(CALMING MUSIC)
Santorini is like stepping inside a picturesque post card.
The 1, 2 punch of its iconic blue domes coupled with its breathtaking sunsets has made it
an incredibly popular destination, complete with the crowds.
Since the top 2 tourist locations are built into its own cliff face, you are met with
incredible vista almost everywhere you look.
With shops, restaurants and accommodation all sharing this view, to be honest they already
had me at “hello”.
Food may never have looked so good, our bedroom view, never so peaceful, and if you like window
shopping, then you will not be disappointed with their cool collection of boutiques.
In this vlog, my wife, Chiaki and myself, your travelling narrator will be taking you
on our journey around Thira and Oia, Santorini’s 2 main hotspots.
You’ll see how we chose to spend our time here, navigating through some easily ignored
streets, giving the best views and sunsets.
We’ll talk using public transport to get around the island, and share some of our favourite
dining spots.
We’ll also cover how the world has apparently gone mad at getting a good Instagram pic and
what perhaps you should or shouldn’t do, with a donkey.
This is Suitcase Monkey, spending 4 sunset nights in Santorini.
We arrived mid afternoon into Santorini’s International Airport and quickly found our
pre booked taxi.
Taking us through the islands flat lands, the 15 minute drive was over before we knew it.
We would be staying in Thira, which along with Oia is the most populated region.
After being dropped off, we still had a short walk to our hotel.
However something strange happened en route.
After turning the corner with our luggage in hand, we were both overwhelmed and distracted
with our first classic Santorini view.
(OFF CAMERA) "This is Crazy!"
It’s rare for me to have suitcase in hand, and pose like a giddy tourist.
And this was the most fun I’ve had carrying heavy luggage down a steep decline.
We must have stopped for about 10 minutes, just taking photos, forgetting of course that
our hotel was literally 30 seconds away and the same view would still be there after check in
But that’s one of the best parts of Santorini, we found.
That it’s just so picturesque and you never know what view will greet you around a corner.
Our hotel was built into the side of the cliff face, overlooking the sea.
Santorini Reflexions Volcano, as it was called was fairly minimalist inside but had a cozy,
authentic feel to it.
The stone and tiles added a much needed respite from the intense heat outside.
The bathroom was small with its curved ceiling, but felt almost carved into the rock side,
adding to its charm.
As with everything in the movie, and everything I’m about to cover, I’ve linked to Reflexions
in the description below, along with links to follow us on social media so you can join
us live for our next trip as it happens.
After a change of clothes, we set out to explore the area.
Wandering through its pedestrian streets, window shopping, grabbing a bite to eat and
just generally taking it all in.
(FUNKY ELECTRONIC MUSIC)
(SOUND OF CASH REGISTER)
Like fireworks on a New Year’s Eve, everyone pauses while the sun sets over Santorini.
During the 40 minutes that the sun draws closer to its own reflection, things start to slow
down to a momentary pause.
(SOFT PIANO MUSIC)
Staying in Thira has the benefit of being close to the islands largest bus terminal,
meaning you can easily get to most places of interest from here.
It’s certainly not a perfect system but it gets the job done and at the cheapest price.
Compared to Oia, which you’ll see later, Thira station has more space to wait, and
at least a degree in clarity when it comes to what bus you should get on.
The buses are actually coaches so not built primarily for public transport so people getting
on and off was not the easiest.
A few stops after Fira and we were already full, leaving people at the bus stop to wait
for the next one.
Unfortunately, in some ways, Santorini has been a victim of its own success.
It has so much going for it that stupid tourists such as myself visit and its small size cannot
cope with the demand.
But for us, getting on at the first stop meant we easily found a seat and we got off at the
last stop.
Nice and simple.
(OLD STYLE JAZZ MUSIC)
We would be spending our day in Oia.
If you Google Santorini, you’ll most likely be seeing the blue domes from this area and
we were eager to hunt them down and get acquainted with this new bustling town.
Even though we thought we had peaked in Thira, there’s certainly an argument that Oia is
the more picturesque of the two, but only by a whisker.
(OLD STYLE JAZZ MUSIC CONTINUES)
After a pit stop lunch we consulted a few online resources and followed directions blindly
for one of the prime viewing spots for the iconic shot.
(GENTLE GUITAR MUSIC)
After taking way too many pictures, we wandered to the tip of the island, towards Oia Castle
and Amoudi Bay.
(GENTLE BUT UPBEAT GUITAR MUSIC)
Amoudi Bay is known for a couple of things.
As well as a place to swim with its clear waters and rocks further out, its also a popular
sun set location.
Nestled inside its own recess, the bay is well situated to capture all the suns rays.
A reservation at its facing restaurants would certainly be required here.
But it’s also known for its potentially intimidating descent.
It’s 200 plus steps in Santorini’s hot temperature can be a bit exhausting but its
definitely doable and not too crazy.
There’s a road that also twists around the outside of the island so a walk or drive down
the longer scenic route is another good option.
Walking down the steps, you get your first few hints of something else Santorini is known for
Donkey rides which is something of a current hot topic in Greece.
Ignoring the instinct I had of NOT walking behind a donkey became impossible about half
way down when suddenly you are met with a massive breathing, waiting taxi rank.
There are two strong opposing sides within Greece itself, one that feels the donkeys
are part of the islands image and tradition, supporting tourism and employment for its people.
And then the other side that is concerned for the animals welfare which you can decide
on for yourself.
The Greek government recently put forward legislation to limit the weight the animals
can carry which lead to some ever interesting headlines.
Which ever side of the fence you land on, I do think it’s important to think about
both of those sides before you opt for the donkey ride.
For us, the steps were well worth the effort, with seafood, views, a rest and a drink all
being part of our reward.
With one of our donkey friends showing gratitude for not riding him back, the climb was well
underway.
(UPBEAT PLAYFUL MUSIC)
For what remained of our day, we only had 2 things on our minds.
Food and our first Oia sunset.
Our meal was fairly uneventful, opting for a double serving of pasta and the most mahousive
watermelon serving you’ve ever seen.
But as our shadows grew longer and the sky golden we started to get in place for our
sun set ritual.
I think this is probably the perfect time to address the elephant in the room.
We as a society, and I’m including myself in this, have unfortunately become a right
massive bunch of posers.
I have never before felt more like I was living inside Instagram where everything became a
photo shoot and often took over from the moment itself.
Now I’m sure that for some people, these moments were less about a holiday and more
about social media being their business (or at least I hope that is what’s going on here).
But, some people deemed it a good idea to step over the ledge and stand on a curved
roof, just for that epic pose.
Then there were those just wanting a better view, and even this bloody cat.
And yes, I know as a vlogger I am totally part of the problem myself but I mention it,
since it was something so abundant during my time here it would be strange if I skipped it.
Of course if it makes you happy and its harming no one else, then do whatever works for you.
But personally, even though it may not be obvious through this video, I’m always super
aware of having time away from the lens and just living in the moment.
But while we’re at it, just follow me on Instagram.
Wanting to beat the inevitable rush hour back to Thira, we waited for not too long at the
bus terminal.
If you don’t want to miss the last bus, I’d advise keeping an eye on the time.
It was admittedly a bit of a squeeze, standing on the exit steps.
But it was a super cheap journey back home where we then enjoyed some night shopping
before bedtime.
Tomorrow would be an excursion day, where we’d learn about the fact that we had actually
been staying right on top of an active volcano.
(UPBEAT POP MUSIC)
If we zoom out and look at Santorini from above, it starts to become one giant magic
eye puzzle.
Because once you notice something about its shape, you can’t un-see it.
Santorini is in fact the outer rim of a flooded volcano and you’re looking at its crater.
This caldera as it’s known, is the result of centuries of eruptions and over hundred
of years these volcanic lands emerged upwards in the very centre of it all.
Nea Kameni as its called, translates to “New Burnt Island” and it would be here that
our half day excursion would begin.
(UPBEAT POP MUSIC CONTINUES)
It’s worth noting that a volcanic eruption is something that can be detected before it
actually happens so there is no real danger here.
The last eruption here was in 1950 and lasted for 22 long days.
This area is an active but dormant volcano however, meaning it’s expected to erupt
at some point in future but history has seen gaps of up to 700 years between activity.
It still is hot enough though, that you can feel the heat coming from below.
(POP MUSIC FADES, NEW STEADY GUITAR MUSIC BEGINS)
Our second and final stop was a swim around the islands hot springs.
However I must say that with the currents dragging the heat around, it actually started
off as quite a cold spring.
After swimming closer to the rocks, I finally felt a stream of warmth come my way.
Which perhaps meant I was heading in the right direction or I was swimming in someones else’s piss.
Either way, a jolly good time was had by all.
There are loads of excursions you can book in Santorini ranging from prehistoric settlements
to catamarans to tours around the numerous towns and unique beaches, which are all certainly
well worth a look.
(VERY FUNKY UPBEAT FAST 50'S STYLE MUSIC)
(MUSIC BUILDS AND ENDS)
(QUIET MORNING. BELLS RINGING, BIRDS CHIRPING)
Waking up on your final full day of a holiday is often a bittersweet experience.
The downside is obviously that it’s your last day but I really enjoy the familiarity
that has usually settled in by this point.
You’ve finally mastered how to say thank you in Greek, you’ve ticked off that to-do
list, so can just relax and take it all in.
So we had a relatively calm day by returning to our favourite spots but still discovering
some hidden gems we missed the first time, first in Oia, and then back in Thira.
(GENTLE, STEADY PIANO MUSIC)
We prebooked our last nights meal to end up with this unobstructed view for our final
Santorini sunset.
I plan on doing an accompanying video to this one, focusing more concisely on a list of
tips when visiting this beautiful island so please stay tuned for that.
If you’re living in the future, I’ll link it here, and if you’ve enjoyed this video
then please give it a like since it really helps us spread the word and subscribe for
more travel vlogs.
For a relatively small channel that uploads every 6 weeks or so, its easy for me to get
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Thanks for watching Suitcase Monkey.
(AND THANK YOU FOR READING! :)