I awoke around 7:15am after a long, uncomfortable night of sleeping on a ferry and upon looking out the window was greeted by the towering cliffs of Santorini, the first of the islands we would be exploring. After docking at the port, we were picked up and taken to our hostel on the far side of the island. After getting settled at the hostel, we rented some ATVs from the bike shop right next door and spent the rest of the day exploring the island.
Santorini is a volcanic island like many of the islands in the Aegean, but what makes Santorini unique is that the island the volcano formed rings and ancient caldera that collapsed into the sea a long, long time ago. So, basically the entire western side of the island is perched on high cliffs overlooking the ancient sea-filled caldera while the eastern side slopes down towards long expanses of blank and red volcanic sand beaches. The island is most known for the whitewashed beauty of its two largest towns along the western edge of the island, Fira and Oia, and the beautiful sunsets one can see across the caldera.
The beautiful architecture of Santorini
Having ATVs was extremely convenient as it allowed us to explore the entire island in a relatively short amount of time. We went from end to end, spending time in the northern most town of Oia and the main town of Fira in the middle, while still having time to catch a sunset at the lighthouse on the southern tip of the island. The combination of scenery and architecture along the way was incredible. Oia and Fira are built into the sides of the cliffs and homes are literally stacked on top of one another. As you walk through the narrow streets you emerge on the edge of the cliffs and are presented with a sweeping view of the rest of the island and the sea hundreds of feet below.
The sunset on Santorini. Still incredible even if it was cloudy.
The next day we took an excursion on a boat across the caldera to the active volcano on a smaller nearby island and the adjoining natural hot springs. The boat rode up and down heavy swells whipped up by swirling winds and splashed huge amounts of spray in our general direction. Upon arriving at the volcano, we hiked up to the summit a thousand feet above the water, passing steam and sulfur vents along the way. The summit provided excellent views of the inhabited main island across the way. I also had the satisfaction that I was on top of a volcano, something that not too many people can say they've done. After the hike up the volcano we got back on the boat and went around the island to where the hot springs were located.
The trip to the hot springs was one of the more interesting things I've done so far since leaving the United States. They are located in a shallow cove behind the volcano and can only be accessed by jumping into the ocean from a boat 150 feet off shore and swimming the rest of the way in. So, we stripped down to our swimsuits and dove off the edge of the boat into the fairly cool water. The swim to the springs wasn't too bad, but was more difficult than it normally would have been due to the large waves. As we got into the cove, the water warmed up significantly and was also a lovely red hue (due to the high iron content of the volcanic rocks). We floated around for a while before having to swim back out to the boat and head back to the port. We were shivering as we finally got back on the boat but in the end the experience of the hot springs was well worth it.
Later in the afternoon we took another ferry to the nearby island of Ios where we would be staying until heading back to Athens to catch a plane back to Rome. Our time on Ios was a rather interesting experience mainly because had arrived after the main tourist season. Ios is an island of only 1000 people and once the tourists leave everything shuts down. There were probably only a few dozen non-residents on the island while we were there. In fact we were the last people staying at our hostel before it closed for the season. So, a vast majority of the restaurants, bars, and bakeries were closed.
Regardless of the emptiness and lack of places to eat, Ios was still a beautiful island. Our hostel was perched halfway up the side of a large hill and had an incredible view of the main town and the ocean beyond. Like Santorini, Ios had beautiful white washed buildings and plenty of blue domed churches strewn throughout.
This was the view we had from our hostel. 10 Euro a night? Sold.
In the short time we were on Ios, we explored the main town and tried to find any food available (there were only two restaurants open that we saw), and afterwards took a walk to the most gorgeous beach on the island a mile or so down the road. Unlike Santorini, the beach on Ios had beautiful white sand, free of rocks of any sort. I was told that during the summer the beach has upwards of 5000 people on it everyday. On that day, we were the only people on the beach even with crystal clear blue skies and temperatures in the 70s. Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the hostel, pack things up, and catch the ferry back to Athens.
The beautiful yet deserted beach on Ios
The time spent on the islands in Greece was a relaxing and enjoyable way to cap off a week that saw us travel hundreds and hundreds of miles between three different countries by land, air, and sea. With the lack of tourist noise, we got to enjoy the scenery and simplicity of life of the islands. The weather could have been nicer, but who can complain with spending a couple of days on the islands in Greece? I certainly won't.
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