Our ferry from Ios is at 10.30am. It is very windy and the ferry is 1.25 hours late.
We are starting to think all of the Greek Cycladic islands are the same. They are rugged, rocky and treeless, with white houses with colored doors and windows. There are also multiple white churches with blue domed roofs, both pretty and repetitive. However, the water is beautifully clear and blue.
It is 40 minuets to Santorini on the fast ferry. We have heard this is a great island. It certainly looked spectacular as we approached. There are very high rugged cliffs with hundreds of white houses in several mountain topped villages. Again, many blue domed Greek orthodox churches.
The port is nothing more than a concrete landing pad for ferries and the many cruise ships anchored in the bay.
On landing we are immediately hassled by taxi and car rental people. We decide the best transport is a van and driver. We negotiate a fixed fee of four hundred euros for a van and an english speaking driver,' Ardi', who is Romanian. We are lucky as he is a great guide.
Our first stop is lunch at the black sand beach at the southern part of the island. The sand is very hot but the water is so clear, beautiful for a quick swim. The lunch is very traditional Greek with good local white wine. Interestingly, the local grape vines are grown lying on the ground not on trellis'. The only other thing grown on the island is tomatoes. Water is a real problem here.
After lunch we visit the pre historic site of 'Akrotiri' or 'Thera'. This site recently reopened after five years of restoration. This archaeological site dates back to 2800-2500 B.C. is now completely covered by a modern roof. It is a great visit seeing entire streets and houses from such a long time ago, with the explanation of how this once very prosperous city that was twice destroyed by earthquake, rebuilt and eventually covered in ash following the great volcanic eruption of 1613 B.C.
Ardi takes us to a very good ceramics shop, where we purchase some great reproduction of Greek antiquities that are housed in museums. From there we go to the main town of 'Thira', a vibrant bustling place with warrens of narrow streets. At the northern end of Santorini we visit an old lighthouse perched hundreds of meters above the sea.
The gem of the trip is 'Oia'. This town made our Santorini trip special. It reminded us of Positano and Capri but with its own special character. There is very typical Greek island architecture built into high cliffs overlooking deep blue water. The houses, shops and winding narrow streets are upmarket and very attractive. We spend several hours here. It is a photographers paradise. We visit a small maritime museum and the castle on the headland.
We head back to the port for a drink. The ferry is on time and we travel back to Ios arriving 9.30 pm to meet our trusted taxi driver Maria, who takes us back through winding roads to the bay where BP is anchored. It was a great day.
JB and Mick