We look forward to arriving in Santorini, Greece reputed to be the gem of the Aegean Sea and is often sought for a romantic getaway ... and wedding destinations. There are not many places in the world where you can enjoy exquisitely clear waters while perched on the rim of a massive active volcano in the middle of the sea. Cruise ships cannot dock but must tender all the passengers to the shore creating an active business for dozens of boat tender operators which land at a small port village below Fira.
The group of Santorini's islands is still an active volcano and is probably the only volcano in the world whose crater is in the sea. The islands that form Santorini came into existence as a result of intensive volcanic activity; twelve huge eruptions occurred, one every 20,000 years approximately, and each violent eruption caused the collapse of the volcano’s central part creating a large crater (caldera). The volcano, however, managed to recreate itself over and over again. The most recent volcanic activity on the island occurred in 1950. The whole island is actually a huge natural geological museum where you can observe a wide range of geological structures.
We landed on the island in the morning. Fira is located near the port on the caldera clifss opposite the volcano. There are three options to reach the cliff: one is by cable car (the fastest); another is by climbing about 600 steps up a steep cliffside of the volcano's caldera .... alas there are lots of donkey manure and droppings on the steps so one can get quite smelly doing this option. The third option is to rent a donkey for about $6 and they will slowly (or faster) walk up the slope with some occasional prodding to keep moving ... I think they stop to rest a few times. Animal rights activists might consider this trek up the slopes as ass abuse. The donkey option is what I opted for but I could not convince Debbie to join me (she took the cable car). My white donkey only tripped twice and ran ahead of other mules making the trek. It was the scenic way to get to the top in about 20 minutes or so but one had to hold on to the saddle horn with at least one hand ... the other holding the camera snapping pictures of the sights below. Later, Debbie heard from another passenger that someone fell off her mule two weeks ago and was trampled to death by the animal. Whether that is a myth or reality, I do not know. The sign at the donkey rental place assured riders that "all donkey trips are fully insured."
We walked around Fira, the capital of Santorini, for a while and then found a bus stop that would take us to Oia. Many bars and cafes are actually on the caldera, while others, as well as the large clubs, are tucked into the quaint cobbled streets weaving through the town. The bus ride to Oia took us around some narrow, winding, mountain roads with a lot of lurching as the bus drive did not slow down around corners. The small town is built on the steep slope of the caldera and the houses and restaurants are built into niches carved into the caldera on the seaward side. There are narrow passageways and a central square. Its paths are very narrow and get congested during the tourist season. The idyllic surroundings of the town have a complex of white washed blue domed churches and charming, traditional Cycladic houses and cave houses that are carved into the rock face on top of the cliff. It is set in a location which provides excellent views of the sunset over the caldera.
The group of Santorini's islands is still an active volcano and is probably the only volcano in the world whose crater is in the sea. The islands that form Santorini came into existence as a result of intensive volcanic activity; twelve huge eruptions occurred, one every 20,000 years approximately, and each violent eruption caused the collapse of the volcano’s central part creating a large crater (caldera). The volcano, however, managed to recreate itself over and over again. The most recent volcanic activity on the island occurred in 1950. The whole island is actually a huge natural geological museum where you can observe a wide range of geological structures.
We landed on the island in the morning. Fira is located near the port on the caldera clifss opposite the volcano. There are three options to reach the cliff: one is by cable car (the fastest); another is by climbing about 600 steps up a steep cliffside of the volcano's caldera .... alas there are lots of donkey manure and droppings on the steps so one can get quite smelly doing this option. The third option is to rent a donkey for about $6 and they will slowly (or faster) walk up the slope with some occasional prodding to keep moving ... I think they stop to rest a few times. Animal rights activists might consider this trek up the slopes as ass abuse. The donkey option is what I opted for but I could not convince Debbie to join me (she took the cable car). My white donkey only tripped twice and ran ahead of other mules making the trek. It was the scenic way to get to the top in about 20 minutes or so but one had to hold on to the saddle horn with at least one hand ... the other holding the camera snapping pictures of the sights below. Later, Debbie heard from another passenger that someone fell off her mule two weeks ago and was trampled to death by the animal. Whether that is a myth or reality, I do not know. The sign at the donkey rental place assured riders that "all donkey trips are fully insured."
We walked around Fira, the capital of Santorini, for a while and then found a bus stop that would take us to Oia. Many bars and cafes are actually on the caldera, while others, as well as the large clubs, are tucked into the quaint cobbled streets weaving through the town. The bus ride to Oia took us around some narrow, winding, mountain roads with a lot of lurching as the bus drive did not slow down around corners. The small town is built on the steep slope of the caldera and the houses and restaurants are built into niches carved into the caldera on the seaward side. There are narrow passageways and a central square. Its paths are very narrow and get congested during the tourist season. The idyllic surroundings of the town have a complex of white washed blue domed churches and charming, traditional Cycladic houses and cave houses that are carved into the rock face on top of the cliff. It is set in a location which provides excellent views of the sunset over the caldera.
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