Santorini's donkeys climb down the stairs to Fira. I approached my visit to Greece with some clear preconceived notions. I envisioned sun-baked stairs leading from the crystal clear Mediterranean and bright white-washed houses perched atop cliffs. I knew I’d see those iconic blue-domed churches, and I anticipated spectacular views. At home in Alaska, it was those images that were my idea of a “Greek Island paradise.”
As our ship maneuvered to drop anchor at Santorini, I got my first glimpse of the island’s iconic steep cliffs. Though I may have glimpsed what towered above me at that point, my attention was actually focused downward, as I contemplated the fact that we had just sailed into a giant, submerged volcanic crater, or caldera. Santorini is what remains from an enormous volcanic eruption more than 3,000 years ago, and we were anchoring in the deep lagoon formed when the crater of the volcano collapsed. I wondered, as many now believe, if this caldera could really be the site of the Lost City of Atlantis, the legendary civilization that sunk to the bottom of the sea. With my attention now back on the island’s 300-meter high cliffs, I could see our destination, the town of Fira, perched high on the rim above. But, how best to get there? The answer became delightfully apparent. Waiting at the bottom of the steep string of switchbacks and stairs that formed a zigzagging path up the steep incline, were donkeys.
I happen to love donkeys (actually, anything with a tail), so I was as excited to see them as I was to explore the island. But at this point I found myself torn. I could travel up the cliffs by donkey as has no doubt been done since mythical times, or I could walk up and hopefully work off the wonderful desserts I’d been enjoying on the ship. Since it was a beautiful crisp October day – perfect for hiking – I decided to set out on foot.
An iconic blue-domed church in Oia.
I climbed around corner after corner up more than 500 steps, passing donkey teams headed up or down along the way. The donkeys all wore colorful beaded neck collars with a bell attached that jingled as they clomped along. Each switchback brought the tinkling of bells and better views of the crystal clear waters below.
After about 45 minutes we reached the top eager to explore Fira, and then afterward set out by local bus to the small town of Oia, located at the north end of the island. My immediate impression was that this magical place should definitely be on a travel bucket list. Oia is situated atop an impressive cliff with more views of the sparkling expanse of sea, and the charming village is made up of traditional white houses and blue domed churches, with the narrow streets between buildings just wide enough for pedestrians and the occasional passing donkey. We discovered that many artists have made this picturesque setting their home and enjoyed wandering through the array of art galleries full of original works.
After a day in this island paradise, it was time to head back to Fira where we would descend down the cliffs to our anchored ship. Again I decided to make the journey by foot, once more passing the donkeys and their sweet sounding bells along the way. When I got to the bottom, I realized I had encountered a sound I did not want to leave behind. And as I really do like to support the local economies of the places I visit, I had the perfect idea for a souvenir!
Kristen talks the donkey herder out of her perfect souvenir.
Not speaking any Greek, I somehow was able to communicate with a donkey herder that I would like to buy one of the donkey bells with the colorful beads. What a perfect addition to my collection of authentic animal bells (I have many…really…including cow bells from Bali and Switzerland). Although it did take some time to convince him that it really wasn’t a ride on his donkey that I was after, I finally was able to walk away with the perfect memento of this perfect day.
Now, as I sit in our cabin in Alaska, our wonderful cruise may seem a distant memory, but I keep my donkey bell in a spot where I see it often and can reflect on my journey to the cliffs of Santorini.
The scenic Santorini coast.
A donkey sporting his colorful beaded harness.
Kristen enjoys the beautiful views from an Oia cafe.
We sailed on the star princess on 30th may 2011 for 12 days .What a fantastic itinery from Monty Carlo ,Pisa,Naples,Santorini (wow) Mykonos ,Athens,olympia,Corfu,Split,and Venice.Monty Carlo is the most fantastic place and we visted 2 days after the Grand Prix and walked the track.cool or what.Santorini is the best place we have ever seen,what a gem,and try the donky ride up the steps and the cable car back down.Olympia is fantastic and made the hair stand up on my neck when we entered the tunnel to the olympic track,and stood where the Olympic torch is lit every 4 years and taken around the world.The Greek islands are possibly the most wounderfull islands we have seen .We hired a jeep for 45 euroes a day in Corfu and toured the island fantastic and breath takeing.Venice was our last stop and what a city.The tender took us in the day to St Marks Square and we walked around Venice all day.Dispite being worn out we went to Venice in the night the tender ran untill 12.30pm and it was fantastic, and a must for all romantics.The gondalas are about £100 a pop so we chose the water taxi and went arount the Grand Canal for a few quid and it was perfect.In all this cruise itinery was the bees knees ,lots of great history,fantastic stops,quite tireing but worth every penny we paid.Greece is a bit pricey since the euro and the drinks on the ship were the same but hay over all wow.
we are going on this same cruise in less than 2 months..it all sounds so wonderful! Can’t wait…
fantastic itinery greece was wild
My husband and I are taking the Greek Isle cruise with Princess in Sept/2011 for our 35th anniversary…I am so excited and Santorini is one of the stops I am very excited about…thanks for all the wonderful info!!!
We’re on that cruise too!! Can’t wait!
We also loved Santorini. The view from the top of the lsland was unreal. The island itself was beautiful, and the shops there are great! The donkey trail was fun, although we walked the trail…It was alittle stinky! Our cruise also included Rome,Turkey,Athens, Venice…it was a wonderful,wonderful experince…so much to see and learn. One of our favorite of 11 cruises we have been on.
enjoyed your thoughts on santorina linda .am thinking of doind a cruise aroun there and the greek islands ,cant make up my mind though with all the unrest in the world ,i’ve been to europe mant times over the years ,but i lately have been cruising around asia and the south pacific islands,did you feel safe linda???
Santorini with Princess was one of our favorite cruises. The island was sooo beautiful and the views there almost unreal…a real paradise! This cruise was great as we also went to Athens and Greece and Turkey…the cruise with Princess to these sites and the tours we took were once in a life time cruise…so much to see. Loved it all.
Can’t wait to go on our seventh Princess Cruise to the Greek Isles and explore the same places as you have…Any tips on tours that are must see? We are leaving in June. Is there any down time, it seems we are at a different port each day and only one or two days at sea.
Hi Barbara,
We receive great feedback on the following excursions: Ston & Trsteno in Dubrovnik, Delos, Island Drive & Mykonos Walking Tour in Mykonos, Ephesus, St. John’s & Virgin Mary Shrine in Kusadasi, and Pompeii, Sorrento & Capri in Naples/Capri. There are so many great things to see and so much to do during this itinerary! There is one day at sea, and you are of course welcome to stay onboard if you would like while we are in port.
I and my husband traveled with Princess last November on the Greek Island cruise. I couldn’t say enough good about that trip. Everything was wonderful except we didn’t have the time to go on shore in Venice but I think that they have extended the trip to include a day there now also. Just a word about the donkeys. They take very good care of them. They are only worked for a few hours and then they get to rest when another team takes over. Also they only work for a couple of months and then they go to pasture and stay there until they are rested up and healthy to go back to work. I asked because I was concerned about them too. They are loved. Santorini was a dream to visit. Isn’t the world a beautiful place?
Wow, what great memories. We took 4 of the five grown children on the 12 day out of Venice in June. We flew to Rome for 2.5 days, fast train for a day in FLorence and then train to Venice to board, then tour the island. Every day was a new adventure, from the jeep tour in Croatia to the only drizzly day we had, in Pompeii. We tend to be active, climbing everything we can. Santorini, Rhodes, Mykonos, everywhere we went we were surrounded by beauty, history, and friendly people, not unlike our Midwest. (Too may of them smoke….) Princess had great tours available, and after 5 cruises on Princess (about every three years) and a few on others, we’ve vowed we will only cruise Princess. We just wish they hadn’t slipped into the “longer than a week” mode for so many of their ships. It’s very hard to find 10 to 17 days when we can be off work for vacation. But our pictures are treasures, and if you can save for the time and the cost, DO IT! They get to port for the whole day and focus on their location and service.
Thank you for your wonderful description. I have dreamed of going to Santorini for 10 years or more, and it’s good to know it’s not just a dream, but something very real. My fiance and I are going on the Mediterranean Cruise this summer for our honeymoon and I am beyond-words excited!
We visited Athens and Mykonos Greece on a Princess Cruise in 2009. Mykonos will always be a place I long to go back to, as does my husband. It was beautiful and exciting. Our prayer is that we will visit Santorini and Mykonos, and any other Island, to enjoy the beauty you can only find in Greece.
We visited Santorini last October on another cruise line (we wish we had been on a Princess Cruise!). Our ship dropped anchor at 4:00 in the afternoon and by the time we got off the tender on shore and boarded our tour bus we knew we were losing daylight. We had booked what was called the “Deluxe Tour” and paid top dollar because we knew Santorini was going to be worth it. However we did not expect to be taken to a museum first. All the members of the tour were very disappointed not to be outdoors enjoying the wonderful views and having the opportunity to take daylight pictures of the white washed buildings with their blue roofs. By the time we actually were able to stroll around and explore, the sun was setting and it was getting very difficult to walk without the fear of tripping on the uneven cobblestone streets. Some people in our group had difficulty walking because you could not actually see all the hazards (steps down into shops and dogs and cats lying everywhere). We did get a glimpse of the beautiful sunset and the view of the ship below us in the harbour with its lights aglow in the darkness. We never even saw the donkeys. Even at 10:00 at night the line up for the cable car was quite long. We hope to get back to Santorini some day so that we can enjoy more of the the wonderful sights. October is definitely a good time to tour as we didn’t find it too hot to enjoy.
Your description of your adventures in Santorini gave me goose bumps as i have enjoyed the island over 20 yrs ago. I travel to Greece every year have much family living there in DELPI Athens , ITEA on the gulf of Corinth, beautiful scenery crystal blue waters, the food is outragesly good,and the people are kind and freindly. I have many pictures and video of my last few tris ,will be there for Easter April 24th roasting lambs drinking village wine and enjoying the sites and peacefull lifestyle of the people.I will go again to Santorini after your reminder of its beauty. A PRINCESS CRUISE is in my near future hopefully end of summer this year. Thank you for your wonderfull post and descriptions of all you saw and did. Animal bells my grandfather was a shepard and herder we have many such items large and small as my family still does this type of work there.Lets get together maybe and explore more of my ancestors home land. thanks again Art Anagnos
We visited in November 2009 with family and friends. The scenery is breathtaking and so interesting. I bought an oil painting to hang in my new home and now I relive my wonderful time each day when I walk past it. The blue roof tops are so colorful. My husband took a picture of the man who paints all the white buildings. What a job! I would go back again.
I’ve taken the time to read all of the postings and I shake my head at some and smile at others. I was in Greece in Early October and the weather was divine. Sorry Princess it wasn’t your cruise but Louis, a much smaller ship and more intimate, that took us to all the isles including Santorini. We climbed the mountain by bus and walked into Oia and enjoyed the views, the restaurants and the shops. When we went to Thira, we were able to sit and enjoy the views while we waited for the long lines of the cable car to wane.
Our guide was so helpful advising us to do this and then when the crowd thinned she came an called us to go. The wait wasn’t too long and we enjoyed the ride. I saw the donkeys but did not experience them so I can’t comment on that but remember, you had an option.
The views from both towns are magnificent and if you walk around and actually LOOK at the town you will find that it is quaint and beautiful. I couldn’t get over how lovely the bougainvilla was against the white backdrop of the houses. I wish I had known someone there so that I could have gone into their courtyards and seen their homes.
The only nasty part of these lovely towns was the pervasive smell of cat urine everywhere. Now don’t get me wrong, I have cats and love them dearly but, this was so awful that we had to cover our noses and that was with a breeze blowing through the streets.
I went, as a single, on this trip with expectations that were not disappointed. I had the time of my life, enjoyed meeting new people, experiencing new places, all the ruins (ugh), the cuisine (yummy). I couldn’t have been happier and I would go again at the drop of a hat.
one not too miss a real treat
Memories, memories …. I celebrated my “Retirement” on Emerald’s Naming Ceremony Cruise in 2007 when Santorini was definitely the highlight of the itinerary. But the poor donkeys did not form a memorable part of the shore visit – please use the cable car to access the town; views compounded when we walked, …. slipped …., down to the quayside for our departure. Nevertheless, we plan to return some day.
I, too, was worried about the poor donkeys. We fortunately walked and took the cable car.
My wife and I celebrated our 25th anniversary on September 29th 2009 on the Grand Princess and we visited Santorini that week. What a gorgeous place and the views were breathtaking !!!!! When we got off the tender we were faced with the same decision Kristen had but quickly decided that the donkeys was the way for us. It took us 30 minutes to get to the top and we pretty much laughed the whole way. The donkeys took a break when they wanted to sometimes in the middle of the trail and the people had to walk around us! After exploring the town we rented an ATV got a map and explored as much as we could covering many miles around this gorgeous island! This had to be our favorite port of call in the Mediterranean on a 12 day cruise that started in Rome, went to Monte Carlo, visited Pisa, Naples, Santorini, Mykonos, Athens, Corfu, Katakolon, Kusadasi, and ended up in Venice. It was a fantastic itinerary!!!!!!!! 11 stops in 12 days !!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for bringing back the memories, Kristen…………….
This is the itinerary I am taking in June 2012. Glad to hear it will not disappoint!
Donna…maybe we’ll see you there, we are also going in June..can’t wait.
whoops this June we’re going, I see you’re going next year
Ahhhh…you bring back beautiful memories! I remember that day in Santori and how excited you were to show off those donkey bells back onboard the cruise ship! Good times…good times. I too can picture them gracing your lovely cabin wall
Santorini is definitely on my bucket list but I would have to ride a donkey. I love donkeys too.
Please think twice about riding the poor donkeys.
Could you advise me of the best time to take the Princess cruise that has a stopover in Santorini. .
Hi,
We went there on September 15th 2010 and you couldn’t ask for better weather. This was by far the most beautiful place we have been. This was our 11th cruise and we did use another cruise line but we still think Princess is the nicest ship. Don’t even wonder if you would like to go there. Trust me, we have traveled to Greece before but this topped everything else. But we love all of Greece . The people are wonderful, the food is great. Please please put this on your bucket list. In fact make it number one. And if anyone would like me to send some pictures via email I will do that for you.
Hi Carole,
Many passengers enjoy sailing to Europe outside of peak season which is from June 15- August 15. This is mainly due to tourist attractions being less crowded. Happy planning!
I would love to see some pictures of Greece, for It is but a dream for a lonely divorced mother of two boys. I have wanted to go there since I was a little girl. I would love to go on a cruise, have never been before. I am just finishing cosmetology school and will be starting to work again soon after being a stay at home mother and wife for the past 13yrs. Now divorced and loving it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hopefully, my dream will come true one day. Thanks, Dreaming big and adding this to my list of places I want to see. #1 Now!!
I didn’t cruise to Santorini I took the local ferries and stayed on the island for a couple of days as part of a backpacking trip to europe…. Let me tell you people I have been to sicily, napoli, rome, venice, milan, cinque terre, dubrovnik, luzern and tunisia among other places and that place in the off season was by far my most recommended to visit. The food at mama’s was inexpensive and awesome… greece is one of my favorite food places. So if you can only go one place Santorini is a good one. check out red rock beach and try the local white wine its fantastic. Of course, when I was there it was quiet and there were hardly any tourists.
I would love to see your pictures. We are thinking of going in Oct. or Nov. of 2011. Is this a good time of year to go? Thanks, Carolee
My husband and I were in Santorini on our 25th wedding anniversary and went back on our 50th, such a very special place and I might add romantic! The Greek people are wonderful.
Santorini is one of my favorite destinations. Eighteen years ago I flew on TWA and stayed in Santorini for almost three weeks. You bet I explored every inch of that island. I too have a picture of Oia. Someday I plan on returning. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Memories of Santorini are still with me despite the snow and winter temperatures. Our cruise was one of the last to this enchanting island where churches outnumber the people. We were struck by the volcanic cliffs and a little nervous as we ascended by cable car. The city of Fira at the top was so much fun to explore. We loved the shops, purchasing leather goods and woven products. The people were friendly and we discovered a wonderful local restaurant where we ate great Greek dishes. The owner was most hospitable and we almost felt like a local. The views are magnificent. Only wished we had seen more of the island.
Cruise one of the last? Hope not for those who have not had the pleasure – perhaps you could clarify your intent in that part of your commentary? Romance seems the fundamental motivation underlying those trips to Santorini?!
Just returned from a 14 night cruise to Hawaii with Princess which was amazing. Did the Mediteranean cruise with Princess in 2005 and Santorini is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. Did a wine tour, the vineyards are unusual, due to very little rainfall, the vines are dependant on the moisture from the ocean and the result is one of the best wines I’ve tasted. Would return in a heatbeat!!!
September sounds great give me the cruise shedule.
Hi Dave,
Thank you for your post! You are able to access all of our cruise itineraries on our website at: http://www.princess.com
I would love to do a cruise to Santorini on Princess but is it true that none of the Princess ships stay overnight. Thus, you would not get to see sunset from the top of Santorini which is one of the most beautiful sunsets I have experienced.
All of the Greek Islands were awsome on two of our trips to the Mediterranian on PRINCESS CRUISES, We have recomended Santorini to many friends & family as a ‘” STOP OVER THE TOP’”
We trecked up,also took the Gondola ( as seniors,) have wonderful memories of the views, in pics galore,
Very convivial conversations with the Greek people, hand made souvenirs.So much history in this country,it is just a fabulous place to visit . Good job PRINCESS CRIUSES on your tour !!!
ALWAYS AT HOME ON PRINCESS
MYRTLE KARLICKI == KELOWNA B.C. CANADA
We visited Santorini 5 years ago on a Princess cruise and it was a day I’ll always remember. It was early September, the weather was perfect and the crowds were not bad at all. We wandered around the shops, spending considerable time in the jewelry stores which served us wine from home grown grapes. I think about our visit every time I wear my necklace.
The entire Princess Mediterranean cruise was wonderful.
We just booked our cruise for this August. I turn 50 when we get to Santorini – I was unsure this would be the place I would want to celebrate my mile stone – but after reading the story and all of your responses I could not be any happier! THANK YOU! 50 is looking better and better!
I always enjoy looking at views in Santorini, but unfortunately I have yet to see one that captures the whole picture, it is a magical place, a place that you could try and describe, but would fail to get across the beauty of the place, it is certainly one of the places to visit before you die !!!! it is essential that you are on deck as you sail into the crater of the volcano the tranquillity is an experience that will last forever.
My dream retirement is living on a 45ft center cockpit Hunter sailboat with my man and dog sailing the inter coastal waterways, the Caribbean, and any port I choose.
I enjoyed your wonderful and historical description of one of the most beautiful places on earth. I agree that this cruise with Princess our first is a must. A once in a lifetime experience. The whole itenerary and places we visited has never been equalled yet and we have been to a few. What a bittersweet memory I’ll always treasure as leaving behind our handicapped son for the first time after looking after him for a solid 6 yrs. without a break was frightening. After countless hrs. of organizing, we found out that this was worth it. Unfortunately, it was on the way to Greece that I found out my grandmother died. My 2 aunts and uncles had to fly back home to Canada. I wanted to come with them but my aunt said it best that my grandma would have liked me to finish the cruise as we don’t know if we would be able to go again We have tried other cruise ships but the experience aboard Princess was the best. We would do anything to go again this time with our 2 kids.
Santorini is our favorite .We did not climbed on donkeys but we enjoyed walking up and down. We got very nice picture and enjoyed walking in the street of Fira.
We whish to go back and stay longer.
Beautiful
I WOULD LIKE ITENENARY OF THE
TRIPE # 5 SANTARINI>
THANK U RUTH.
Hi Ruth,
We have cruises which include the port of Santorini usually in the Summer/Fall months. Please visit our website for more information. http://www.princess.com
One of our highlights was returning to Santorini and staying 4 days in a vila on the clifts of Oia. Watching the sunset and walking through the town above will always be so memorable. Hope to get back there in some future vacation. Truely beautiful. Enjoyed reading Kristen’s blog. Brought back a flood of memories.
We took a tour bus that left us up on top of Santorini. Whenever you see pics of Greece I think it is from Santorini. The views are magnificent. We walked down with the donkeys and I slipped on my behind (only my pride got hurt). It will be a memorable experience forever. Great place. But I think we liked Mykonos a lttle more, but would return to Santorini in a minute.
Interesting comment – had often wondered about those two islands. as one who has never had the pleasure of visiting Greece, I must admit that my anticipation has been piqued once more by this discussion overall, thanks for your contribution Steve.
i did not care for Santo, or Miconos , i had such great expectations,what disappointment. Athens as well. In Satorini made the mistake to walk up as tourists do. The poor donkeys broke my heart and this was mild weather imagine in the summer. the smell and the poop and afraid of being crushed, i’ve heard it can happen.the islands nothing beautiful about them, dried up and lifeless rocks. Some of the views were nice. I would not recommend it. jc
You obviously don’t recognise beauty and tranquility when you see it plus the history of the country! To me it is heaven on earth and can’t wait until we visit Greece on the Ruby Princess in September 2011!
Seriously – did you even have your eyes open?? “dried up and lifeless rocks” is the exact opposite of what Santorini was and is. A year and a half after my first visit the incredible beauty and vivid images of Santorini and Fira still awe me; can’t wait until Oct 2011 when I get to go back to Santorini on the Ruby Princess. You sir obviously have no soul if you cannot see the beauty of Santorini.
At last! The first HONEST description I have read! (Jose Camacho) We were threatened by the ” KIng of the gypsies” and forced to turn over our travel payments before we were “allowed” to walk down. The tram was broken so you either walked or rode the donkeys. Two women were seriously hurt walking down, one broke her nose and the other her ankel … These were not elderlly people! The “cute donkeys” were running out of control. ( I grew up with horses and cattle on a farm … I was worried about the condition of the donkeys and their response to the beatings from the gypsies.)
The return shuttle was overpacked with not enough life vest to protect all of us. Greece has
passed it’s heyday. They are living in the past and their future is questionable at best!
I cannot believe what I have read from Jose.Having been on the Ruby Princess and spending a fabulous day in Santorini this is one of my cruise highlights.I feel a bit for the Donkeys but this is part of the experience.As for dried up lifeless rocks ,what are you expecting in Santorini ,everyone has their own expectations but either Jose is winding everyone up or is he very hard to please? Remember Santorini is a Volcano.Maybe should go to a water park next time.
Hola jose!
Que pasa, amigo? Perhaps you are an extremely well-travelled person… but did you have your eyes open at all? Why go to those destinations, it is clear from anything I have read that you should expect a dry climate and heat – beauty is clearly bound to be different from that of lush vegetated retreats. Why criticize that which can not be changed, do your homework before you book and avoid that which you obviously do not prefer.
Well not as dry as in Egypt, come to New Zealand, it’s all green. We did The world Cruise last year but only half then got off in Southampton and spend two more month around Europe, Cannery Islands then on to US, Hawaii, US then back to NZ. With Princess we had 27 ports of call and each place had it’s own MAGIC. Even the noisy overbearing Mumbai was an experience of a life time, donkeys are just part of it. We took Cable car up and I walked down. Had to keep to the side and have wet cloth over my nose at times as it was a hot summer. Have few wonderful things from few shops that I liked. And thousands of photos….Turkey,Oman, Luxor, Dubui, Santorini, Dubrovnik, Athens, Gibraltar- WOW. Venice, Cannes, Italy, Barcelona and many more places for the second time, all too many to list.
This year Tonga-friends birthday party and Augh-Sept to Holy Land. Next year booked The Grate Pacific Cruise with Princess, if God is willing, that and to do the second part of The World Cruise year after is The Bucket List. To see the wonders of the world we live in is a huge privilege. That is living.
Santorini…Off the tender at 7:00 A.M. and up the donkey path…About 40 minutes of brisk walking through the donkey dung dust to the top…The only problem I encountered as I am going up was the donkeys trotting down… 10 to 25 in a herd which means leaning out over the rail and screaming…A few seconds of terror as they past…I was first to the top at 65 years of age and met my wife off the cable car for a most memorable day…
Kirsten, you reminded me of the wonderful time we had in Oia! Bought a lot of souvenir from Oia and took a lot of pictures there! Blue sky, clear water, white houses, with the iconic blue-domed church stayed in my mind forever! Would love to go back again!
I lost my luggage before my cruise, so I ended up climbing up and down those donkey poo covered steps in FLIP-FLOPS. I purchased them on the Emerald Princess. I watched several people slip and fall on the dung. But I never did. I agree. Santorini is my favorite Greek Isle in terms of beauty.
I agree with most respondents that Santorini is THE island not to be missed. Once you have been on a a cruise here you want to return to stay longer! I know that is what is on my bucket list! Loved Oia and the local bus too! However, I wouldn’t have the energy or the knees to walk up and down that cliff face!!!! Well done!
I am glad you shared your story. I was fortunate enough to go in September and it is truly one of the most beautiful places on earth. I had a fantastic time on the Holy Land cruise that I sailed.
Santorini is the place you feel like you are near in heaven. Houses in white and churches in
blue colors are awesome. My promised to my self when I reached 60th birthday, I will visit
again “Santorini” and Patmos.
We chose the gondola on the way up on our trip to Santorini in November. We had the most wonderful lunch off the beaten path that we can still taste.
As we walked around town there was a small terrier dog who was chasing / herding anyone or anything around town. In our walk around the town during the day we kept running into this cute little dog who was herding everyone off his Island. The miles this little dog must have done in a day!
Being a little nervous riding the donkeys, we chose to walk down the donkey trail and take the view in on the way down by foot. The more you walked the next corner, you got another perfect view of the area and plant life. I sang “Happy Trails to You” as we walked the trail feeling like Iwe were in a Western movie with the donkeys passing us along the way. At one point the donkeys made it across the path towards my direction and had me cornered! Could the tell that I was nervous around them? My husband was not of much help as he continued to video tape me as I was cornered by three donkeys not willing to move and calling for help! Yes, I to can still hear those bells as they come around the corner. I have some nice close up pictures of the donkeys as souviners which I am just as happy with.
Santorini was my favorite Greek Island of the trip in which I still dream about. Ephesus, Turkey however had to be my “All” time favorite stop for ruins! The Med is a trip of a life time that everyone should take at least once! We will return one day.
We walked up, and took the cable car down.
My darling wife is an art teacher, so we had to see every museum. After seeing several we got terribly lost. We stumbled onto a museum we had not seen listed on our map. We went in and ended up having a tour narrated in both English for us and Greek for the other couple taking the tour of the museum.
After finishing the tour, we showed the guide our map from the ship, and asked where we were on the map. We were off the map. He asked if we had a car or were on foot, and laughed when we said we were on foot. We took his offer to call a cab. One cab went by but would not stop as it was heading for the airport.. No other cab would come so far. The guide then pointed out a shortcut back, and wished us luck.. .
We eventually got our bearings back, and found the last museum we were looking for. And after that took the bus to the beach.before returning to our ship
Rick Steeves says be a traveler, not a tourist. I think our adventure off the beaten path in Santorini qualified us as travelers.
WE went to Santorini expecting to be able to either call a cab or rent a car and explore on our own for the day, as the tours from the boat are usually quite expensive. Little did we realize that there are very few cabs or cars to rent.. so not having reserved a tour from the boat, we took a local bus to a beautiful black sand beach- It was beautiful..the water was glorious – the black sand burned our feet but it was all worth it. The only worry we had was if the local bus would be on schedule to get us back in time to take the tram down to the boat. The bus driver had assured us that it would but we took an earlier one to make sure. What a great experience going with the locals!!
TRUDY IS GLAD THAT YOU HAD FUN ON YOUR CROOSE. SUSAN LOVES TO TRAVEL ,BUT MY HUSBAND RODNEY DOES NOT LIKE TO TRAVEL TO FARE AWAY PLACES. IF YOU CAN NOT USE A CAR, BUS , OR A TRAIN.,AND HE DOES NOT THINK THAT TRUDY WENT TO GRADE SCHOOL IN ALBANY AND JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL AT DOANE STUART BECAUSE ,RODNEY HAS NOT SEEN ANY F MY CLASSMATES COME TO VISIT SUSAN SHER OR TRUDY HALL IS MY MARRIED LAST NAME.
Kristen,
Thanks for sharing your story. It sounds like you had an amazing trip! I’d love to visit Santorini someday!
I agree – we were there in June on a Princess cruise – was on my bucket list – since we lived in Turkey 40 years ago, Santorini was always a goal – it was beautiful – everything and more we anticipated.
I WOULD LIKE A ITENERARY OF THE TRIPS.
Hi Linda,
We call in Santorini usually in the Summer/Fall months. For a complete list of these voyages please visit our website http://www.princess.com
Donkey bell on beads – I want one, too!!!! Having been to Santorini many times on various cruise ships I can vouch for how beautiful this island is. The first time we went was probably 25 years ago. I was a little terrified of the donkey ride but was determined to do it. The cable car had just been built and I almost chickened out on the donkey. But I’m glad we rode the donkey up and the cable car down. Since then I save my energy for walking around this beautiful island by taking the cable car – even if the lines are HUGE! But I never thought of negotiating for a donkey bell. I have many unusual souvenirs and will have to go back for a bell. Cute story!
FGFHFH
Santorini is a beautiful port of call . We visited the Greek Islands in July with another cruise line (sorry Princess) which had two ships in the port of Santorini on the same day. We had the left the ship by tender before entering the port and visited Oia by tour bus so we arrived back in Santorini late morning. As some of our group were in their late 70′s using the donkeys to go back to the ship was out and we opted for the cable car-as did most of the other passengers of both ships. The queue to go down was incredible (as was the heat) and people jostled and pushed and argued to squeeze a queue 10 people wide past the cash offices which allowed people by one at a time, down another corridor 6 people wide to pass singly through an ordinary metre wide door out onto the platform to the cable cars. Not a pleasant experience i can tell you. The cars only carried 6 passengers at a time and the other ship which was due to leave before us left after us as its passengers were still waiting for the cable car. We were not aware there was a tram or we would definitely have descended to the ship on that. Princess cruises are most definitely the most organised cruise line we have sailed with – im sure their visit to Santorini would be a hassle free experience for its passengers.
We visited Santonrini on a cruise last Spring – in very early May in fact (and sorry Princess, it was with another cruise line). Santorini, though a place with magnificent views, was far from my favorite stop. There were riots in Athens at that time, so the day we docked in Santorini there were three, yes three, other ships which arrived in port right after we did, but of course all the passengers were there at the same time. Apparently at least two of the other ships were scheduled to be in Athens that day, but were rerouted to Santorini due to the activity in Athens. Anyone who has been to Fira or Oia can only imagine what those towns must have been like with the thousands of tourists off all four ships there at one time. Other writers speak of the tranquility and serenity of Santorini – believe me, there was none to be had that day. We took a tour from the ship, were met at the tender dock with buses and driven first to Oia which was a blessing. Our guide told us to make haste as there were other buses coming but we were the first, so to move quickly and get photos before the tiny streets were jammed. She was right. We had only about 15 minutes before the mobs arrived. I made it down the street to the first church, and while standing trying to take a photo, was almost knocked down by what I can only liken to a thundering herd pouring by! That was the beginning of what was really the worst day of the entire cruise. There were so many people in Oia it was impossible to get photos without strangers in them, or get into shops, or really enjoy the town at all. Fortunately, we went back to our bus and were driven around the island with a very good guide who gave us a lot of history, answered one of my questions – explained why there were what seemed to be rows of baskets lined up in barren appearing fields (these were the grape vines – due to the wind, they can’t be trained up on wires or a trellis, but instead are coiled flat on the ground – fascinating!), and told us other interesting facts, while pointing out various things for us to look at. We stopped at a winery for a demonstration and tasting, and then headed back to Fira. Well, when we got to Fira, we had to walk up quite a steep hill from where the bus parked to get to the main street. If you were not a good walker, or had a health issue as one person on our tour did, it was a strenuous hike. And the main street in Fira was literally a river of people. You couldn’t see in front of you, and people were pushing you forward from behind. That street isn’t flat, but has steps (a few steps up every once in a while) and it was a problem to tell when you were coming to the steps, that’s how crowded it was. And it was hot – a gorgeous cloudless skyed sunny day when stopping for a cook drink would have been ideal, but trying to get over to get to a restaurant was a problem, and many were full to overflowing. We finally gave up and decided to try to get to the end of the street to take the cable car down. We then discovered the ‘line’ of people trying to get to the cablecar station was jammed into the road that runs in front of the entrance to the station – literally jam packed humanity about 10 -12 people across. People pushing and shoving, some afraid they’d miss their ship – it was a small nightmare. And if you didn’t push back, or at least try had to stand your ground, you got shoved further back. All in all, it took my husband and me more than 1 hour to make it to the actual turnstyle entrance to the tram station. As someone said, the gondolas hold exactly 6 people each, so once inside the station we had another 30 minute wait to get into a gondola. At that point all we wanted to do was to get back onto our ship, so once down to the tender piers, we walked to ours (all the way at the end of course) and stood in line again to wait for the next boat. Unfortunately, Santorini is a memory I will not forget, and not for the right reasons. I’ve told friends I think Santorini is a place everyone should see, I’ve seen it and never intend to return! If you go, I hope you like hot weather (I can’t imagine what the high summer must be like if May was as hot as it was that day), and please, be in great physical shape! And pray, pray, pray your ship is the only one in port that day!
kathi, that sucks that your santorini experience was like that. I was there in middle of march by taking greek ferries it was completely off season… so only a handful of tourist were there. I felt like one of the locals and in the 3 days I stayed on the island i managed to make friends with some people it was amazing and serene and the weather was perfect my only regret is that I didn’t go in fall so that I could go down to red rock beach for a swim…. I honestly hope you will be able to return one day in the off season to experience the awesome “little village with perfect views, and unlocked doors Santorini”, the way Santorini was before the tourists. supposed to be.