Jan_ette

Hi, can anyone please tell me if there are apartments or studios that are almost on the beach in Santorini snd tavernas close by, we are two couples who find walking up and down hills difficult but would really like to visit the Island for a few days.

Jan

Odin

There will be apartments or studios in Kamari or Perissa, which will be close to the beach and restaurants. I can't recommend any but I can recommend the area.

Jan_ette

Thank you Odin for your quick reply, I will start looking in those areas to start with.

Thanks again

Jan

brotherleelove2004

Jan_ette, you can use the filter system at www.booking.com to search for affordable accomodations on Perissa/Perivolos and Kamari Beaches. The locator maps are usually the most accurate of those found online, even moreso than Google Maps. Booking.com and tripadvisor.com both have extensive photos and reviews of most hotels there.

Jan_ette

Thank you for your reply, I will look at booking.com

Jan

Polo1425

In Perissa, we stayed at a very affordable hotel called the Smaragdi. Very short stroll to the beach. Also highly recommend renting ATVs, was a highlight of our trip.

http://smaragdihotel.gr/

BigRuss

Just take precautions - that black surface (it's small rocks, not really sand) on Kamari is bloody hot in the summer.

travelerjan

Jan, not sure you are familiar with the geography of Santorini. Just to be sure, here is the best online map. http://www.santorini-web.com/map.pdf

The beach side of the island is not the "famous view side" (west) that is on all the calendars -- sunset view from cliffsides over white buildings, into the "caldera" (deep sea, created by longago explosion). SInce it's a cliff, there aren't beaches in the view area... visitors mainly swim in hotel pools.

The east side is flattish, and the beach is blackish crushed grit (from that ancient volcano). In order to see the famous views, you would need to use bus, ATV, or rental car.

I may be stating the obvious and you know all this, but you'd be surprised at how many people write on travel boards, I can't wait to lie on the sandy beach at Santorini & watch the sunset, or something like that.

If you DO mean that you want to be close to the "famous views" without having to go up/down steps, and yet wish to swim also, there are answers for that as well -- although more pricey than East-Side lodgings. Which ones you'd prefer depends on the season when you want to go -- we all advise avoiding July-August if possible, both because of the extreme heat and the jampacked crowds. I'd advise May-JUne or September instead.

That said, there are some hotels with a Caldera view that do not require many if any steps. In Oia, our top expert, BrotherLeeLove, can tell you in great detail which hotels have fewest steps. In the Main town of Fira, the "grand old hotel" Atlantis, is a venerable choice with the BEST location in the town; right at the end of the promenade beside the cathedral. At Atlantis, even its pool has a view! Your rental car can be right by the front, and only the few steps up to the lobby.

As noted, it's a matter of 2 P's -- preference and pocketbook. When u share a bit more (dates & budget range) you'll get more specifics.

Jan_ette

Thank you all for your replies, you have been very helpful.

Traveler Jan...we are looking to go in September next year, we are thinking of spending few days on Santorini before we go to one of the other neighbouring islands (we have not made our mind up yet which of the other islands we want to visit yet)

I am aware that there are not any sandy beaches on Santorini, which does not bother me as I am not one for sunbathing on the beach. I like my sea views and not have to do too much climbing up and down steps all the time. I am a danger to myself with steps etc I keep falling down them lol.

I have always wanted to go to Santorini so taking the opportunity of a visit to the smaller islands by flying into Santorini, spending a couple of days, going to the other islands then back to Santorini for a couple of days for our flight back.

We have just done a similar thing this year, we flew to Rhodes, stayed overnight then caught the ferry to Kalymnos for 6 nights, then Leros for 6 nights then back to Rhodes for the flight home to give you an idea of what we are thinking of doing.

Thanks for you help again

Jan

travelerjan

Thanks so much for clarification Jan_ette! I always say, a few more facts avoids misinterpretation.

You have plenty of time to research other islands to sample .. Santorini IS the most isolated of the Cyclades, but there are some choices. ANTIPAROS has almost no hills, no chance of falling. PAROS also relatively flat ... and you can rent a car for a day to zoom around the area. In NAXOS, the port town itself can fascinate for days, even if you forego trekking up the winding maze of stairstep lane to the top; plenty to discover on the level (in the front plaza of Cathedral, they even discovered a 4,000 year old cemetery!). As for closer islands, IOS is mostly about beaches ... SIKINOS, a big hike to the top!. Oh don't forget FOLEGANDROS. Granted, the main town (CHORA) is way on top, but once you taxi or bus up there, it's all level -- and in 2 days' stay in Chora, I looked in vain for even ONE corner that was not beautiful or just ordinary, but Nope the whole place every house, every vista, is lovely, enchanting.

As the Brits say, you'll be spoilt for choice.

Jan_ette

Thank you so much being very helpful and informative you have been a great help, we will carry on now with our research, firstly on where to stay in Santorini, we will maybe stay different sides of the Island on our arrival and on our departure and look into the other islands. Now the research starts for the cheapest flights but as I look not many available yet and also somewhere to stay on Santorini, I will start by emailing some of the hotels/apartments as they don't seem to have their prices showing at the moment.

Thanks again

Jan

travelerjan

If you really want a bargain(more money for food! wine!), I'll send you to my budget area, FIROSTEPHANI It's on the north edge of Fira Town, some maps don't even show it, which confuses. Here's my best island map - http://www.santorini-web.com/map.pdf -- no FIrostephani named on it, but its right where you see #10.

This area has the advantage of being walkable in 10-15 mins (on a level flagstoned lane, not the more rugged rimside path) right into the central square "buzz" of Fira town with its shops, cafes, museums etc -- BUT uncrowded by day & quiet by night because tour groups /tour busses don't STAY in Firostephani. And when you want to go to famous OIA for taking pictures that you see on the Calendars, there's a Firostephani bus stop right on the road that runs just inland (downhill) from the rimside path -- you don't have to cope with the "Zoo" of the main bus-yard in Fira Town.

My favorite Budget GEM (I've raved about it so much, it's getting hard to book!) is VILLA FOTINI http://www.santorinivilla.com Not big (12 rooms?) not fancy (just crisp white sheets, sunny rooms, all with balconies) but SO much more ... it's only about 50 feet downhill from the rim-side path & famous view, also has rooftop terrace, use of adjacent hotel pool, continental breakfast, free van to/from seaport. And a thoughtful touch I've found in NO other of 60+ Greek places I've stayed in -- the lobby has a chilled water-cooler to Refill your daybag bottle. Its owned/run by a sweet Greek family, managed by beautiful (college-educated & teaching-certfied) daughter Maria, totally fluent in English. I've brought many many friends here and they ALL loved it, far more than fancy places they've been.

Of course, you can also go upscale to bigger FIrostephani hotels that have balconies directly on the view, some with big pools & restaurants ... as a rule, they'll be about 30% less than similar-level hotels in Oia.

Jan_ette

Thank you again Jan, you have given us lots of useful information, do you have any information on the best way to get to Spiralonga, I know you can do it from Crete as we were there many years ago and should have gone on a day trip but unfortunatley I had a fall at Knossos and broke my ankle and had to cancel the day trip to Santorini and Spriralonga that we had planned. Is Crete the only way of getting there, I have no big desire to go back to Crete as I prefer the smaller Islands but on doing my research it seems this is the only way to get there.

Jan

travelerjan

No, the only way is via the 1x per day ferry, arriving 7:30pm so you have to stay 2 nights in Crete (ferry back to Santorini is 1x day in AM), and also a looong bus journey to Elounda. If you are going to SPinalonga because of that novel on the leper colony, I suggest you slake your thirst by Googling "You tube Spinalonga" and enjoying more than a dozen videos, some of them prize-winners. You'll see just as much as in person ... it really is just an artifact of a bygone time, with tourism solely due to a novel.

Heimdall

Also consider the cost of ferries to/from Crete. Travelling from Santorini, you would pay around €120 per person for the trip to Heraklion and back. Add that to hotel bills, transport to Elounda, and the Spinalonga excursion itself, and you need to ask yourself "is it really worth it?"

Jan_ette

Hi

Different query this time, can anyone help me with ferries from Santorini to Folegandros as we are thinking of spending a few days there in the middle of our holiday on Santorini. We are going to Santorini 22nd September to the 5th October. Will all the ferries still be running then. We have found one with SeaJet2 and Superjet and priced at €88 each return, is there another ferry any cheaper than this that will be running that late in the season? Should we book that now or wait and see if any others are running.

Jan

travelerjan

No, nothing cheaper at that time, I believe. The "regular" (conventional) ferries have lower fares, but run much less often to an Island like this ... and I can see why, looking at the harbor. I remember sitting near the dock one lazy June afternoon, watching a sailboat tacking this way, t hat way, for almost an hour, trying to get through the narrowish entry. Finally gave up.