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10 Best Things to Do in Santorini, Greece

This is a series of blog entries from SkySurf.Travel’s first travel hiree, Romanna.

Imagine, you came to Santorini, already walked through Oia, and saw the most beautiful sunset. What to do next? In this article, I will tell you ten unforgettable things to do in Thira island.

1. Watch the Star Sky

I have never seen such beauty before! Due to the size of the island and small population, there is no intense light as in the big megapolis. So you can go to some high ground and see a perfectly clear sky. Of course, if there are no clouds at this moment. Please be careful with night driving – all leading to the top roads could be dangerous during the night time.

2. Relax on a Black Beach

Perissa Beach or the Black beach is the longest and the most popular beach on the island. It is 8 kilometers long, starts under the mountain which protects visitors from the wind. Here you can find tons of restaurant and cafes, almost all of them propose their sunbeds so you can have a free place to hide from the sun. The usual price is 5-10 euros per person, but sometimes you could find a free one. To get to the beach, take a bus from Fira to Perissa city.

3. Get Lost in Imerovigli City

In my opinion, Imerovigli is as beautiful as Oia city. At the same time, there are no crowds, prices are lower, and you still can see caldera view in front. Moreover, you see the nearest island, cliffs, and even Oia! Imerovigli is very authentic, with blue-domed churches and typical Cycladic architectural style houses.

Do you know why all the buildings in Santorini are white and blue? The Greek ex-prime minister Ioannis Metaxas ordered to paint houses in these colors as a symbol of the white waves of the Aegean Sea and the blue of the Greek sky in 1936. Besides this, white walls save the climate inside buildings by reducing sun absorption.

4. Walk Through the Pass From Oia to Fira

You thought all you can do in Santorini is swimming in a swimming pool, watching sunsets and sunbathing on the colored beach? I had a hunch that this is not the whole list of activities, and found a walking pass from Fira to Oia. It is nearly an 11 km long trek on the edge of the caldera. This pass goes through Imerovigli and Firostefani cities, and you can stop wherever you want if you feel tired. I decided to do it in reverse due to the daytime heat and the number of tourists in the evening in Oia. So I arrived there at 6 pm – at this time all the tourists start coming to take the best places for the sunset. But not me – I went out of the city. Firstly it is quite hard to go because it is still sweltering. But in an hour it gets a colder and fresh breeze from the Aegean Sea which makes you feel awesome. It took me 4 hours with a few stops to take photos, and one big stop to enjoy the sunset. At 10 pm, I came to Fira and was extremely happy – it was a fantastic experience!

5. Try Local Food

Traditional bakery snack - a sandwich with feta cheese, tomato and olives — Traditional bakery snack – a sandwich with feta cheese, tomato and olives

Dinner in a tavern - seafood, greek salad, and potato — Dinner in a tavern – seafood, greek salad, and potato

All places in Santorini are targeting tourists. To find a traditional Greek tavern for locals is difficult, but possible. You need to go to the not very touristic villages and ask for a lovely place to eat. Of course, there is lots of seafood and fish. Usually, one dish costs 8-16 euros, depending on the place, size, and product.

Traditional greek dish from eggplants - Musaca — Traditional greek dish from eggplants – Musaca

It is a great idea to go to some restaurants (not fancy) in the evenings and at other times to prepare food by yourself (if you rent an apartment and you have a kitchen). Prices in supermarkets are almost the same as in European cities, and it is a way to save money.

The most popular street food is Gyros. It is a local kebab in a pita. Usually, it cost 2.5 euros or 5 euros for a super big one (30 cm!). It is a quick and delicious food to satisfy your hunger.

6. Watch the Sunset Near the Lighthouse

My local friend told me two years ago it used to be a quiet and romantic place where you can be alone with nature’s beauty. Nowadays lots of people are coming there in the evening but it still worth visiting! You could get to the end of the island by bus, but after the sunset, there will be no more buses. So you need to be ready to catch a car or go by foot (too far for a night walk).

7. Climb the Skaros Mountain

Located near Imerovigli, this mountain is one of the best places to watch the sunset. You need to be prepared to climb over 3 meters of sheer cliffs! So you need to have comfortable shoes and clothes. It is not very hard, but for me, it was a surprise.

It used to be part of the city before, one of the most affluent areas with beautiful buildings and a Venetian Castle. Unfortunately, after the earthquake in 1956 the whole area, named Skaros, fell to the sea and the mount is the only thing left in that place.

8. Find the Fog Over the Cliff

A breathtaking view! I need to tell you it is not an everyday phenomenon. I was lucky to see it twice – once in Fira, and once near the Imerovigli city. Imagine – you stand on the top of the hill, and there is the fog below. It is moving so quickly, changing directions, getting over hills, and moving forward. I could not believe it could happen in Santorini!

9. Climb the Profitis Iliаs on the Sunrise

The highest mountain on the island has a monastery on top, named after Profits Ilias. I climbed to the top, not for a religious purpose. I wanted to see how the island wakes up. It took one hour to get to the top and enjoy the view.

The significant fact is no-one will do the same. I spent an hour on the top, and halfway back, I met the first person who was going up!

10. Find the Red Beach

One more place to enjoy the Aegean Sea – the Red Beach. It is incredibly tiny in comparison with the Black one. It has received its name because of the color of the cliffs over the beach. It is not very safe to be there – there is a sign – danger zone, but it does not stop anyone. If you want to swim there, I advise you to take aqua-shoes; otherwise, it is too painful to go into the water because of the rocks.

– Romanna

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Next post: What to Expect from Athens, Greece

Romanna’s trip to eight cities (five islands) in Europe cost a total of $815 (flights only). To build your own cheap multicity itinerary, visit SkySurf.Travel.

View more photos of Romanna’s European SkySurf.Travel adventure on Instagram

Overvalued or Not? the Real Santorini Situation

This is a series of blog entries from SkySurf.Travel’s first travel hiree, Romanna.

The most publicized place in all of Greece. White houses you saw on thousands of pictures, ads, photos, and greeting card. I thought the whole island looks like this picture. White walls, blue roofs, and windows – that was all I knew about this place.

Typical Santorini colors - the white church with a blue dome — Typical Santorini colors – the white church with a blue dome

Could you imagine what I was thinking during the first ride through the island? After those fairy expectations, all I saw were cliffs and not many attractive villages.

Is it all fake? The truth is every touristic company, the bloggers, and magazines show us only a few spots – the most popular and beautiful places of Santorini.

Fira

Fira is the capital of Santorini. Do not confuse it with Thira – the real name of the island.

It is almost impossible to miss the visit to this city. Firstly, it is situated almost in the middle of the island. Secondly, in Fira is the central bus station and all the buses come here. (Hope, you remember that all routes start from Fira. If you want to get from East to North of the island, you need to get to the central bus station and catch another bus). Thirdly, it is the heart of Santorini. It is not very picturesque, but here is the biggest group of needed facilities like shops, supermarkets, small and cheap cafes, pharmacies, and an old port where you can take a boat excursion.

Street sellers of fruits and vegetables in Fira

Interesting fact, to get to the city from the port you need to choose one of the following three options: the Cable Car which goes up once every 20 minutes and there is a huge queue, to be brought up on mule (donkey), or to go up on foot (500 stairs!). In the last option, you need to share narrow stairs with mules and their smell – I warned you!

"parked" donkey waiting for a job — “parked” donkey waiting for a job

Oia

A real fairy tale! The first time I get to Oia, I could not believe my eyes! It looks like all those pictures on the Internet. Yes, all those white houses are real. And they are situated near each other. You can not understand if they are all separated or if it is one colossal lego construction.

Do you know that feeling on a sunny winter day when you look at snow, and it blinds you? The same goes here; you can not look at them without sunglasses.

There are almost no locals in Oia – it is the most popular city. The most expensive hotels, restaurants, and shops are here. All because of the caldera view. The word caldera means a volcanic crater formed by eruption leading to the collapse of the mouth of the volcano. Santorini appeared after this eruption – if you look on a map, you can see the island has a form of a crescent. Places, where you can enjoy the caldera view, are overpriced. Apartments with infinity pools, all tables in restaurants – all of them are booked in advance and for huge prices!

Besides small and same type houses, there are huge windmills – you can see them in the best light while the sun sets in Oia. If you want to see the best sunset, you need to be prepared for it morally.

The crowded way to the "sunset view" part of Oia city — The crowded way to the “sunset view” part of Oia city

The fact is, almost all people on the island want to see it with you. Oia is a small city, but the part with the sunset view is tiny, which brings us to an annoying situation. Imagine caldera view, windmills, the Aegean sea, yachts, sunset, a fantastic sky color…. And a thousand people near you. They are not standing somewhere near you – they almost touch you because there is no place for such an amount of people! Feels like you are inside an anthill. Oh, that was one of the best and the worst memories at the same time.

"Waiting for sunset" — “Waiting for sunset”

A funny tradition I had never seen before – at the moment when the sun went down, everybody claps!

It comes as no surprise Fira and Oia are a touristic city – you can not even imagine how it is possible to live there permanently. A strong earthquake in 1956 almost destroyed both of them. Reconstruction of those cities occurred for tourism due to their location on the edge of the caldera.

Yachts coming back to the port after the sunset in the caldera

It is almost impossible to meet locals in Santorini. There is no manufacturing on the island. The only opportunity to earn money is to work with tourists, and this work is hard and not very well paid. Almost all the workers migrated from other Greece islands or even countries. I was shocked; these people work without weekends off! The season lasts for eight months – from March to October. During the off-season, closed are the hotels, restaurants, and shops, as well as no ferries and almost no flights. All people leave the island and wait for the next season. So can you imagine how to work eight months without rest? Once I met a barman who works from early morning to afternoon, then he has a few hours to rest and one more evening shift till 2-3 a.m. And he works every day! You need to know they do not have extra pay for night shifts and weekends. Leisure for some people is hard work for others — a big difference between living there, and a one-two week vacation.

– Romanna

Previous post: Dream Island Santorini

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Romanna’s trip to eight cities (five islands) in Europe cost a total of $815 (flights only). To build your own cheap multicity itinerary, visit SkySurf.Travel.

View more photos of Romanna’s European SkySurf.Travel adventure on Instagram

Dream Island Santorini

This is a series of blog entries from SkySurf.Travel’s first travel hiree, Romanna.

Welcome to the most beautiful corners of the globe! Santorini island annually accepts hundreds of tourists every year. Sometimes, it is impossible to understand how all of them could stay on such a small piece of ground.

Did you know “Santorini” is a nickname? To my astonishment, I found out the Island’s original name is Tira only when I arrived! This name deals with the volcano eruption near the Island, which ruined a great civilization. From the old days, the Island received its nickname – Santorini, named after Saint Irina, patron of locals. There is a version that the Island is part of the legendary Atlantis that supposedly is under the water, described by Platon.

The indescribable beauty of snow-white houses, more than three hundred small churches, picturesque views on the Aegean Sea, and a mighty volcano – it is all about Santorini!

According to the version given by National Geographic, the sunsets on the Island are among the ten most beautiful in the world. They say that you can see all the existing colors while watching these sunsets. The Island has lots of awards as “best sunset,” “best book store,” and others. It seems more like one of the tourist attractions.

The most beautiful sunsets are here! (due to National Geographic)

The Island also attracts by its multi-colored volcanic beaches. They are no less popular than famous sunsets. Although there are about 15 of them, the most popular ones are black, red, and white.

Getting married in Santorini island is a dream to thousands of girls all over the world. Amazingly, lots of them do it despite insanely high prices for everything. The Island is also very popular among newly-married Chinese couples. They like to spend a romantic honeymoon here and also arrange beautiful photo sessions. Santorini is relatively small, it’s only 17 km long, but every square inch of it looks like a peachy postcard.

Typical marriage photo session with a breathtaking view

You want to get lost while walking by flamboyant surroundings. The area is 76 square km, so it is possible to get from one side of the Island to the other by car in 2 hours. In some areas, you can see the sea on both sides of the road.

How to get to Santorini?

It is comfortable to reach Santorini by ferry from Athens. Such ferries follow the time-table, the ticket price starts from 50 €. It depends on the travel time: the shorter your way, the cheaper the ticket. Also, you can reach Santorini by plane; the flight from Athens to the Island lasts less than one hour. On the territory of the small airport, there are not many facilities. There are ATMs and restaurant, and prices are a little bit overestimated. In general, this airport is considered to be one of the worst in Europe. One more way to get here is by cruise ship. Nowadays, there is a rule that only one can come per day because usually each of them brings a few thousands of people.

Crowds of people in Oia city during the sunset time

Transport

Public transport is not the only way of movement by the Island. A lot of tourists prefer to rent a quadricycle, which is a comfortable vehicle; but you should be careful with that, especially on mountain roads. Also, you can catch a taxi, but the prices aren’t small. On average, a 10-15 minute trip will cost you 20-25 €.

One of the hundreds of souvenir shops on the Island.

Public transport

The only public transport on the Island is the bus. The buses on Santorini go frequently and almost to all the breathtaking places. Based on the bus terminal, which is in the capital of the Island – city Tira (Fira), are all the buses. Most of the routes go through this bus station. The buses on Santorini are not cheap: minimal price varies from 1,8 to 2,5 €, but sometimes it is necessary to change the bus to reach some points on the Island. In such a way, you will pay around 10 € per day.

Cable car

At first sight, it seems like it is impossible to achieve Fira from the port, but for those who aren’t impressed by walking on foot, you can ride the cable car. It’s situated in the Old port and goes daily every 20 minutes. The ticket costs 5 €. There is also an opportunity to get up on a donkey, but I do not recommend to ride the poor animals.

Car rental

You can rent a car on the Island, the price per day will start from 50 €, but some fantastic snow-white streets are so narrow for a vehicle to maneuver there. So in small cities, you need to always walk on foot.

Where to stay

During the high season, prices for the cheapest hotels on the Island start from 150 € per night, and if you need a higher comfort level – 350/600 €. If you want to stay at a luxury apartment with a beautiful view and a pool, it will cost you about 800 € per night. But all the variants mentioned above aren’t the only option. You also can find an apartment on Airbnb (it can be a whole flat or one private room in the flat), and the price will start from 30 €. There are some hostels in Santorini; the bed in a room for 6/8 persons will cost 20-25 €. My host was an amazingly friendly person. We watched shooting stars from the best point of the Island; he told a lot of unexpected things about the life of locals. A large part of these people works without days off and holidays for an incredibly small payment. But living in such a paradise demands patience and effort.

Is it worth to visit Santorini? Definitely yes. Rich with exotic beauty and contrasts, this Greek island, you will not forget. Moreover, it will take 2-3 days to get to know almost all the best spots of the Island!

– Romanna

Previous post: Feel like a Local in Barcelona

Next post: Overvalued or Not? the Real Santorini Situation

Romanna’s trip to eight cities (five islands) in Europe cost a total of $815 (flights only). To build your own cheap multicity itinerary, visit SkySurf.Travel.

View more photos of Romanna’s European SkySurf.Travel adventure on Instagram