  Santorini has 2 main ports, Athinios and the Old Port. Athinios is accessible by vehicles and, if you join a trip with transfer, this will probably be the port you will depart from. Old Port is the old traditional port of Santorini and is located just at the bottom of Fira hill. It is only accessible by steps or cable car. Going down on foot takes approx. 20 minutes; you can also ride a donkey (€5 per person) or take the cable car (€4 per person). The Fira cable car station is located 500 meters from the central square of Fira. Be Aware of possible long queues to the cable car station.
Some private or semi-private cruises start from Vlihada Marina, which is located on the south part of Santorini. Accessible only by car or taxi, it takes 15 minutes to get there from Fira.
Oia has two ports, Ammoudi and Armeni. Armeni is only accessible by steps, so you will need to reach the village on foot or by taking a donkey ride. Ammoudi can be reached both by car and steps. Many trips end at those ports and less start from there.
Make sure you wear comfortable shoes and, if your trip includes hiking on the volcano, sneakers will always be a good choice.
A bottle of water and a hat will be your good friends, especially during the summer months.
And some more tips regarding the volcano: It takes approximately 20-30 minutes to reach the main crater. In many points of the path, you will observe fumes coming out of the surface. This is an active volcano and the last eruption took place in 1950 AD. It actually consists of 2 islands, the bigger called Nea Kameni and the smaller Palea Kameni. You will be hiking on Nea Kameni. Entrance in the volcano is not included in almost all the trips and costs €2 per person.
There are 2 Hot Springs, one in Nea Kameni island and one in Palea Kameni island. If your boat stops in the Hot Springs of Palea Kameni, you will need to swim first in the cold, deep waters to reach the hot springs. Otherwise, most of the trips that stop in the Hot Springs of Nea Kameni, usually take you inside the actual hot springs, so you swim directly in the hot water.
Thirassia is a small island, once connected with Santorini. You can stay in Korfos, which is a picturesque fishermen port and enjoy your lunch in the tavernas or swim in the tiny beach. Alternatively, you can follow the steps to go on foot or by donkeys to the village Manolas; there you will explore the nice traditional settlement. You can even use your own vehicle (car or motorbike) to explore the island; to do this, you should join the Caldera round trip by ferry boat. |
 |
If you are to join a sunset tour, bring a jacket or sweater; sometimes during the sunset time, the weather gets chilly.
Joining a private land tour means that the itinerary can be adjusted to your needs; however, you’d better make a preliminary research regarding the spots you wish to visit, so that you will be prepared.
You will need to have a lot of memory in your camera and full batteries. Usually the best things happen when you run out of memory/battery…or you have even forgotten to bring it with you!
Volcano, Hot Springs, beaches and all the rest hot spots of Santorini will always be the same and offer the same degree of pleasure. Good company and good mood however are the only elements that will make your trip unforgettable!
Enjoy!
Pelican Travel services
|
