Streaks of white punctuated by blue domes cling to the top of cliffs, looking down on the lagoon where we’re anchored. A few other islands surround us. These islands are remnants of what was formerly one big island before an enormous volcanic eruption collapsed the center of the island and it was swallowed into the sea. Myths say the lost city of Atlantis lays in this very spot, beneath the azure Ionian Sea.
There’s no proper port on Santorini, so we’re tendering during our Mediterranean cruise, meaning we’re exiting our cruise ship in the middle of the lagoon onto smaller boats that can dock at the small marina. As the tender brings us closer to the island, we finally notice the white stone stairway snaking up the cliff side to the village above. A line of donkeys carry passengers precariously balanced on their backs up the steep steps.
This is precisely how we pictured Greece.
Originally we had planned to hike the volcano on another of the tiny islands, but our reservation couldn’t be confirmed because of the amount of time it takes to come ashore when tendering. It was probably a blessing in disguise. It was so hot even the locals were commenting on the temperature. And had we gone volcano hiking, we wouldn’t have had time to visit the village of Oia. Ah well, it gives us a reason to return someday.
We decided to rent a car and explore the island on our own. We secured a car for the day for just €35 at the marina and opted to take the cable car to the village of Fira, where we could pick up our car.
There were four cruise ships including us in port: 8,000 people packing the tiny, narrow streets of Fira made it difficult to even walk. We hoped in our rental car and zoomed off to the village of Oia (pronounced Ee-ah) where we found far fewer tourists.
We spent most of our time exploring Oia where we wound our way through the cobbled streets and sun-kissed verandas. Tiny shops and art galleries line the streets. Tavernas are plentiful and we stopped to enjoy the views from a rooftop terrace while enjoying smoothies.
The views from the Kasteli of Agios Nikolaos look out over the caldera and to the well-known windmills. The fortress is the most popular place to watch the famed golden sunset.
Santorini has a flourishing wine industry based on the indigenous grape Assyrtiko. The grapes are trained to grow in low-spiraling basket shapes to help protect them from Santorini’s fierce winds. Tim spotted some vintage wines in a little shop in Oia and we bought two bottles to bring home.
On the way to Oia, I had spotted a restaurant right on the cliff side with views that were nothing short of spectacular. We decided to search out this little restaurant for dinner. It is called Restaurant Iris and its proprietor Yannis will show you the true meaning of Greek hospitality!
The fish is fresh and all caught daily by fisherman who Yannis then purchases from. We dined on stuffed vine leaves, grilled snapper, and grilled lobster. We washed it all down with a local wine selected by Yannis for us. We loved the wine so much, Yannis actually allowed us to purchase three bottles at market price to bring home with us. He also graciously brought us a special Greek nut cake for dessert while giving us tips on what to see once we got to Olympia, his hometown.
After returning the rental car, we needed to begin making our way back down to the ship. Why on earth we decided to walk down the 300 steps instead of taking the tram is beyond me. Tim hoisted our case of wine up on his shoulder and down we went, zig-zagging to avoid the “obstacles” left by the hundreds of donkeys trekking up and down the steps.
Our timing couldn’t have been better as we reached the bottom and watched the golden sun dip below the horizon.
How To Save
We rented a car from Spiridakos for €35. Tram tickets one way were €4 per person. Norwegian offered an Oia Village shore excursion for $69.99 per person. Total savings = $88.
Andrew says
Sounds like a whirlwind trip to the island. I can’t even imagine all those people in such a tiny place. I am sure they all didn’t end up in Fira and hopefully some got out to explore like you did, but still… Oia was one of my favorite places on Santorini. I kind of wish I had actually stayed out there instead of a cheaper place inland near Fira, but that is for next time. Oh and definitely go back and do the Volcano tour. Not only is it really cool to walk around a volcano like that, you get some great views of the island as well.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
We really covered a lot in just the 8 hours we had in port. I agree, Andy, Santorini is definitely a place we’d like to go back to. And we too would stay in Oia!
Ali says
I loved Santorini! I went there on my first solo trip, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. You and I have a lot of the same photos too! It’s such a gorgeous place!
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Santorini was my favorite port of call and Mykonos was Tim’s. Both were what we always pictured Greece to look like. I definitely would like to go back to both islands to have more time to explore!
Jessica says
Amazing pictures! We just got back from our honeymoon on the Greek islands in June, and it was to die for. Your pictures make me want to go back tomorrow!
One thing- I recommend actually staying in imerovigli (where we stayed) instead of oia, where it was a lot quieter and less full of tourists. They say the best sunsets are in oia, but I beg to differ. Imerovigli has the absolute best views! 🙂 we stayed at astra suites- just a suggestion.
Glad you enjoyed santorini. Also, next time you are in Greece, make sure you go gramvousa near Crete. It is unbelievable! I’ll have blog posts about them in a few weeks/months (very behind on my travels…) look out for it!
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Excellent suggestions, Jessica! Visiting Santorini on our cruise was just too short a visit. We hope to get back there someday soon. I’ll look forward to your blog posts!
Pam Minneman Wells says
Did you book your rental car before you left for your cruise or just do it when you got there? We're taking a very similar cruise at the end of July and I'm wondering about this rental car thing. DO you recommend it over walking?
Jennifer says
Hi Pam! It is not possible to walk unless you are staying in the village of Fira, which you reach via tram from the port. We found Fira overcrowded and overrun with tourists from the at least 3 cruise ships in port that day and couldn't get out of there fast enough! It is a 20 minute drive from Fira to the village of Oia. There is basically one road and the car rental company will give you a map. It is very easy to get around.
We did not book in advance. There are plenty of car rental companies with little booths at the port and getting a car for a few hours is no problem.
Kim - Liv Life says
Santorini has long been on my list of “must visit” locations and your post has made me want to visit even more. Beautiful photos of what sounds to have been a fabulous day.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Thanks Kim! We enjoyed our visit last year in our cruise so much, we just spent a week in Santorini exploring even more of the island. Stay tuned for more on Santorini over the next week or so. 🙂
Adam says
Looks incredible! Lots of inspiration for when I finally make it there 🙂
Jeremy says
It’s been my dream to go to Greece for years. I’m green with envy!
Jennifer Dombrowski says
We liked what we saw of Santorini so much that we decided a cruise just didn’t give us enough time. We went back this summer and spent a week discovering the more off-the-beaten path things to do on Santorini. It’s just fantastic there!