Sailin’

Kalimera (good morning) from Santorini!

For our second day on the island, we woke up early and enjoyed some breakfast at our hotel. Then, we headed out for some early exploration and shopping in Fira for the morning. We stopped several places along the way to admire the view since it was so peaceful and serene before all the cruise ships docked for the day. We stopped at Zafora, a coffee shop along the main stretch, to allow our legs to rest and to get some coffee (I needed a bit of a pick-me-up). We got lunch at Figo, a pasta place where you get to choose a sauce and a type of noodle. 

Since we knew we had a busy afternoon planned with a catamaran cruise, we headed to the hotel with about an hour and a half to get dressed and ready for our sunset cruise with some time to relax. Unfortunately our timing didn’t work out quite as planned since our pick up was delayed by an hour. A guy arrived at the hotel around 3 PM to pick us up in his “luxury” air conditioned Mercedes. We then picked up another couple and sped over to the port. When we arrived, we waited for the catamaran and allowed the morning crew to exit the boat before we boarded. The cruise left the dock around 4 PM from Vlychada. 

Our first stop was the Red Beach, named for the striking red cliffs that frame the beach area. This was our first chance to swim, and both Ray and I dove in - it was chillier than expected so the swim didn’t last long, but now we’ve both gone swimming in the Mediterranean!

Next, we passed by the White Beach, which is exclusive and cannot be reached from land. You can, however, charter a boat and be dropped off and picked up to enjoy the beach. We also learned that the sea turtles that live in Greece have their babies along the coast in the caverns near the white beach!

We continued along the coast towards Mesa Pigadia, where the crew fed us a traditional Greek dinner, potentially the best Greek food we’ve had on the trip. There were prawns, chicken, Greek salad, fava (split pea dip), tsaziki, mussels, sausage, pasta, stuffed grape leaves, and bread. We were also allowed to swim at this spot - I was hungry so I ate but Ray went for a brief swim.

Our next stop was the Black Mountain, a volcanic rock wall that has an extensive maze of lava tubes beneath. It’s possible to SCUBA dive there too!

We then passed by the Akotriri Lighthouse, apparently the second best place to watch the sunset (#1 being the boat and #3 being Oía). Our last outbound stop was the Hot Springs, between the two volcanoes called “Old Bird” and “New Bird.” Old Bird is done erupting, but New Bird is just dormant. The crew explained that Santorini used to be a round island but collapsed into the crescent & caldera form it is in today after an eruption. They also told us that somebody lives on Old Bird with no electricity or running water and is able to do so because he built a church after planning to live there for more than 20 years. We had some nice views over Thyrasia (neighboring island) as well - the crew told us they have no electricity either and donkeys are the main transportation network so it’s kind of like going back in time when you visit. We weren’t able to swim here because the current was too strong but we’ve heard from a few different people that the hot springs aren’t actually hot, they’re either warm or slightly warmer than the water we had swam in a little earlier on the cruise.

We could see Fira and Oía from afar but did not get to go close by there - the cruise had advertised that we’d be closer to Fira Port, so we were a bit confused. The boat then headed back towards Vlychada for sunset, and it was a beautiful one! So colorful and fun to watch from the water. Also of note - the couple we picked up on the way to the port got engaged! I had wandered into the galley at one point when the guy was plotting with the crew - he wanted “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis playing in the moment and had hidden the ring behind a pillow. When the song came on, he asked and she said yes! Everyone got champagne to celebrate the occasion too.

We arrived back at the port and were picked up by the same guy who dropped us off originally, but the ride felt unsafe. Our driver was flying around other cars, texting and talking on WhatsApp, and we picked up his friend (?) who had been waiting for an hour and a half between the two stops. We made it back and fell right asleep after an unforgettable day in Santorini!Amy