Emma’s long summer holiday was fast approaching and once again covid put a spanner in our travel plans. We had hoped to spend time at our house in South Africa but cases were rising rapidly there and the government brought in stricter lockdown restrictions, so that was out. So what to do?
Flights are quite limited from Timisoara so when I saw Wizz Air were opening a new route to Santorini our interest was sparked. A couple of weeks Greek island hopping sounded just the ticket for Emma after a long difficult year at a new school, so we booked cheap flights for the day after the end of term. Another tick in the going to Greece box was that the Greek government were welcoming tourists and we just had to complete a form online and take our vaccination certificates.
The flight was very smooth and people were adhering to covid rules and we soon touched down in Santorini. On the approach we circled the island and we got a wonderful view of the island and the famous caldera which forms one side of the island. The weather was seriously warm as we queued up to pass through immigration. After a quick look at our covid certs we were in Greece, it was the first time for me but Emma had been to Rhodes a long long time ago. Our hotel had arranged airport pick up and a guy was waiting for us to whisk us off to our hotel. The first impression of Rampelia Apartments wasn’t too favourable from the roadside but this all changed when the very friendly and informative host took us around to the back of the building. What a contrast, there was a huge terrace with an infinity pool overlooking the bright blue Aegean sea. Our room was also fantastic with a kitchen and a large terrace to chill out on. We knew we had chosen the right place for the next few nights.
We weren’t located on the famous caldera side of the island so it was much quieter and we still had an amazing view. However, we set off to explore and walked up the road to the village of Imerovigli, it was only a 10 minute walk but it was a steep, narrow, busy road. The village had a few shops and restaurants, everything we needed really but the main draw was the incredible views. The whole of the cliffside is packed with white-washed buildings clinging to the side of the ancient volcano. The majority of these buildings are hotels and restaurants and it was clear that Santorini is a very popular touristy island. But I guess with these views, it is understandably popular.
We were getting peckish so picked one of the restaurants for a bite and a drink. The views from the restaurants were unbelievable as were the prices. We knew that Santorini was quite pricey but we were shocked, 8 Euros for a beer ! Oh well, with these views you couldn’t really complain and we enjoyed some lovely Greek fare, especially the dolmades. After the trauma of paying the bill we headed back to our side of the island (via the mini mart) for a rather cheaper drink with a sea view and a refreshing dip in the beautiful pool. Not a bad first day in Greece.
The next morning we enjoyed a very relaxing time, having our breakfast on our private terrace and enjoying the views and sporadic dips in the pool when the heat got too much. By the afternoon we decided to venture out and plumped for a stroll down the coastal path to the main town on the island, Fira. The path was lovely with beautiful views down the island and out to sea to a small island with the active volcano on it. We passed through the village of Firostefani, although you couldn’t really see where one village ended and another started. It was all quite built up but all the buildings are small and in the traditional style so doesn’t detract from the ambience. We soon arrived in Fira and it was clear that this was the main tourist centre of the island. There were many more people around and there were so many tourist shops and restaurants located in the small winding streets. However, the views out across the sea were pretty spectacular so we stopped for a drink to escape the heat and to admire the view.
On the way down we had spotted a small taverna in the village of Firostefani which seemed a bit more authentic that most, and was located in a quiet spot under shady trees with sea views. We decided to try it on the way back. We had made a great choice as it turns out to be a family run place that had been there for almost a 100 years and they had pictures showing the different generations running the place. We ordered lots of different small plates mezze style and enjoyed a delicious meal, though of course we had ordered too much but we persevered. The calamari was my favourite and Emma enjoyed the stuffed tomatoes.
The following day we decided to be more active and once again we took the coastal path but this time north to the end of the island at Oia. This was a much longer ramble and we were soon out of the village of Imerovigli and striding along the path with a wild rugged coast stretching ahead of us. It was absolutely stunning as we climbed over headlands with the shimmering deep blue sea on our left. We took a break at a church on a hilltop and bought some delicious cherries from an old man sitting under a shady tree. We really enjoyed the walk and we soon arrived at another brow, with another church, and we could see the village of Oia in the distance.
Oia is a lovely village and we enjoyed spending time exploring all the small alley ways up and down the cliffs. This is the village in all the tourist photos with the white buildings and the churches with the pastel blue domes. There is also a small old ruined castle which offers incredible views of the bay. It is a popular place for sunset apparently, we were there in the afternoon and it was pretty busy so I guess it would be mobbed at sunset. After exploring every nook and cranny of the village we enjoyed a late lunch before get the bus back to Imerovigli. The bus system on Santorini is quite good and it was only 2 Euro to get around. We jumped on the bus and paid our fare but the conductor told us it wasn’t actually going to Imerovigli due to road works and we would have to change in Fira. So we arrived back quite a bit later than we planned but at least we got there eventually.
As it was our final evening On Santorini we had to see the famed sunset. We walked up to the caldera to join the crowds and enjoy the spectacle but unfortunately mother nature let us down and it wasn’t the best sunset we had ever seen. Never mind, we had really enjoyed our short stay on Santorini and the views really are incredible, but it is quite touristy so we were looking forward to our next stop on our island hopping adventure.
