Day 1 - I like walking right?
One of my aims is to travel overland as much as possible. Slow travel has become a bit of a buzzword, but I find it offers a more cohesive connection from where you've been and where you're going. Flying can be akin to teleportation where you go to leave via a white sterile building and then arrive in an almost identical building.
Saying that, there is a disparity of cost. The ferry wasn't cheap, a ticket cost 90 euros between Crete and Santorini. Looking on Skyscanner I probably could have got a flight a lot cheaper and potentially a lot quicker. But I'd set some parameters for travel and only being two weeks in, it's too early to break them.
The ferry drops you off at the port a little ways away from the touristy areas. I hadn't checked the local bus schedule before I arrived, but I later learned that it changes day to day depending on the ferry schedule. I had considered walking to Fira, the nearest town but the switch back to get from the port looked like a death sentence for a pedestrian, and opted for a mini bus transfer for 10 euros.
Fira to Oia Hike - 10km
The idea was to get a local bus to Oia which is only 1.60 euros but I'd decided to have a look around Fira with my big backpack in toe. It started out just looking for somewhere to grab something to eat, and then before I knew it I was walking the 10km trail from Fira to Oia, in the hottest part of the day. The towns on Santorini have a charm that draws you deeper into their white labyrinths. Each intersection peaks your curiosity, “hmm i wonder what's down there”... more tat shops and gyros counters, but dressed up in beautiful facades.
Fira swallowed me up and spat me out on its far side and I was quarter way through the hike and was committed to it. It was a pretty hike, but hikes are 60% less enjoyable when you're also a pack mule. It becomes less about enjoying the scenery and more about mental fortitude to keep going. Stupidly I was wearing my favourite off white top which at the end of the hike gained some lovely permenant sweat stains across the back.
I picked the only hostel in Oia at 60 euros a night, ouchy. It took a little while to find, as it wasnt marked with a sign. It turned out it was their first day of opening, and it was just me and another person, who was only staying for one night. Then I basically had a flat to myself which was pretty sweet.
The rest of the day was spent exploring Oia, it's a top place to mosey about. Like Fira it pulls you in, there are no blocks and there's no logical layout of the town, at each fork in the road you're provided with a choice, left or right, maybe a deadend. But each street is filled with character and hot damn is it a very photogenic place.
Day 2
Started the day off by bussing into Fira, which acts as the central hub of the island. The last thing I wanted to do on this trip was shopping, or buying anything that I didn't end up shitting out. But needs must, every long sleeved top I'd brought was too thick and I didn't fancy being slow cooked in my own juices everyday in order to keep my freshly tattooed arm protected. I opted for an overly priced linen type shirt from the first shop I saw, and then almost immediately regretted it after seeing dozens of shops selling the same thing for a third of the price.
The plan for the rest of the day was to meet up with my dorm buddy for a boat tour of the nearby caldera and hot springs. I made my way to the old port going the long way around taking ample amounts of photos, something easily done in places like this with so many angles to play with. The dorm buddy cancelled on me after a rethink and wanting to do a full day tour the next day. S'all good, I was lukewarm on the tour anyway, and instead of doing the tour reexplored some of the Fira to Oia trail. Specifically there was a big ass rock I went past the previous day that I wanted to get up close and personal with.
Skaros Rock
By this point I'd been climbing up and down stairs all day and faced another set descending to the rock. But it was all worthwhile, it being spring, flowers were in bloom creating a beautiful foreground. Around the far side of the rock was a small chapel, this provided a panoramic view over the whole west coast of Santorini and the small islands opposite.
After marvelling at the scenery and resting my feet, I listened to my belly and gathered the mental energy to climb back up the hundreds of steps to find somewhere to eat. While travelling it can be hard to make healthy food choices. When eating in restaurants or fast food joints, vegetables can be hard to come by. So every couple of days I'll mentally check what I've eaten and briefly be horrified and then try and fix it by having a salad. I keep telling myself it's just the beginning of the trip and it's going to take time to find the right balance. Perhaps this is a lie I tell myself. Either way I had a banging pork salad, with a side of zucchini fries which totally invalidated the health element of it. Zucchini fries are a big thing here, seen on most Greek menus, after trying them I’m fully onboard.
Oia Sunset
I travelled back to Oia, sensibly by the bus this time and chilled the rest of the day and waited for sunset and to get “the photo”. I’m not sure I was very successful, it seems like lots of people were attempting to get the photo. People in their best threads, flowing dresses, sharp shirts and chinos, and partners, friends snapping away trying to get that photo to convey aren't we living our best life! While also jostling the dozens of other people doing the same. I decided not to bother with “the photo” and sit back, watch the sunset and the tourist theatre. I’m not above it for certain, this blog is a reflection of what everyone was doing there. Am I telling an authentic truth of what I’m up to? Maybe some airbrushing occurs. The crowds eventually disappeared and I got my camera out and got the final glow of the horizon against Oia, and headed into the centre to try and get some night photos. A difficult task with my big camera, and ended up using my phone which got better results. I’ll need to watch some YouTube videos to learn how to get some proper night shots.
Day 3
At this point I’d only seen two towns in Santorini, and was keen to see what the otherside of the island was like. I checked AllTrails and found a hike to do between Pyrgos and Perissa/Kamari. A plan was formed and I set off to Fira where all buses terminate at. I stocked up on snacks from the supermarket on the edge of town and checking my maps saw that Pyrgos was only 5 km from Fira and it was early enough that the heat wasn't too harsh, and maybe there would be something interesting to photograph.
Well, nah, the most interesting thing I found was a Lidl which I went into to raid it's bakery section. No idea what i picked, anything wrapped in pastry essentially is a mystery when you cant read the language. Although I did pick something i was sure was a round sausage roll type thing. I bit into it expecting a savoury and got pure sugar, tasty but very sweet for that time of morning.
Pyrgos
Pyrgos was a pleasant surprise. Fira and Oia are equally beautful towns but Pyrgos has a fraction of the tourist, creating a calmer, more relaxed atmosphere. It’s inland so doesnt have the same views overlooking the coast but its evelated and you can see out over the rest of the sea and other towns in the distance. The streets are the familiar winding and maze like, and has the same mix of souviner shops and restuarants.
I did a couple of laps and worked my way up to the castle to get the best views. But concious of it only getting hotter the longer I linger, I made my way to the main square checked the public map of the hiking trails up to the nearest peak, Moni Profitou Iliou.
Moni Profitou Iliou Hike
It was a well marked, so no real danger of getting lost. Its not the most spectactular hike, but enjoyable. Its very open and little shade to take the edge off the sun beating down. After about an hour, you get to the Chapel of Archangels, which is worth popping your head into and taking a look. This is also where buses of tourists are dropped off to take photos of the scenery, which always feels like they’re cheating when you’re breathing hard and covered in sweat.
However that’s as far as you can get by car and if you want to get to the peak then its all on foot. This is where it becomes less of a well signed path. The trail can at times splinter out into multiple directions, and its not always clear which route to take. My general approach is I’m going up and that way seems to be going more up, seems to work most of the time. But when I applied the same logic to going down I did get a little lost and saw a man in the distance on the right path and mine just dissapeared stranding me on a bunch of rocks and brush. I stupidly chose to head towards the man as the crow flies rather than the safer doubling back. The off piste approach had me clamering over large drops and unstable footings, but ultimatly im still alive so all worked out.
I had read that there was a second peak where you could see Ancient Thira. Which was an archelogical site, but on arriving I discovered that it was ticketed, 6 euros, and closed. A couple of tourists were outisde who were perplexed by its opening times, which seemed to need a star map to dicipher. With not much else to do except buy an overpriced ice cream from the shack it was time to decend. You have a choice, you can either go to Perissa or Kamari. An elderly lady helped me choose, by giving me the low down. They’re both you’re standard beach towns so no need to visit both. I headed down to the Perissa side.
Strava stats, Pyrgos to Perissa.
On hitting the town and walking along its black volcanic sand beach front was met with that standard beach town vibe that you’d find on the Spainish Costas, family friendly and for the sun worshipers. I grabbed an ice cream and left on the first available bus.
Santorini Advice
Stay in Fira, all buses go to Fira, it's a great jumping off point. Plenty of options for food at all budgets.
Oia is lovely and beautiful, but god damn is it pricey. Maybe just spend the day and evening there and return to Fira.