The beautiful Greek island of Santorini in the Aegean Sea stands out from the rest of Europe. If you don’t have Santorini on your bucket list you need to change that right away or we will convince you on this post. Santorini is a smaller island that is built up by cliffs. When arriving by ship, we saw the white buildings that almost look like snow hanging onto the edge of the huge cliffs. Since we took a cruise ship to get here, we tendered into the port of Fira, which is the capital of Santorini.
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Transportation
There are two options that we had to make our journey from the port to the top of the cliff where the city of Fira was.
- Riding a mule: This option is not for the faint of heart. We saw other people doing this and it was not something that interested us. The mule is lead slowly up the narrow edges of the cliff to the top and it did not look like a fun journey for either the mule or the rider. If you do decide to take the mule up the cliff you will have to pay just a few Euros and make sure you tip the guide who helps you to the top.
- The tram: We opted to take the tram as it seemed the safest and was also the quickest way to the top, letting us maximize our time and explore the beautiful island. The tram was a quick and easy ride up to the top of the cliff and was also very inexpensive at only 5€ each way. You can find out the schedule and up to date rates here.
Travel Tip: Both the cable car and mule ride is cash only! Make sure you have exact change or they will turn you away to the ATM. ATM machines can be found at the cable car station in Fira.
- Bus: Once we reached the city of Fira by tram, we headed over to the bus station to catch the bus to Oia. These are comfortable tour buses that run as public transportation but are located in a run down dirt lot with a building that says ‘tickets’ on it. We asked the gentleman in the building where to buy the tickets and he advised us to wait until the bus came and then we would buy our tickets onboard. A bus ticket from Fira to Oia was about 2€ and it took us about 20-25 minutes to drive between the two cities. The road to Oia was very narrow and curvy and runs along a huge cliff. This was a little frightening as the bus driver just whipped around the corners like it’s no big deal.
Travel Tip: Beware that if you are waiting for the bus and there are cruise ships visiting, plus the regular locals, it can be a bit crazy. We definitely recommend you get there early as we were barely able to snag seats together. Once the bus arrived, everyone was pushing each other to be first onboard and people were sitting on top of each other and standing in the aisle of the bus.
- Taxi: For our return from Oia to Fira, we decided to take a taxi instead of the crowded bus. Although the fare was a lot steeper than the bus, at 30€ the cab driver was very polite and it was a quick 25 minute ride back.
To-Do
- Oia: In Oia, there is a lot of beautiful architecture to stroll around and see. Once arriving in Oia, we walked down the pedestrian street so we wouldn’t feel crowded when walking down the narrow path. We ended up finding the main pedestrian road, called Nik. Nomikou, which is lined with fabulous Greek restaurants and jewelry shops. Unfortunately, we went in November so most of the restaurants and shops were closed. This is during the slow period when tourism is slowing down and local business are starting to close up for the winter. We were able to take some time and see some of the churches around the area. We strolled down the main road and found beauty everywhere we looked. We could have spent hours upon hours in Oia just staring at the wonderful views.
- Fira: Fira is a busy town nestled in the cliff with a lot of different shopping opportunities. We saved exploring this for last, after our time in Oia. We were able to find a lot of cool souvenirs here! There was a shop close to the cable cars that sold pillow shams with designs of the famous white and blue buildings of Santorini. Once we reached the bottom of the cliffs, we found a shop in the port with some t-shirts of Santorini and stirred up a conversation with the shop owners. We learned that Greeks are very hospitable and kind to their visitors. One nice thing about going in November is that most shops will be closing soon for the winter months so you will find a lot of items for a bargain and friendly shop keepers that have time to chat.
Travel Tip: When using the restroom in Oia, Fira, or the Port of Fira, plan on giving between 0.50-1.00€ per person to the person running the facilities.
Food
- Lotza Restaurant: When we were in Oia, we were trying to find an open restaurant that served local traditional food and we were able to find a small building which was truly a hidden gem! Once we stepped inside, they brought us back to a patio that overlooked the Aegean Sea and Oia. The views were stunning and the food was just as a good as the view!
We enjoyed a Greek starter dish which included feta cheese wrapped in a filo pastry fried with sesame and honey. Unlike some Europeans the Greeks love to eat and they will feed you well. For our main dish Sierra had the chicken souvlaki which came with potatoes marinated in homemade BBQ sauce. Jonah had the Lotza’s kebab which was a Greek style burger served with pita bread, onions, yoghurt, and a red pepper sauce. It was delicious and cost less than 40€!
Given the opportunity, we would visit Santorini again in a heartbeat. The incredible sites, food and people draw us back. Give this breathtaking island a visit and you’ll see why we fell in love with Santorini!
