TOG_58

In september my wife and I will be on Santorini for our first time. We will have just over two days (3 nights).

We had someone suggest that we take the volcano tour when we are there. We are wondering if this tour is a good use of our time (it seems quite long and somewhat limited in scope).

We would love to hear from some who have expereince here.

Thanks
Larry

irecommend

Do you like hiking. If you do I would suggest the hike from Fira to Oia is a wonderful way to spend a few hours. Also Ancient Thira is interesting or Akratiri (if it is opening) are fascinating.

worldinabag

Hi

I did a 3 or 4 hour tour of it. I enjoyed it in that it's about as close as I'll get to a volcano (a dormant one at least). The volcano is rather barren - just small rocks. Bring plenty of water, a hat and walking/hiking shoes. And you get to swim in the sulphur springs. The boat ride there and back is very pleasant. On the way back you have a lovely view of the cliff face. Yeah, I would recommend this tour.

endlessummer

Hi there - just out of curiosity, where are you staying, ie which town?

TOG_58

We will be staying in Fira (Thira ??) at Hotel Keti. It is an economical cliff hotel with what looks like great view - recommended by a friend who has stayed there.

Hania

I went on the volcano trip but I was there for 5 days in April and the weather was not great. It was something to do. Personally I think there are better ways to spend your time if you are only there 2 days. You can get a fairly decent cliff view by taking the cable car down. The volcano walk is a little boring, the view back is what those on the cruise ships see. Really good view but not worth wasting 1/2 day on.

doug_stallings

This is a really hot trip (there's absolutely no shade or any place to sit on the way up to the top). I didn't really enjoy the boat ride since the boat had a very smelly diesel engine and made a lot of noise. Frankly, I'd give this one a miss if you have only 2 days on the island. Instead, take a trip out to the very end of Santorini for some marvelous views. It's fun to just wander.

luv2globetrot

We did the full day boat tour out to the volcano in May. We really enjoyed it.
However, we were in Santorini for 4 nights.

If I only had 2 nights I'd probab;y skip it.

Our favorite thing we did was the walk from Imerovigli (where we stayed) to Oia and then we spent the rest of the aftrenoon exploring the wonderful town of Oia! That was a really great way to spend a day!!

Our next favorite day was when we drove around the rest of the island. We especially loved exploring the really neat towns of Pyrgos and Emporio.

I've gone into great detail about these things (and much more ) in my trip report.

If you're interested in reading it, just click on my username and you'll find it under "Trip Report: Nafplio, Santorini & Athens"

Good luck and happy travels

bcirish

We were there three weeks ago and did the volcano trip which we enjoyed. We chose that over a day of shopping. It was warm but it was a unique trip and although there is a lot of climbing - how many times can you climb a live volcano and swim in the hot srpings. It would also show you Santorini from the water. I think it depends on what you enjoy. I do alot of photography so it was a great opportunity. Enjoy what ever you decide to do!

endlessummer

I have been to Santorini a few times and only did the volcano walk on my 3rd or 4th visit (can't remember!). If I had so little time, I would skip it. Although it is interesting, somehow it doesn't replace the sheer joy of sitting on your balcony, looking at the stunning view. We did the volcano tour which also involved the sunset cruise. If you want to get out on the water, I would recommend just doing a sunset cruise - this is an interesting way of seeing the island from the water.

I agree with 'irecommend' - the hike is wonderful and Oia is a MUST SEE. My top recommendation would be to get to Oia by bus as early as you can, before the cruise ship passengers disembark (they really clog up the roads with buses as well as the sheer number of them wandering around the lanes from 10.30am onwards). Get there for, say 9am, and wander around. Pack your swimsuit/towel, just in case. Head straight for the castle to get some GREAT photos. See that rock down there with the church on it? You can swim around that and jump off the church platform! Head down the zigzag steps to Ammoudi, turn left, walk past the seafood restaurants and walk around the headland. Spend a couple of hours there then reward yourselves with a delicious seafood meal (Katinas, left hand side to stairwell). Sure, the climb back up will be a nightmare but you will have had yourselves the experience of a lifetime! I can't tell you how joyful it is to swim in the caldera itself.

This couple, who got married in Santorini in 2000, have a great website some photos of the volcano/sunset cruise. Check it out and see what you think:

http://www.idomemories.com/volcano/

littlebigshot

If by the volcano tour you mean the one where you can get off the boat and actually walk around the smoking rocks of Kameni island, I did this a number of years ago and found it one of the most memorable experiences in many trips to Greece.