Adventuring in Santorini
Story and photos by Liz Biggs
One of the most picturesque and popular Greek Islands, Santorini was a dream vacay for me and my family. As you can see from the photos, it did not disappoint. But truth be told, it has become a top tourist attraction, especially for cruise ships, so timing and research is recommended if you plan to travel there.
We planned our weeklong stay in the village of Oia in early May to beat the peak summer season crowds. My genius sister had an app that showed cruise ship arrivals and departures, so we hung out at our lovely rental house while the cruise ship stampedes swarmed the quaint, narrow paths and iconic viewpoints. If the weather was perfect, wedding photo shoots were everywhere, so we stayed home and drank crisp local Greek wine and waited for the clouds and rain to come, then we could venture out and have the vistas to ourselves.
The beautiful village of Oia (pronounced “EE-ah), is known for its whitewashed houses, blue domes, cliffside cocktail bars and stunning sunsets. But as Forest Gump almost said, sunsets are like a box of chocolates — you never know what you’re going to get. If your travel goals include the famous Santorini sunsets, plan your trip in the summer. If you go in the spring, you may get the dreaded orange cream-filled chocolate or a rainy and windy week. We did get one spectacular sunset, and it was magical, like the Messenger Boy in the Whitman’s Sampler box.
Did you know that the island of Santorini used to be shaped like a teardrop, and now it is shaped like a crescent? I didn’t, but thanks to every driver and guide we had for a week, I will never forget it. One of the largest volcanic events in human history, the Minoan eruption, occurred around 1600 BC and devastated the island. Word on the street is that the underwater city of Atlantis may be down in that deep crater. That’s what the guy at the Atlantis hotel told me when I stopped to chat and ask for directions, so it must be true.
If you dream of tsunamis, like I do, another fascinating fact is that volcano eruption was so ginormous that it caused the tsunami that destroyed the ancient palace of Knossos in Crete, as well as flooded the shores of Egypt. I wish the palace of Knossos were still standing because we saw a scale model of it at a museum in Crete, and that labyrinth looked super cool.
If you are wondering why all the Greek-island towns like Oia are white, our guide told us there are not one but two reasons: White reflects the powerful heat of the sun, but also the lime that makes the whitewash is a good antiseptic — villagers knew it would naturally disinfect the rainwater that was collected on rooftops. But don’t be foolish enough to think that is still true today. The tap water is not safe to drink in Oia; we were instructed not to even brush our teeth with it. Lucky for us, our rental host provided us with plenty of bottled water.
In addition to the scenic Santorini sunsets, the panoramic hike along the volcanic caldera rim from Fira to Oia is a must-do. It was an eight-mile hike for us and took about five hours. AI says, “While considered easy to moderate, some sections involve steep climbs and uneven terrain.” Friends told me it was easy and beautiful. It was beautiful, but don’t ever trust your fit friends or AI. For if you hike it after a recent earthquake, the trails may be a bit rocky and slippery, and the rails may have blown down the cliff. Also, in early May, the wind gusts can get up to 40 mph up on those cliffs, and you might feel like you have sandpaper in your eyeballs. But mostly, I am here to warn you about the vicious wild dog that will attack you along the way.
When hiking, I am always bringing up the rear because I take pictures and get distracted easily. So I was way behind when I heard my sister shout, “Mean dog ahead, grab a rock!” I looked around for a rock but no rock looked like the right kind of rock to defend myself against a mean dog. Then I talked myself out of searching for the perfect rock because my finger was broken, so I would have to throw the rock with my left hand, and I can’t even brush my teeth with my left hand. I’d probably miss, making the dog even madder, so I decided to run. The dog lunged at me, so I yelped and ran faster, and thank my lucky stars, the hikers in front of us threw an open bag of potato chips at him, and he gobbled them instead of me. After we got a safe distance away, we looked back to see him terrorizing another hiker who sprinted all the way down the cliff to the road to get away. My sister informed me that the worst thing you can do is run when faced with a mean dog. Next time (if there is a next time), I will not overthink the rock choice. In spite of the mad dog, the hike and views are worth it — just bring a snack to throw at the mangy dog.
Santorini looks tiny on a map, but the distance from Oia to Akrotiri is 37 miles, a 45-minute drive. Well worth the trip, in my opinion, to see the incredible Red Beach, Black Beach and Santorini’s version of Pompeii — an ancient city buried (and preserved) in ash following the Minoan eruption. Visitors explore the excavation site on ramps that let you climb around and through the streets of the prehistoric city.
If you like wine, thanks to the mountain soil and climate, Santorini is a great place to plan a vineyard tour and wine tasting. We chose the Sigalas vineyard, and the food and wine were fantastic. We found the house/table wine at all the local restaurants to be very good and reasonably priced.
Whether you just want to relax, drink wine and watch the sunset or set off on a wild dog adventure, Santorini is a trip to add to your bucket list. For the best experience, do your research and plan to stay a while to fully experience it.
