Santorini - Greek Isles

Santorini (or Thira as it is offically called) has always been a popular destination for individual travellers seeking some island adventure or relaxation.  However on our latest visit  we found that this Greek island is now on the itinerary of many of the Mediterranean cruises, making it the hottest tourist destination in the Greek isles.  As a matter of fact Travel+Leisure Magazine ranked Santorini as the world’s top island for 2011.

Santorini is part of The Cyclades group of islands, located south-east of Athens. This unique island was born out of a force of nature – a horrendous volcanic eruption that took place over 3,600 years ago.

The World’s Top Island

Santorini has shed its old reputation as a backpacker’s destination and the cheap rooms on the cliff-face have been mostly replaced by the vast numbers of luxury suites, smart villas, hotels, resorts and traditional houses. Once isolated villages like Oia, Imerovigli, Finikia and Firostefani have all developed their own cluster of luxury accommodation with caldera views and are accessible by the local bus.

Fira, the main town of Santorini is now very densely built up and it is overflows with cafes, bars, discos and restaurants. There are plenty of shops for the souvenir-seeking tourists and jewellery shops are just as prominent.  There is even a street called Gold Street. An impressive cable car links Fira to the Old Port area so you no longer have to climb the 588 steps up.  The donkeys, once a main means of transportation, are now mostly used for joy rides for the tourist market.

Santorini Caldera © Travelsignposts

Santorini’s Caldera

Santorini’s caldera is unique – it is the only inhabited caldera in the world. Its white-washed houses perched on the cliff-face of the caldera and the blue domes of Santorini churches are picture-postcard pretty and it is these images that have been used to represent what Greece tourism is all about.

Highlights of Santorini

Many tourists come to enjoy the magnificent scenery of Santorini’s caldera, but the caldera is not the only attraction in Santorini. Some of the other highlights of Santorini include:

• The Akrotiri – this is where the archaeological settlement of pre-historic Thira is situated.
• The Museum of Prehistoric Thira – This museum in Fira has an exhibition of findings that will impress
• The village of Oia and its spectacular sunset

Santorini Accommodation

There are so many hotels, traditional houses and luxurious suites to choose from in Santorini. Firstly one has to decide which village to base yourself. And, is the village accessible by public transport or will you be renting a car? At what level on the cliff-face of the caldera to have your accommodation and how much you’re prepared to spend – Santorini is no longer a cheap accommodation destination. You can see the range of Santorini accommodation, read guest reviews and book your accommodation HERE.

Tips for choosing your Santorini accommodation:

• Some of the villas and luxury suites look really romantic, but beware of the number of steps that you may have to climb to get to the accommodation.   Find out from the people how many steps there are to their premises and note that the steps are not all of equal size. It is common to climb one step and then you take a few paces before the next step.
• If you intend going to the restaurants, or doing a bit of shopping or sightseeing, think of whether you are prepared to go climb up and down the steps each day.

Map of Santorini:

Amazon Hotel Suite © Travelsignposts

For our stay in Athens we needed a hotel near Monastiraki Metro Station as we had to catch the 6:30 am metro to Piraeus. We left our booking till quite late as we weren’t sure of how things were going to pan out in Athens with the Greek economy in crisis. By which time, some of the more affordable hotels close to Monastiraki Square were already fully booked.   Although it is a bit further from Monastiraki than I would have preferred, I chose the Best Western Amazon Hotel on the corner of Mitropoleos and Pentelis Streets.   The room images on the hotel website looked good.

On arrival at Athens Elefthérios Venizélos Airport we caught the Airport metro to Syntagma Square.  Mitropoleos Street is just the next street to the left of Ermou, the main shopping street in Athens. Within five minutes of exiting the Syntagma Square station we were at the Amazon Hotel and being checked in by the friendly reception staff.

I had requested a room on the higher level and with view of the Acropolis and we were very pleased to be given Room 607.

Features of the Amazon Hotel

Prior to arriving in Athens we had been travelling all round Spain and Turkey and we stayed at various 4 and 5-star hotels.  On first impressions, our Amazon Hotel room exceeded my expectations for a 3-star hotel. The photos on the hotel website accurately reflect the room and its facilities. The interior design is modern and aesthetically pleasing. We had desk space to work at, as well as a seating area. The bathroom was small, but no smaller than you would expect of a 3-star hotel in Europe, and we liked the firm bed. The two small elevators didn’t bother us. Having travelled around Spain we found that even the huge hotels catering to group tours had elevators that were unreasonably small. We didn’t have breakfast in the hotel so I can’t comment on the standard of the breakfast.

What We Liked about the Amazon Hotel:

• The reception staff were all very friendly and helpful, especially Anastasia, Sotiris and Dimitri whom we saw more of than the others.


Amazon Hotel Athens © Travelsignposts

• We were offered an upgrade to their suite for one night – Room 700 is fabulous. If you book this room, you have private access to the whole roof garden of the hotel. From the roof garden you have spectacular 360° views of Athens.
• The housekeeping staff were also very good.
• The location is central, with easy access to the Metro, the shopping areas, the Plaka restaurants, the Acropolis and other Athens attractions.
• The free Wi-Fi in the room worked very well.

What We Were Disappointed With:

• Although Room 607 has a balcony, for security reason the balcony is not accessible. This is a shame as it would have been great to enjoy view of the Acropolis from the balcony.

We stayed at the Amazon Hotel before and after our Santorini holiday and thoroughly enjoyed our time at this Athens hotel. We would certainly stay at the Amazon Hotel again when next in Athens. If budget is not a problem, we would  recommend booking the suite.

You can read more guest reviews and book the Amazon Hotel online HERE.

Map of Athens:

Aegeas Traditional House, Oia © Travelsignposts

After a month-long frantic travel schedule around Spain and Turkey, Santorini was our R&R stop for a week. During our last Santorini holiday we stayed in Fira and visited Oia to catch its famous sunset. This time around, we chose Oia as our base and the Aegeas Traditional Houses as our Oia accommodation.

Choosing Our Oia Accommodation

For our accommodation in Oia, we wanted a place with a relaxed atmosphere, caldera views, but inexpensive. Another important consideration was that it should not be too far down the cliff-edge.

The Aegeas Traditional Houses met our criteria. The self-catering traditional Cycladic houses are only two small flights of steps down from the main street of Oia so it’s easy to either duck up to the supermarket for supplies or to go to the restaurants in the evenings.

Yiannis and Regina, a young couple, manage this place. There are only three houses – houses 1 and 2 are next to each other whereas house 3 is on its own a few metres down the road.

Aegeas Traditional Houses

We were originally going to just turn up in Oia and see what accommodation was available, but at the last minute we decided to book on-line from Athens. We sent Aegeas Traditional Houses an email asking for directions and soon after we got a phone call from Yiannis to give us directions. When we arrived at the bus terminal in Oia the next day, we checked at the tourist office for clarification of directions, but Yiannis was there to greet us and help us with our bags.

Aegeas Traditional Houses, Oia © Travelsignposts

Our house no. 2 was clean, cozy and air-conditioned which was very useful given the afternoon heat. The tiny kitchenette has a coffee maker, hotplate and a fridge. The room was supplied with jams, honey, butter, milk and orange juice and you can get fresh bread daily and other supplies from the nearby supermarket.

There is no Wi-Fi in the room but from the terrace you pick up signals from Yiannis’ network.

Our house shares the terrace with house 1 but as we were the only ones there we had the whole place to ourselves. From the terrace are spectacular views of Santorini’s famous caldera and with sweeping views all the way back to Fira.

Yiannis keeps the place spotlessly clean and the towels and sheets are changed every two days.

Yiannis and Regina are wonderful hosts and are available to provide advice on restaurants, places to visit or just to have a chat.   You feel more like their friends rather than hotel guests.  One afternoon we asked Yiannis for directions to the Sigalas winery. Just as we were finishing our wine-tasting in the garden, we were brought two full glasses of Sigalas Rosé. We told the girl that we didn’t order them and she said that these were compliments of Yiannis. What a nice touch!

What We Liked about Aegeas

• The totally relaxed atmosphere at Aegeas Traditional Houses.
• You can have your meals on the terrace and have maximum enjoyment of the views.
• Come the evening, you can sit in the deckchair and enjoy a drink and more views of the caldera.
• The location is great as it has easy access to the shops and supermarket and it is an easy stroll to catch the famous Oia sunset at the edge of the village.

What We Weren’t Keen on

I’m not fond of wet bathrooms, but I overcame that by buying a cloth from the supermarket.

We enjoyed our stay at Aegeas Traditional Houses and it is people like Yiannis and Regina who make guests feel so at home.

Santorini © Travelsignposts

Fira, the main town of Santorini, has always been the busiest point of the island. Perched on top the highest cliffs of the caldera, Fira attracts thousands of tourists and, as a result, it is the most densely built part of Santorini.

How Fira Has Changed

On our first Santorini holiday almost ten years ago, we stayed in Fira at the Porto Fira cave hotel.  We came in search of our old hotel only to  find that the main town centre is now concentrated about two levels up the cliff-side from where it was previously. Our quaint and humble little cave hotel is now the upmarket Porto Fira Suites, with jacuzzi, swimming pool and all. There is no need to climb the 588 steps from the old port area to the main Fira town centre as a cable car now links Fira to the old port where many of the cruise ships disgorge their passengers.

Theotokopoulos Square, the main meeting place of the locals, overflows with shops and cafes. There are so many jewellery stores that there is a street named Gold Street.  Bars, pubs and discos now cater to the younger crowd who want more than just the spectacular panoramic views that Fira has to offer.  No matter which direction you walk, the narrow cobbled streets and alley ways are packed with gift shops aimed at the tourist market.

Fira Attractions

Although the magnificent view of the caldera is Fira’s greatest attraction, there are many other attractions for the tourist who has time to spare in Fira, such as:

• The Archaeological Museum of Thira holds collections of sculptures and inscriptions from the Archaic to the Roman period. There are also vessels from the Geometric up till the Hellenistic era.


Shopping in Fira © Travelsignposts

• When visiting the Museum of Prehistoric Thira you will get into the spirit of the civilisation that developed at Akrotiri and admire the indelible colours of murals which remain in tact under the lava.
• The Bellonias Foundation, the cultural centre of the island, stands out with its ochre and cypress green colours.
• And, the Gyzis Mansion has copper engravings from the 16th – 19th centuries depicting scenes from local daily life.
• At the Santorini Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral are wonderful religious paintings created by the Santorinian painter Christoforos Asimis when the church was built, following the earthquake of 1956.
• The Catholic Cathedral, with its architecture and steeple, is impressive.
• In the Folklore Museum, you can see a cave with the layers of lava deposits from the volcanic eruptions, as well as an authentic “kanava”.

From Fira you can take the cable car to go down to the old port area. Or if the height worries you, you can take a ride on a donkey or for the extremely energetic, walk down the 588 steps.

Fira is less crowded in the morning so to avoid the crowd, it would be better to visit in the morning.

Accommodation in Fira

Fira has a large range of accommodation types, from the budget studios to cliff-side villas, suites and resorts.  You can see the list of Fira accommodation and make your Fira hotel booking Here.

How to Get to Fira

If you are arriving by ferry, there are regular buses running from the new port area to Fira and the one way fare costs €2.20.  From Oia, there is a local bus which connects Oia with Fira and the one way fare is €1.60 (September 2011).

Oia Sunset © Travelsignposts

Oia is only a small village in the north-western tip of Santorini, but its beautiful setting and magical sunsets have made it one of the most photographed places in Greece!  Many travel images of Greece and sunset shots of Santorini are taken from Oia. Yes, Oia is the Santorini village that has become synonymous with the sunsets.

Like many travellers, I have seen spectacular sunsets in various travel destinations around the world. But what makes the Oia sunset special is its romantic setting. The silhouette of the windmills, the beautiful architecture of the whitewashed traditional houses with their blue trimmings, the churches with their blue domes and the excitement of the crowd all combine to make Oia’s sunset magical.

Sunset in Oia

Each evening at about 18:30 streams of visitors can be seen rushing to the tip of the village to secure their vantage point. Some gather in the old fortress area which is the remains of a watch tower which the Venetians built as a lookout for pirate ships. Some are comfortably seated on the verandas of cafés and restaurants enjoying a sunset drink, while others just jam in along the narrow streets facing the sea.

Some of the smarter people join sunset cruises and you can see the beautiful timber sail boats racing around the bay area to secure their positions.

Watching the Oia Sunset © Travelsignposts

Watching the people watching the sunset is just as enjoyable. Cameras are flashing all around the cliff-edge and couples are asking strangers to take a photo of them against Oia’s famous sunset.

In September, the sun sets at about 19:00 in Oia but in the peak of summer it is a little later. And just as the sun dips into the horizon the crowds quickly disperse into the shops or the many eateries in Oia or they just hang around in the village square to enjoy what else is happening there.

When the last glow of the sun disappears in the horizon, we retreat to the terrace of our traditional house to enjoy a sunset drink and the beautiful caldera views and discuss which restaurant to try for the evening. This is life!

The Blue Church Dome of Oia © Travelsignposts

Located on the north-west tip of Santorini is the village of Oia.  Oia (pronounced ee-ah), is famous for its beautiful sunsets and each evening flocks of visitors come to this most northerly village of Santorini to catch the magical Oia sunset.

Like many of the popular Santorini villages, Oia is perched on top of the impressive cliff-face of the caldera, some 150 metres above sea level.  From the caldera rim of Oia are breathtaking, panoramic views outward to the volcano crater. From Oia you can also see the Island of Thirassia and the view sweeps inward to the rest of Santorini and back towards Fira.  Many travel brochure images of Santorini and Greece and the postcard pictures of stunning Santorini sunsets are taken from Oia.

The Attractions of Oia

Apart from its sunset, Oia’s other attractions include its picturesque, narrow cobbled streets lined with shops, cafés and restaurants.  Stroll along Oia’s main street and you will see blue-domed churches and charming traditional Cycladic houses that are so characteristic of Santorini.

Alongside the cave houses carved into the rock face are also the elegant, neo-classical 19th century sea captains’ mansions with their staircases and wonderful terraces over-looking the crater. The white and bright blue architecture clinging to the cliff-side contrast with deep blue of the Aegean.

Other attractions in Oia include windmills, a ruined Venetian castle, an interesting Maritime Museum, a weaving mill, art galleries and around 60 beautifully restored churches, many of which have been dedicated to sailors. And as just when you’re thinking how modern the shops and art galleries are, don’t be surprised to see a parade of donkeys going by.

Whereas Oia is generally a much prettier and quieter place than the main town of Fira, all hell breaks loose at sundown when loads of tourists descend upon the village to enjoy the sunset in Santorini.

Oia in Santorini © Travelsignposts

The cruise ships have also discovered what Oia has to offer.  When the ships are in port, the cruise passengers are brought to Oia to enjoy the sunset or shop and the village gets a bit crowded.  But the good news is that once these cruise passengers return to their ships, Oia becomes tranquil again.

Accommodation in Oia

This small village of Oia is very well set up for visitors and there are accommodation that will suit every budget type. You can choose from luxury hotels, villas with views of the caldera, traditional Cycladic houses like the Aegeas Traditional House that we stayed in, Captains’ houses on the rim of the caldera or modern studios, rooms and apartments. For a choice of accommodation in Oia, see HERE.

How to Get to Oia

Oia is about 11 km from Fira, the capital town of Santorini. If you are arriving by ferry from Piraeus, there are regular local buses connecting travellers to Fira.   The bus fare is € 2.20 one-way (as at September 2011). From Fira another bus connects Fira to Oia which is 11 km away. The one-way fare for this trip is € 1.60. The operation of the bus transfers can be quite chaotic, but they do work. Just keep checking as to which bus is running as plans do change. The fares are collected on the bus and it’s advisable to have the correct change.

Map of Santorini:

Wine-tasting at Sigalas Winery

Santorini is famous for its sunset and its unique caldera, but the island now has a wine-growing industry that should not be overlooked. When dining out in Santorini, we noticed that all the wines offered are Greek wines and many of these are produced on the island.

A Winery Visit

We saw a brochure in our room for Domaine Sigalas and as it was within walking distance from our accommodation in Oia, we paid a visit to this Santorini winery. Once we got off the main road and walked downhill towards the vineyards in the distance, the scenery was very peaceful and there was hardly anyone in the area.

As we walked past the stretches of vineyards there were no signposts to give a clue as to whether we were nearing our destination.  Just before we arrived at what we guessed to be Sigalas, we met Sandra and Ron (from Canada) who were also looking for the winery.

Domaine Sigalas Winery

Domaine Sigalas was founded in 1991 and have have some 2,200 hectares of vineyards, growing different grape varieties. On arrival at the winery, we were given a presentation of the nine wines that Sigalas produce. We were asked to select the wines that we wished to taste and these are brought out to the garden where we sat under the pergola and tasted the wines while enjoying views of the vineyards. The winery charges a small fee for the tasting, depending on the wines chosen. We mostly tried the whites, the Rose and the Sigalas Vinsanto.

The wines that we tried were all very young and didn’t have any complex bouquet – they were more like quaffing wines. We thought that they should have been served a little more chilled as in the hot Santorini weather, everything heats up quickly. My favourite at Sigalas is the Vinsanto, a dessert wine that is produced from sun-dried grapes.

Other Santorini Wineries

Santorini vineyard

Santos is the largest wine producer in Santorini and according to Sandra, this is where the Santorini wine tours stop at. Other Santorini wineries include:

• Canava Roussos – a family winery that has existed since 1836
• Estate Argyros – whose Argyros Vinsanto 1987 is reputed to be the best Vinsanto produced in Santorini
• Gaia Winemakers – previously a tomato factory, this winery is on the eastern side of Santorini, near the airport
• Gavalas Vineyard – a family winery that has been dealing with wine for more than 300 years
• Hatzidakis Winery – one of the most successful new winemakers in Santorini
• Koutsogiannopoulos Winery – a winery with an interesting history. A special feature of this winery is its museum which presents the history of the Santorini wines and wine-growers from 1660 until today.

To get to all these vineyards you do need to have a rental car.  But if you drive, be careful about drinking.  Alterntively, you can join a Santorini winery tour which can be booked with any of the sightseeing agencies on the island.

Tomato Fritters - Travelsignposts

In addition to its fava beans, the Santorini cherry tomato is another of the island’s local produce that has been submitted to the EU for PDO certification. The Santorini cherry tomatoes take a special place on the island’s food products and each year there is an international conference dedicated to the Santorini tomato.

About the Santorini Cherry Tomato

Santorini’s cherry tomatoes are noted for their sugar content and flavour. This it seems is due to Santorini’s special volcanic soil.  Although the tomato is juicy, it is more thick skinned than the regular cherry tomatoes and for this reason they are often made into tomato paste or used in cooking.

Before the earthquake of 1956, there were 13 factories on Santorini producing their special tomato paste. However, after the earthquake, the tomato yields dropped and it became non-profitable to cultivate these cherry tomatoes. In the last few years however, there have been efforts to re-cultivate the Santorini tomato and the product is now gaining more recognition. I bought some of these cherry tomatoes to use in our cheese sandwich and there were very sweet.

Tomatokeftedes

One of the traditional dishes in Santorini is its Tomatokeftedes. The restaurant we dined at uses cherry tomatoes in their tomato fritters and the sweetness of the tomato comes through in the Tomatokeftedes. We had the tomato fritters with some refreshing salad and they were delicious.

Fava Beans - Santorini Traditional Cuisine

Fava beans is a dish that is offered as an appetizer in many Greek restaurants and is part of the traditional Greek cuisine. But in Santorini the fava beans are special.

The European Union have acknowledged that the Santorini fava beans are unique to this island and has granted it the PDO status (Protected Designation of Origin). Who would have thought that this small island, famous for its caldera and spectacular views, also has produce that are EU trademark protected.

The Santorini Fava

So how are Santorini’s fava beans different? It seems that the Santorini fava has a sweeter and richer flavour. Its texture is also interesting and these qualities are the result of Santorini’s unique soil.  When cooked, it seems that that the Santorini fava does not need blending.  The cooked fava simply melts into a soft and yellowish paste which has an aroma of dried nuts.

The Santorini fava comes from the “Lathyrus Clymenum” plant species and there are records that show that this plant has been growing on the island since 3,500 years ago.

Fava at the Roka

We enjoyed some delicious fava bean dishes in Athens and during our stay in Santorini, we made it a point to try its famous fava bean at the Roka Restaurant. The fava bean paste is served warm and garnished with diced raw onions and capers and dressed with some olive oil and a slice of lemon.

Yes, it is rich and creamy as described in articles on Santorini’s fava beans, but we thought that the dish needed just a touch of salt – incidentally, salt is one of the ingredients mentioned in the fava recipe. Santorini fava is delicious spread on fresh bread or served with meat or octopus.  While some may find this traditional Santorini dish a tad bland, it is nevertheless a nutritious food.

Hellenic Seaways - Santorini Ferry

Santorini is one of the more popular islands in the Cyclades and is famous for its unique caldera, its spectacular sunsets and views. Although it is possible to fly to Santorini from Athens, the majority of Santorini’s visitors arrive by ferry from the Athens port of Piraeus.

There are three types of ferry services connecting Piraeus to Santorini and the ferry schedules depends on the time of year.

During the busy summer months there are more frequent services whereas towards the end of summer, the services reduce to one a day.

Blue Star Ferries

Blue Star Ferries offer the slower services which take from 8 to 10 hours to get from Piraeus to Santorini. The fares are cheaper than the faster boats. You can buy your ferry ticket on-line or at the Blue Star Ferries ticket booth in front of their pier at E7.
Note: Always check their schedules for your period of travel.

Website: www.bluestarferries.gr
Tel: 210 8919800

Hellenic Seaways High Speed

In addition to their conventional service, Hellenic Seaways operate the very modern high speed ferries that will get you to Santorini in just 5 hours (more like 6 hours during the busy season). During our September travel from Athens to Santorini, there was only one service at 7:30 a.m. but it’s important to check the schedule for your time of travel as there are big differences between seasons.

Piraeus Ferry

The fares depend on the class of travel you choose – Economy, Business or VIP. All the three classes offer comfortable airline type seats. There are less people travelling in Business and VIP so in these classes you’ll enjoy a quieter travel. Although, with the early start, you’ll find that most people are catching up on their sleep and it’s not noisy in Economy class. We found that the exception was a couple of older passengers who still believe that they needed to shout on their mobiles so that the other party can hear what they’re saying.  You can buy your ferry ticket on-line or at the Hellenic Seaways ticket booth in front of their pier at E7.

Tip:

• If you can, avoid travelling from Santorini back to Athens on a Sunday as the ferry is usually full with local Greek people travelling back to Athens after their weekend in the Cyclades (huge numbers got on at Paros).  We booked our ticket two days before travel and were told that ours were the only two tickets left.
• If you can book your fare at least 15 days in advance, there is usually a 15% discount offered.
• According to their schedule the trip from Santorini to Piraeus takes 5 hours. We left Santorini at 5 p.m. and got into Piraeus at 11:00 p.m. (6 hours).

Website: www.hellenicseaways.gr
Tel: 210 4199000

Flying Cats and Flying Dolphins

Hellenic Seaways has a fleet of Flying Cats and Flying Dolphins which offer a much faster trip than their High-speed boats. They are smaller boats and although you get to Santorini a few hours faster, the journey can be bumpy. Again, check their website to see which service is running for your period of travel.

Website: www.hellenicseaways.gr
Tel: 210 4199000

If your travel to Santorini is during the peak of the summer tourist season, particularly in August, it is advisable to purchase your ferry ticket well in advance of travel.