat over the narrowest part of the island, almost at the point where the crescent shaped island started to curve. I now understood how we had been able to leave our hiking path on the western side and wander over to
watch the sunrise so easily! The properties on the top of Imerovigli’s hill would be blessed with both sunrise and sunset views.
After leaving Imerovigli behind, it finally felt like we were truly in nature. The paved path stopped and we were walking directly on the stark dark volcanic earth of Santorini. Despite the villages ending, there were occasional half-built hotels along the path. This was a sign that tourism would probably soon engulf this whole coastal walk.
By now the sun had risen enough to shower us in clear light. We could see the beautiful geological layers in the cliffs around us, and the matching layers of the other islands in the caldera. From afar the earth looked overwhelmingly dark brown, but up close we could see distinct red layers too. The caldera itself was still inky blue and moody, which was in stark contrast to the newly sun-kissed gleaming white villages on its cliffs.
As much as I was absolutely LOVING the walk, it wasn’t all wild oregano and sunshine. We were increasingly moving into open clifftop territory, and I was worried for Andrew. The gradients had also got a lot greater, and I had
to stop and recover my breath at the top of every hill we climbed. As much as I disliked seeing more hills unfold ahead of us, they always had the best views and usually also had a cute little white church on top. Between stopping to take photos and focussing my energy on getting to the church, the hill would get climbed. 😊
With just over an hour to go, we stopped for breakfast at an absolutely stunning spot. It was just us, nature and the beautiful little Church of Prophet Elias. This church, like many other churches and buildings in Santorini, had been badly damaged by the 1956 earthquake. A man had taken it upon himself to rebuild the church, and he still resided on the grounds as caretaker. So, we were respectfully quiet as we sat inside the front walled area of the small church and munched on our jam filled croissants and slurped on our juice packs. And very very excitingly, there was a basic drop toilet a few metres away from the church! Nasos hadn’t wanted us to get our hopes up, as the toilets were frequently locked… but thankfully they were open this morning.
Andrew hit a hurdle just after breakfast. We approached an open downhill path that sat along sheer cliffs to the left and a hillside to the right. It didn’t help that it was a loose gravel path with questionable footing. Andrew knew the only way to get through it was to do it quickly! The open section was about 400m, so Andrew raced through it and waited for the rest of us at the bottom. I was so relieved when Nasos told us that this was the worst of the exposed cliff areas.
At this point the coastal path joined a main road for about 5 minutes before we veered back into cliff territory again. This was the hardest section for me – about 15 to 20 minutes of a continuous uphill climb. It wasn’t super steep, but steep enough to make my lungs consider disowning me. It didn’t help that we were walking on irregular shards of volcanic rock, and it required a lot of concentration not to roll an ankle. My saving grace was that the view was absolutely sensational!
There was an exquisite treat at the top of this hill. It was a small
church with probably the best view we’d had so far, and that was saying something! We rested at the Chapel of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and took lots of photos of our surrounds before starting the 45-minute descent into Oia. As much as I liked that we were nearing our destination, I was also a little sad the hike was ending.
I can’t begin to fully express the mixture of thoughts and emotions I experienced on this walk. Early mornings and/or being in nature always have a way of making me feel calm and tranquil, but this was much more than just that. Everything felt massively amplified and intensified by the magnificent scenery of the caldera and the cliffs. I felt engulfed and dwarfed by their immense presence… in the best way possible. This hike would easily be in my top five most favourite walks of all time! And it made it even more special that it was on my birthday. 😊
This small church had been our last rest stop, and as we left, I was amused to realise that we had more or less kept the same single file formation on the entire walk
– Shaun and Vu at the front, Nasos and Andrew in the middle, and Romy, Jesse and myself oscillating from the middle to the back whenever we stopped to take photos!
I have to give big credit to our little walking group – sharing the wonder and awe of what we were seeing made the hiking experience all the better. I loved the little snippets of information Nasos gave us along the way, like the identification of wild oregano and camomile plants, or pointing out a native caper bush. He gave us key information about the hike to enhance our individual experiences, but left us alone with our thoughts for the majority of the walk.
As we approached Oia, we started hitting hotels again. Not long after that our serenity and peacefulness started evaporating as the crowds gradually increased and we walked within touching distance of hotel rooms on the path. Our hike ended deep in Oia, at a spot where we could see the white church with its three blue domes – that most converted of Instagram shots!
It was still early, but the crowds and lines to take this particular photo from this particular spot
was about 10 deep! My curiosity overcame me, and I lined up to see what all the fuss was about… but when people started yelling at each other about taking too long with their multiple poses, it got too intense and I bailed out of there. Andrew was standing a little bit along the lane with the others, and I realised they were mesmerised by something – it was a ‘flying dress’ girl in action! 😱
We knew the crowds in Oia were going to be totally crazy. We also knew it was an Instagram hotspot and THE place to get professional photos of ‘flying dresses’. This is a relatively new social media phenomenon, and I am totally fixated on the psychology behind it. A ‘flying dress’ photoshoot is exactly what it sounds like – the aim is to be photographed in a dress with an illogically long train that ‘flies’ behind you. Photographers offer expensive packages that include dress hire and photos at two or three ‘iconic’ spots (like the blue domes)… and most include an assistant to ‘fluff’ the dress so it appears to be streaming in the (non-existent) wind. Yes, it’s as ridiculous as it sounds.
But it didn’t stop us from gawking at the ‘process’ whenever we came upon it. My favourites were the ones who hadn’t paid for a fluffing assistant and had to attempt to fluff the dress themselves! 😄
I’d read that Oia was also very popular for wedding photoshoots. We only saw one, but it made for a good addition to our collection of ‘wedding photos from around the world’ because they were standing on the roof (!) of one of the blue doomed churches. I felt sorry for the caretakers of these buildings, but more so for the owners of homes in Oia. From what I saw, a mere ‘private property’ sign wasn’t enough to keep people out of your house (or off your roof!).
We had a bit of free time before lunch, so the group split up. Andrew and I decided to meander through the streets looking for a place to have a quiet coffee. Even though the streets of Oia were only just starting to get crowded, we realised how small the place was when we kept bumping into members of our group!
We decided to have a coffee together, and eventually doubled back
to Meteor Cafe with Shaun, Romy and Vu. It was one of the first cafes we’d spied, and it was a pretty little place with a lovely atmosphere. But most importantly, by Santorini standards anyway, it overlooked the caldera. Of course, this premier location commanded extremely high prices too. I had a delicious
freddo chocolate (iced chocolate) and Andrew had a
freddo cappuccino (a cappuccino served over ice). They were easily the most expensive drinks of the trip, but probably also the ones with the most scenic of views.
After our coffees, Andrew and I kept wandering the streets of Oia, and even ventured down a few lanes to try and get that ‘three blue domes’ shot. The streets weren’t overly crowded as yet, but whenever we came upon a lane that was full of people, we knew it was another Instagram spot. By ducking down random lanes and walking across the terraces of restaurants that hadn’t yet opened, I’m happy to report that we eventually got that coveted shot – from two different angles – and no one was yelled at during the taking of those shots. 😄
There’s a good reason why tourism in Oia is
out of control. It’s unbelievably beautiful! Like seriously beautiful! There have been many times on this trip in Greece where it felt like I had walked into a postcard frame… and Oia was probably the most postcard worthy! The dark volcanic soil that sprouts a spread of soft whitewashed and pastel buildings, topped with those iconic blue domes that blend into the deep blue caldera or the bright blue sky… depending on your point of view. Just magnificent. Justifiably, the caldera side of Oia gets most of the attention, but there are other areas, such as the main square on which the beautiful Church of Panagia Platsani sits, that are quite lovely too.
Oia is also the fashion and restaurant capital of the island, and it is packed full of high-end boutiques, hotels and restaurants. And I mean really high-end. It made Hora in Mykonos look like a country fair by comparison. We looked at the prices of a couple of things, but not wanting to sell a kidney to buy a necklace, we decided to shop in Fira later that afternoon.
Time had got away from us, so we had to rush to Piatsa Souvlaki Grill House
to meet the rest of the group for lunch. Andrew and I shared our usual one pork and one chicken
souvlaki (grilled meat wrapped in a pita with hot chips, tomatoes, onion and yoghurt sauce). They were tasty, but I think Athens and Mykonos had better versions of these classic
souvlaki flavours.
A miscommunication with our transfer minibus back to the hotel meant we had to wait around for ages after lunch… and when it did arrive, it was too small for all of us. While waiting, we got to witness the madness that is the bus station in Oia. It gave bus stations in Asia a run for their money! Due to the delay, the people in our group who had signed up for the sunset cruise got priority, and others caught taxis back to our hotel.
We had some down time in the hotel, so I snuck in a nap to recover from our early start and the 12+ kilometre hike. I woke up to a small beautifully wrapped present sitting on a stool in front of the bed. Andrew had carried a gorgeous ring all the way from Australia for me! It was made by
a Tasmanian jeweller we have bought pieces from before – including for a milestone birthday for my sister Romy and also for my friend Cara’s 40th. Cara and I were equally passionate about our birthdays, and had discussed our respective 50ths a long time ago. Very sadly, she died before she could celebrate hers or share in mine… and this was Andrew’s way of including her in my birthday. I appreciated the gesture very much, and the ring was so beautiful. 😊
Later that afternoon we walked back to Fira to do some sightseeing and buy some last-minute souvenirs. Speaking of friends, two of my buddies had messaged Andrew and requested that he buy me a birthday present on their behalf from Santorini. I’d been eyeing off some lovely pottery plates, and Andrew suggested that would be the perfect present from them.
Back in Fira, we found the shop I’d been looking for – the Art and Icon Studio. It was hidden away in a small garden setting in the Catholic quarter, and was full of beautiful things. My present from Andrea and Tegan comprised two Greek
mati (evil eye) plates made by a local potter. I loved
the plates very much, and hoped they would make it back home without any injuries.
At dinner the night before we’d seen the belltower and dome of a church on one of the highest points of the town, and we had decided to check it out. Navigating to the Catholic church was surprisingly easier than we thought it would be (I suppose we were still slightly scared by not being able to find the entrance to the Catholic church in Ano Syros). It was a very overcast evening, and by the time we reached the Baroque-style Catholic Cathedral of St John the Baptist, it was starting to get dark.
We took a few photos of its striking blue and peachy yellow belltower and dome, before stepping into its interior that was surprisingly very blue – and not in a good way. As I’ve mentioned before, many buildings in Santorini were damaged by the 1956 earthquake. This church had been rebuilt in 1970, and I wasn’t sure how faithful the decor was to the original 19th century church.
Every centimetre of the streets and lanes of Fira seemed to be covered in either restaurants, hotels, bars, hotels or
tourist shops. But frustratingly, the vast majority of shops carried very tacky souvenirs that just didn’t appeal to us. We’d meandered most of the streets looking for a necklace for Andrew, and after many more lanes we finally found a beautiful pendent that immediately caught our eye. It was a circular metal disc replica of the ancient clay fired
Phaistos Disc that was discovered in the Minoan Palace in Crete. The
Phaistos Disc is so ancient that archaeologists are still debating what it is. Some think it’s an ancient Bronze Age calendar, while others think the symbols and signs are a sort of alphabet.
We’d walked past Fira’s main square a few times by now, and we were astonished at the extremely long queue for the cable car that never seemed to get any shorter. It wound around the square and a long way down one of the main lanes. We figured people were returning to their cruise ships for dinner. It was time for us to leave too. Extremely pleased with our purchases, we left Fira for the last time and waked back to our hotel in Karterados.
A few of the group who hadn’t gone on
the sunset cruise gathered at reception and walked to To Fagopoti for dinner. It was a little family-run taverna just down the hill from our hotel, and we loved it. We were invited to look at the trays of ‘cooked food’ on offer in the bain-marie (‘cooked food’ refers to what we would call casseroles and baked comfort food). Of the many delicious looking choices, Andrew chose the rabbit stew and I had a very comforting serving of
moussaka (a layered dish of eggplant and minced meat, topped with a white sauce). We also ordered half a litre of wine each, and it made for a very happy evening with Nasos, Shaun, Vu and Bobbi. The tavern’s affable owner gave us a complimentary shot of
mastika (a liqueur seasoned with resin from the mastic tree) with peach nectar at the end of the meal, which tipped us over from ‘happy’ into ‘merry’ very quickly!
Nasos received a text that the rest of the group were returning from their cruise, so we wrapped up dinner and walked back to the hotel. The plan had been to gather by the hotel pool, but the overcast evening had turned into a very
cold night, so we instead gathered at the hotel bar for our last night drinks (or so I thought!).
While sitting around enjoying a round of red wine courtesy of Shaun, Nasos walked out with a chocolate cake and everyone started singing Happy Birthday! It was a massive but very very lovely surprise. Everyone had been so good at keeping the secret that neither Andrew nor I had even the slightest of suspicions. This was literally the icing on the cake on what had been a fabulous 50th birthday! And in true Nasos style, the cake had a joke ‘40’ candle on it. 😊
It was starting to get late, and we all had onward travel plans the next day. Andrew persuaded people to stay for one last round of
ouzo (an aniseed flavoured spirit)… and on that note we said our last sad goodbyes to everyone and headed to our room to crash. But I had two last tasks – to post a very very grateful THANK YOU on Facebook for all the birthday wishes I’d received from around the world; and to write a small summary of our time in Santorini.
Santorini has surreal scenery
of whitewashed blue-domed buildings perched on volcanic cliffs, along with amazing hiking and unparalleled landscape views. And to me, it is a prime example of how exceptional beauty attracts over-tourism. The island’s infrastructure is groaning under the literal weight of the unrestrained influx, and scarce resources like fresh water are also big issues. And then there are the cultural costs – pandering to tourism dollars often means the soul of a place can get lost in all the service industry polish and shine. If not of the frequently used local churches and the smell of donkeys (and their poo), there were times I felt we could have been in a fake Disney or Las Vegas resort.
Santorini’s not-so-great reputation for being an annoying Instagram and big cruise ship hotspot is accurate; but like in Mykonos, we still managed to experience many excellent and stunning aspects of the island. We escaped the worst of the crowds by staying out of the two main towns of Fira and Oia, but we were at the end of a month of travel and the long walk into and out of Fira (from Karterados) got a bit annoying after a while. And even though
both towns have their pros and cons, there is no doubt that Oia is the more beautiful sibling.
Sunsets have taken on legendary status in Santorini, and thus sparked dedicated tourism ventures around them. Even though Fira and Oia seem to be the most popular spots for sunset watching, I’d say (depending on what foreground you want in your photos) my pick for sunset and sunrise watching would be the village of Firostefani. If by some miracle we ever returned to Santorini, I think Firostefani would be where I’d like to stay… although if tourism in Santorini isn’t curbed anytime soon, I fear that even villages like Firostefani will succumb to feeling like an artificial and plastic version of itself.
As probably is very obvious, the biggest highlight of our stay was the 4 hour / 12+ kilometre sunrise hike from our hotel to the most northern tip of the island. It gave us an insight into how naturally beautiful Santorini really is. The imagery of the blue caldera, the brown cliffs and the white clifftop villages will stay with me for a long time.
We also enjoyed the lovely food, the sunrises, the sunsets, the company
of our group mates and dare I say it – the shopping. And I even loved the insanely expensive €8 coffees we had in that cute little cafe with a view of the iconic blue domes of Oia! 😊
This brings our time in Greece to an end. Tomorrow we begin the very long trip back home to Tasmania. I just wrote those words with a medium sized cloud of sadness over my head… I’m ok with things ending, but we have a lot of unfinished business in Greece. It feels like we’ve only experienced a small taster of what this beautiful country has to offer.
It’s been a fabulous birthday month travelling around Greece with Andrew, and this trip has far exceeded my expectations! Thank you again for all your birthday love, I really appreciated receiving all your gorgeous wishes all day. I feel extremely lucky and very loved. This is fifty, and I look forward to everything it brings.
Next we catch four looong flights to take us home! We will write again from our plane seats and the odd airport lounge.
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Desertdwellers
Desert dwellers
Happy Birthday!
What a great place to celebrate a milestone birthday! It’s on our list of places to visit in the off season to try to avoid the Instagram hordes :) thanks for sharing!