Trips throughout Greece

Athens - Pireaus - Cape Sounion - Poros - Santorini - Zakynthos - Rhodes - Mikonos - Delos - Corinth - Theater of Epidauro - Nafplio - Mycenae - Delphi - Arahova - Ioannina - Vikos Gorges - Meteora - Messenia and Peloponnesus

Santorini, also called Thera or Thira, was our first contact with the Cycladic islands, also known as the "Aegean pearls". They are one of the most popular destinations in the Mediterranean Sea and although you can think that all of them have to be very similar this is not the reality. They keep a strong personality together with a varied diversity. They are more than 50 islands that were part of a continent that was submerged after violent seisms.
They were inhabited since 7000 B.C. and between 4000 and 3000 B.C. an advanced civilization was developed, very famous because of its marble idols. Around the 1500 B.C. the islands felt below the Mycenae 's power and afterwards below the Ionians. In the 478 B.C. they participated in the Athenian Confederation. After the Constantinople ( Istanbul ) fall they were conquered by the Turkish. In 1821 they fought against them during the Independence war of Greece.

The strong wind is very habitual in these islands. It can become a problem, as in some occasions the ships can't leave the harbour. It is July and August when it blows stronger. The ideal periods to travel here are spring and autumn because the weather is nicer, there are fewer tourists, the prices are lower and the wind is weaker. We went in September and the water was still hot and allowed having baths. The only problem in these dates is the lower frequency of ferries and linkings to other islands.

We almost lost the ferry. When you travel across Greece try to calculate the probable delays and unexpected that may happen. Avoid absolutely going with the just time because you will obtain a surprise. We left Athens well in advance. We took the subway leading to the Piraeus . Suddenly the metro stopped and it didn't follow the expected itinerary. We searched across the station for someone in charge to explain us the problem. Finally they told us that the line had been cut because of works (of course that they hadn't advertise this situation in the other stops). It was a setback but we had still enough time to reach our objective (the ferry). We went out to call a taxi and we suddenly realized that all the streets were collapsed with an immense traffic jam due to the works in the subway and to the peak time (in the afternoon). We got a taxi and we asked to him if we were going to arrive on time. He assured so but he told us that the traffic jam covered the whole city until the Piraeus . The taxi driver was nice and accelerated when the other vehicles allowed for it. Finally and after an stressing car driving for more than an hour we had to run along the docks while searching for our ferry. We found it 2 min. before leaving, almost a miracle.

We sailed in the ferry, as it is the most economic way to go to any island. The journey from Athens lasts for 7-8 h., as it is the Southern Island of the Cyclades, and we arrived at midnight . The arrival was compelling because you contemplate hundreds of little lights from the capital that seem to be hung from the air.
The arrival to the harbour is a little stressful, because you have to take a taxi and everyone that disembarks wants one. Thus, there is a mixture of tourists, taxi drivers, people offering rooms and hotel cars waiting for the booked clients. We were expecting something like this and we went down among the first ones. The taxi drivers basically do whatever they want to. If they are interested in your destination they agreed to drive you, and if they don't want to, they don't allow you inside. They fill the taxi with tourists and they charge all of us separately for the same route. The price was excessively high but in this situation you don't argue, you only want to be at your room sleeping. Our hotel was located in the middle of a road, totally isolated and far away from the capital Santorini. It was called Volcano View.
And here it came the last surprise of the day, as the receptionist hadn't got our name in his list and therefore we couldn't sleep there. I showed our document from the travel agency with the name of their hotel. After 10 min. discussing he acceded to display a room for us. After a while we could sleep at last, completely exhausted and fed up with this journey.

The next morning we wake up willingly and desiring to visit the island. When we opened the door we stayed open-mouthed. The landscape was extraordinary and unimaginable. The hotel is precious, with little white houses in the island style situated on the slope of a cliff.

Indeed in Santorini every new house has to be built following the same style than the old houses, including the hotels. Our hotel had swimming pools and it was authentic, with beautiful corners everywhere. When we passed in front of the reception we were told that the agency in Athens had made a mistake and we weren't accommodated in this hotel, but in another with a similar name situated in a village called Ia. We weren't very happy, but we didn't mind because we travelled very lightly, with only a rucksack for the whole weekend. The mistake of the agency allowed us to sleep in a hotel of better category than the one we had booked.

To reach the capital Santorini, it was necessary to take a bus that we had to wait in a place supposed to be a stop. Again a common situation in Greece . After a while you don't know if you should trust that any bus is going to pass here. After 30 min. we decided to walk as the experience with the taxi hadn't been that good last night. We were walking for 40 min. near the road. During our "delicious" walk we didn't see any bus....To sum up, more than an hour lost, something very habitual across this country, so you have to get use to it and avoid exasperating (although sometimes it is inevitable).
Once in the capital we studied the different cruises around the island, as it is better to know the timetables before descending to the old port (the new port is much further and only the big ships and ferries go there). We selected a favourite and now I can start explaining the trip to this fantastic island, this unforgettable weekend.

Santorini is one of the most surprising spectacles in Europe and it is different from the rest of islands because it is situated into an old volcano. The island is a huge wall with a shape resembling a half moon, the cliffs are colourful and they fall from 300 m. high sharply to the sea. In the summit, villages such as Santorini or Ia seem to balance. The silhouette of the island resembles the crater of a volcano inundated with water. If you add to the singular and imposing nature, the small white houses with mild edges and roofs with a "u" shape or the typical churches in blue domes you understand that this is one of the most special places in the globe.

The panorama from every part of the island is awesome. There, in the bottom there is an immense round space full of water and in the middle you can distinguish two small islands that belonged to the volcano crater.
Therefore we walked down towards the port through a steep zigzag path, admiring the views in front of us and downwards, where the water brightened colourful and crystalline.

The ascent and the descent can be carried out by means of a very popular way of transport: the donkeys. To go down they are not necessary, but afterwards you will have to go up under a hot sun, so this could be a great option, as well as very amusing. The other option is the cabinet lift.

There is a great variety of excursions in boats called "caique", with different itineraries and duration that you can acquire better in the old port (cheaper than up in the capital). We chose the trips that brought us to the volcanoes, to Thirassia and finally to Ia. Don't forget to bring your swimming suit and a bottle of water. The first moment when the boat leaves is fantastic, because you can see the rocky colourful cliffs and the village on the summit.

We arrived to the New Volcano that raises obscure from the water. We went down ant the guide leaded us on foot, going around craters, showing superb views of Santorini, volcanic rocks or explaining the geological history of this region. The actual round shape of the volcanic basin, with a diameter of 10 km., was formed after a series of volcanic eruptions. Santorini developed a very flourishing and advanced civilization, parallel to the Minoan civilization in Crete.

In 1530 B.C. it happened a brutal eruption. The central crater flooded with the seawater. The ash cloud buried entire cities such as Akrotiri. A gigantic tidal wave moved towards Crete and eliminated the Minoan civilization.

In 236 B.C., when the island belonged to the Egyptians another huge seism occurred and broke the island into two pieces at the north side: this is the genesis of Thirassia and Santorini. In 197 a cone appeared in the middle of the basin, called Palea Kameni. Between 1573 and 1711 they appeared new cones that superpose during new earthquakes in 1867 and between 1925-1928, thus generating the Nea Kameni, the place we were walking on. The last seism was in 1956 and it devastated thousands of houses.

Spyridon Marinatos, a Greek archaeologist, after discovering volcanic rests in Crete (an island with no volcanic origins) established the hypothesis that Crete and Santorini formed a unique continent, the Atlantis. The Atlantis was a legendary and brilliant civilization destroyed by the fire and the water according to the Plato's descriptions.
If you stir the ground you obtain gases giving off, as the volcano is still active. It was September and the heat was asphyxiating on the nude rocks. I don't want to imagine how it will be in summer.

We returned to the boat that sailed us towards the ancient volcano . It stopped 50 m. far from the shore and they told us to enter the water and to swim towards the shore. So we did it. Some used a ladder to go into the sea, others jumped from the ship deck. We had bought some diving glasses for our trips to the islands, as the water is incredibly clear and the submarine sightseeing is fantastic, although in this spot they weren't so useful.

The dip was very refreshing, the water completely transparent. When we arrived to the shore the water heats and changes the colour to yellow due to the sulphurous waters coming from the volcano. After a short while (less than 5 min.) that we enjoyed in the healthy water, covering our skin in mud with curative properties and trying to see something inside the water (impossible), we were called back from the ship. There is a curious tiny church near this spot. This is true that you always find an orthodox church everywhere.

The ship carried us until Thirassia , an island very similar to Santorini, with high cliffs and a smaller area. They allowed us free time for two hours to relax and to have lunch. There are two or three Greek taverns whose terraces are placed at the edge of the water. We went to the same tavern than our guide (we guessed that she would have a good reason to eat there). We enjoyed one of the best meals during our stay in Greece.

The speciality in the tavern was the barbecued skewers (these brochettes are called souvlaki) of pork, chicken or fish. You could see really hungry how they prepared them. They were one of the best souvlakis we have tasted, in a terrace in front of the sea with a wonderful sightsee. After enjoying the meal and satisfy our hunger we had two options, both to walk up to the village or to stand nearby the sea.

We decided to rest down because we thought that the village wasn't going to offer nothing special compared to Santorini and the way up could be really hard. We walked a little and we made used of the diving glasses to explore the submarine world in the clean and clear waters.
Once we got our strength back the boat brought us towards Ia , other village located on the edge of the cliffs, that was the most important in the island until the earthquake in 1956. Ia is different from Santorini for several reasons.

The cliffs have a red colour that emphasizes the white colour of the houses at the top. Ia is well known because of the spectacular sunsets that can be admired. It is less tourist (but still very tourist), and cheaper than the capital. I found it more authentic and special. The boat left us in a small port and we had to walk up on foot (it is also possible to use a donkey). When we reached the summit we looked for our hotel.

I don't use to describe the hotels because we use to stay in pretty normal and cheap places, however this hotel also was worth. The room was a two floor house typical from this the island, but very modern inside and well decorated. From our terrace the views were outstanding and covered Santorini, Thirassia and the sea. I couldn't resist my wishes to have a bath in the swimming pool from where I also was able to see the panorama. After having a shower we made our way towards the nearby village and its famous sunset .

We started to realize that we had lingered too much and the sun was to disappear. We walked through the charming Ia, which seemed to me really authentic and rustic, towards the viewpoint for the sunset. We arrived late, and we faced hundreds of tourists coming back from the viewpoints to the village. Anyway we went on forward to enjoy the nightfall. Afterwards we had dinner in one of the abundant restaurants and as a dessert we tasted some tasty cakes in a huge cake shop called Melenio.

This place is easy to find as the cake shop is situated under the ground level but it can be seen from the street through a low window. There is a wide variety of flavours, so if you like sweets don't miss it. Like most restaurants they have terraces looking at the volcano and the sea.
On next day we dressed while keeping an eye to contemplate the marvellous dawn and the views. Such a hotel across Europe would be extremely expensive, almost prohibitive, but in Greece was quite cheap indeed.

We asked about a bus to Pirgos , and we arrived with a 5 min. delay. The result was a 1 h. wait. This is the inconvenient of visiting a place out from the high season. Every place in the island is close. In 15 min. the bus left us in Pirgos, the highest village of the island, on the top of the hill and protected with walls. The houses are ancient and colourful, and you walk up among narrow charming streets with unforgettable corners to finally reach the upper stronghold. It is a Venetian castle, reflect of the 4 centuries that the Venetians governed the island since 1204.

The Turkish conquered Santorini in 1579 until the independence of Greece arrived in 1821. From the top we saw an island covered in vineyards and you can appreciate how the ground starts at the sea level in the east and finishes at the top of the cliffs in the west.

We went down through other streets and new surprising beautiful spots. It is another special village and not so crowded as Ia or Santorini.

From Pirgos we took a bus towards the archaeological site in Akrotiri, located at the sea level.

We also had a look to the White beach , another among the high number of beaches along this side. The cliffs have a clear colour but less spectacular than the Red beach.
Throughout the coast there are many volcanic beaches with scattered colourful stones that you could enjoy if you have the time to.

The site of Akrotiri was discovered in 1930 and it resembles Pompeii in many aspects, as these sites have been conserved due to the volcano eruptions that buried both towns. The ruins are partially dug up. It is possible to distinguish shops, streets or three floor houses with windows, stairs and doors. They found many worthy frescoes, one of them being usually represented in the Greek souvenirs and kept in the Athens museum: the fisherman. The experts think that the village was abandoned in 1530 B.C. before the eruption because no human rests have been found.

Once back in Santorini we ate pleasantly in a terrace and we wandered through the picturesque streets, white and blue, rustic houses or the churches with blue domes inclined towards the precipice that constitute one of the most common postcards of Greece.

There are many restaurants and shops, it is quite tourist. It keeps both a real white cathedral and a real white convent in the middle of the village. We walked through a path that skirts a cornice over the cliffs until a zone of the village much less crowded.

Pay attention to the amount of hotels and swimming pools on the edge of the cliffs. The landscape of Santorini from this cornice is once more superb, indescribable.
We had refreshment in a terrace with views over the volcanoes at the same time that the dusk had begun. This is such an incredible sightseeing that you can't stop looking at it.

The capital is well known because of the night atmosphere and nightclubs but I can't tell you anything about that.
Finally we entered the bus towards the new harbour through a sharp descending zigzag road, where we felt quite concerned when looking down. At least the brakes worked.

In order to come back to Athens we had booked a "Flying Dolphin" to arrive quicker and thus enjoying the island for longer. There was another surprise waiting for us because we could experience a wonderful sunset in the middle of the sea from the boat that compensated us for the sunset we had missed in Ia. When the sun disappeared behind the horizon the people broke in applause. The best end for a travel that I still remember vividly.
The island can be visited in two days if you are restless travellers, but you can stay here spending you summer holidays for weeks.

It is possible to rent motorbikes at good fees and they are an ideal way to know the island with your own flow and to avoid having to wait for the unpredictable Greek buses. You can also rent a car, although the island is quite small and you won't drive along many kilometres. The buses link the villages with high frequencies and they are cheap.
During summer the island is crowded with tourists and perhaps it could be a little oppressive. September is perfect. In summer the prices rocket and it is difficult to get an accommodation is difficult, particularly in the capital.