KarenWoo, thank you. The walk was enjoyable although my favorite walk on Santorini was the one to Skaros Rock and down to the church behind it and my second favorite is the one from Pyrgos to Prophet Elias Monastery.

Santorini: Away from the Caldera Rim

After having thoroughly explored the famous caldera rim over the past day and a half, we focused today on the southern part of the island. We began with a trip to Fira to visit the Museum of Prehistoric Thira. There we viewed the exhibits of the Minoan and Cycladic peoples who inhabited Santorini before volcanic eruptions and earthquakes destroyed life on the island. The museum is small but worth a visit to understand Santorini's early history and prepared us for our visit to Akrotiri later in the day.

From Fira we traveled by taxi to Pyrgos (20 euros for 4 people), a village situated in the geographic middle of the island. There we visited the centuries-old castle located on top of a hill. The castle is in ruins but home to several Greek Orthodox churches from the 17th century, including one to St. Nicholas that was open to visitors. In addition to exploring the lanes that wind around the churches, we enjoyed beautiful views of the island, including the caldera from a distance. We also hiked up to Prophet Elias Monastery. Along the way, we were able to survey the entire island, viewing the caldera cliffs, the white villages spilling across and down the cliffs, the smaller islands in the Aegean, and beyond. The hike is fairly easy and took about one hour. The monastery itself is small and a quick visit.

From the monastery we made our way back down to Pyrgos and took a public bus to Perissa Beach (1.80 euro per person). The bus ride took about 40 minutes and ran once every hour; we wouldn't mind paying for a taxi but none was to be found. We enjoyed a light lunch of pizza, salad, and a couple of mezes at Noma, right on the beach. After lunch we took an afternoon walk along the length stretch of beautiful black sand, listening to the waves crossing on the beach. It was a fairly cool and breezy afternoon, but that didn't bother us; it was actually quite nice. Along the seaside is a plethora of restaurants, cafes, ice cream shops, and shops selling the usual tourist souvenirs.

From Perissa Beach we hopped in a taxi for Arkotiri (35 euros). We visited the archaeological prehistoric site. The site is vast and contains the excavated remains of many buildings, some more than one story tall. The structures that were most impressive were the ones around Triangle Square, including the House of the Ladies. My favorite was the where ceramic jars were stored. The visit, though, was somewhat disappointing in that aside from the jars none of the other everyday or ritual items were present nor were the frescoes. While we saw some of it at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens and the Museum of Prehistoric Thera this morning, I would have appreciated more in situ. From the archaeological site, we walked to Red Beach for a quick look and some photographs of the geologic landscape. From there we also saw White Beach. The sun rays beating down on the Aegean looked beautiful.

Our final stop of the day was supposed to be at Venetsanos Winery for a tasting at sunset. Given the drizzly weather earlier in the day and the general cloudy conditions, the winery contacted me to let me know that our reservation was cancelled. Bummer. Even with the sunset, we would have enjoyed the wine along with the nice views.

As we had time before dinner now that the winery visit was cancelled, we stopped in the village of Megalochori for a look around. We again travelled by taxi from Akrotiri to Megalochori (25 euros). Megalochori is a small village but pleasant for wandering. We visited the village churches, caught a glimpse of a Greek wedding, and visited an underground cave.

From Megalochori, we travelled by bus to Exo Gonia (1.8 euros) for dinner af Metaxi Mas. From the bus stop to the restaurant was about a 15 -minute walk. Along the way we were able to view the sunset with the entire caldera in front of us - very pretty. The meal at Metaxi Mas was amazing as well.


Church in Pyrgos

Pyrgos Panorama

Bell Towers in Pyrgos

Castle in Pyrgos

View to Oia and Imerovigli from Hike from Pyrgos to Prophet Elias Monastery

Atop Prophet Elias Monastery

Perissa Beach

Perissa Beach

Akrotiri Ruins

Red Beach

Church in Megalochori

Sunset from Exo Gonia

Caldera Rim View from Exo Gonia

Great photo at Red Beach... I love catching that aspect when the sun turns the sea to silvery metal ... Again, you've made the most of whatever happens.

travelerjan, we try to enjoy ourselves wherever we are and not let hiccups get in the way. We plan for the alternative in case we come across obstacles and adjust on the fly, sometimes out of necessary, but oftentimes because something is more or less interesting. Even though we stay flexible, any of our worries - crowds, weather, etc. - did not materialize on this trip.

Santorini: A Day at Sea

Today is our final day on Santorini and we chose to spend it at sea - a rendez-vous with Poseidon - viewing the caldera from the water. We traveled to Oia for a final look-around and some last-minute shopping. We were there from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM. With one cruise ship in port, there were some folks milling about but the crowds were not bad at all. The most people congregated around the Church of Panagia Platsani; there were 3 groups all from the same ship on the square and on the terrace in front.

From Oia we walked down to Ammoudi Bay for lunch at Ammoudi Bay Tavern. The seafood was outstanding, definitely the best we've had in Greece. My favorite was the sun-dried octopus, cooked simply with olive oil, lemon, and oregano - three Greek staples. With a table right on the water, it was relaxing and sublime.

After lunch we took a short walk on the shore before hopping on our catamaran for a cruise on the caldera. The cruise took us around the smaller islands in the archipelago, around the southern part of the main island, and up close to the volcanic cliffs that make Santorini geologically unique. Our favorite places include the newest formed island in the middle of the caldera (formed about 500 years ago), the spectacular cliffs rising out of the sea, and the white villages draping down the cliffs with its lights on at dusk - simply magnificent. And of course, the beautiful sunset. We surveyed everything on water that we saw on land in the past three days, and gave us a new perspective on this very unique island. What an exclamation point to a trip full of highlights. We are so fortunate.

Here are a few photos from our day at sea today.

























And with this, our Greek odyssey comes to a close. Tomorrow we will fly to London to unwind for a couple of days before continuing on home. Thank you for joining me on this incredible adventure. And to all you Fodorites who helped enrich and enhance our trip, we cannot thank you enough.

Wow!!! Your photos from the sea are beautiful!!! The closest we came to this was when we took the Blue Star Ferry from Santorini to Naxos but we didn't spend the amount of time you did in the caldera, obviously. The catamaran cruise was a great way to end your trip. You planned an awesome trip. You were on Santorini for 4 nights, right? That's the way to do it. You had the time to fully explore the island and see it from land and sea. Just curious. How far in advance did you reserve the catamaran cruise? How long was the cruise?

KarenWoo, thank you. Yes, we stayed on Santorini for four nights and it was perfect. We booked the cruise two months in advance, although there was availability the day of. The cruise was roughly 7 hours, with a 2:00 PM and ends after sunset. The route had us going from Ammoudi Bay to Therasia Island to the southern shore of the main island for Red Beach and White Beach and then back into the caldera for the two volcanic islands in the center and finally to Fira and along the shoreline until we were back at Ammoudi Bay.

Wonderful TR and photos. Makes me want to go back toGreece for a 4th trip. Still so much to see.

yestravel, thank you. I agree with you that there’s so much to see in Greece to warrant multiple visits. The challenge is that this is true with so many places that fit the same bill. If only we all had more time and resources…

Thank you so much for telling us and showing us about your Amoudi Bay adventure. It is a great perspective, and I especially adore the photos of the port area.

When I see travel videos, I get frustrated with the use of drones now, as they give you a perspective that the traveler can never have. It is so gratifying to see the eye level view that puts you right in the heart of the experience. Honestly, I had not heard of Amoudi Bay before, or maybe I had never paid such close attention. I can almost feel being there.

Gorgeous photos of a wonderfully planned trip. I’m also happy for you that you were able to discover the beauty of Santorini without feeling overwhelmed by the crowds. The boat ride looks glorious! And you couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day to do it!

Thank you for sharing your trip with us. As with so many of your trip reports, I study them carefully because there is so much wonderful information which helps with my own planning. It’s a pleasure to follow you!

Thank you for your wonderful trip report! We are waiting at Logan airport to board our flight to Scotland for a first time visit. Of all the places I have visited so far, I really want to return to Greece! I agree with Yestravel! There is so much to see in Greece! In my head, I am planning our return trip. I hope it will happen.

shelemm, you're welcome and thank you. Ammoudi Bay is a sweet port with a handful of restaurants and shops and a walking trail. Even though it is a quick access from Oia, it feels secluded. I recommend visiting it for lunch as opposed to dinner though, as it was much busier when we returned from our cruise - both of the footpath and in the parking lot.

progol, thank you for your kind feedback. It's awesome how we can learn from one another and make our successive visits to a place better. I took a lot from your reports too over the years; Morocco comes to mind for example.

KarenWoo, happy and safe travels. I haven't been to Scotland yet so I am curious at what you find through your lens. Thank you again for your tips and advice. I hope that you make it back to Greece again.

I'm very late to the party, as we're just now thinking of adding Greece to our travel dreams. Thank you for such a wonderful report, and gorgeous photos. Loved that you did some hikes, too!

PJTravels, you're welcome. If you have questions as you plan, please do not hesitate.