We’ll now give you a very important related piece of advice:

If you get to the island by cruise, these excursions will normally be part of the offer. Keep in mind the following information: most excursions hired on the cruises are about 40€ and 80€ per person for groups up to 50 people. On the other hand, local businesses have better rates depending on the amount of people who sign up.

Here’s a summary of other local agencies in case you’re interested in these excursions:

Santo Discount card

The Santo Discount card offers you the possibility of enjoying a cup of coffee or a romantic dinner, renting a car or a boat, visiting a museum or many of the other island attractions and saving some money and, at the same time, getting the same quality service as if you hadn’t used it.

With this card you can also benefit from discounts at jewelry stores, beauty parlors, spas, scuba diving centers, water sports centers, bars and mall shops.

You can acquire the card at most supermarkets and island kiosks. It’s worth 10€ and it’s valid for the entire year it was acquired.

Here’s a summary to get an idea of the discounts you can obtain:

• 10€ breakfast: 15% discount
• 40€ car rental: 20% discount
• 30€ excursión: 10% discount
• 25€ dinner at a restaurant: 10% discount
• Paid entrance at bars: free

You can obtain more info at the official site, and you may also acquire the card online: http://santodc.com/

If you’ve decided to take a cruise and at some point you disembark in Santorini to see the island, more than one of you will surely wonder how you get to the city of Fira once you’ve been dropped off at the port. Here’s a summary of the options you may use, since there’re several.

First and foremost, find out at which port the will cruise drop you off. Most cruise ships drop their passengers at Fira, a small fishing port easily recognizable since it’s about 150 meters big and has a couple of bars where to get a refreshment, and a business dedicated to aquatic activities (excursions to the volcano, scuba diving, etc…)

Fira fishing port

There are several ways to reach Fira from this little port:

1. By funicular, the easiest way, drops you at the city itself for 4 euros.
2. Walking, you will “only” need to climb 580 steps between the port and the city, so this is an option better suited to those who like to suffer.
3. By donkey, going up those 580 steps for only 5 euros, making the climbing way more fun.

Our advice: go up by funicular and go down by donkey or walking, since the view during the way down is spectacular.

Athinios Port, Santorini

If your cruise drops you off at the main port of Santorini(Athinios), you’ve got the option of catching the local bus. For 2 euros, the green bus will drop you off at the bus station in Fira (it’s only a little square, don’t expect much). This port is easily recognizable since it’s pretty large and has a bunch of stores and vehicle renting businesses. Most ferries that make the connection between the greek islands dock here.

Oia:

• Ambrosia: two terraces on different levels, a few long tables with white tablecloths, red roses and white normal around him. Ideal for couples in love. The landscape and the view is magnificent and the same goes with Mediterranean cuisine. View location on Google Maps.

• Karma: decoration is taken from “The Arabian Nights.” Pillows, flowers, ceramic vases, flaming torches! And in this ethnic atmospheric you can take from sushi and spring rolls to different noodles, duck, salmon with wasabi sauce. View location on Google Maps.

• Skala: a few steps from the main street of Oia is located this restaurant with delicious flavors and stunning views. The dishes are so tasty that will be hard to choose just one. Start with a small onion and pine nut pies and salad special Skala and continue with tomato, olives, capers, garlic and pasta as a main dish. Finish the meal with a sweet finish with the chocolate walnut cake. All meals are offered at very affordable prices.

• Skizo coffee: a beautiful little coffee in the caldera, with a balcony and a terrace to enjoy the infinite blue Aegean. In the morning you can have coffee, breakfast, a little juice or any of their delicious desserts. If you come in the afternoon, you can satisfy your appetite with homemade pastas, pizzas, waffles and pancakes.

Ammoudi:

• Sunset: Paraskevas is the oldest fish tavern in Ammoudi and for eighteen years has been doing honor to his mother’s recipe of Constantinople, as well as local recipes of the island. Request a table at the end of the pier.

• Ammoudi: the absolute definition of fish tavern. Choose a scorpion fish and ask Dimitris to cook on charcoal or grilled in foil with garlic, salt and pepper.

• Katina Kyra: a benchmark with taramosalata, Santorini beans, fish and octopus cooked with skill on the grill. Also his tomatokeftedes (tomato balls) are very popular.

Firostefani:

• Aktaion: the oldest restaurant in Santorini, since 1922. Vagelis Roussos, prepares distinguished Santorini Greek cuisine with a few tables on the patio. Fava meatballs, zucchini pie, with local white eggplants and moussaka with eggplant white. View location on Google Maps.

• Il Cantuccio: in the small courtyard you can taste delicious thin-crust pizzas in several versions and delicious pasta.

• Vanilia: romantic setting in a beautiful garden with a pergola and a terrace overlooking the caldera. Creative Greek cuisine that is renewed every year with high quality Greek products and fresh fish. Ask for an aperitif “cocktail Vanilia home” with roses and champagne and book a table on the terrace.

Fira:

• Archipelagos: one of the classic restaurants of all time in the center of Fira. Spectacular views, romantic atmosphere and excellent service. The cuisine served here is a unique version of Mediterranean dishes with ethnic references. It also has delicious pasta. View location on Google Maps.

• Salts: Dimitris Lazarou, chef and owner, along with Lillian, his wife, are the lifeblood of the restaurant. White eggplant with sesame crust and spices, cuttlefish risotto with leeks and fennel, spring rolls with “syglino” Peanut, Finochio and orange. Do not hesitate to try the ice cream “Loukoumi” with rose petals caramel. View location on Google Maps.

• Selene: one of the most beautiful terraces in the Caldera of Greek cuisine with local products only. It offers exquisite materials, the love of cooking and cuisine and a creative look, all integrated into Greek recipess. View location on Google Maps.

• Koukoumavles: Pouliasis Nikos is the only one bold enough to make prawn tails with white chocolate sauce with lemon and ginger, and the result is very interesting. The service is exceptional, without being luxurious. View location on Google Maps.

• Sphinx: One of the most popular Fira terraces with a relaxing atmosphere and music. Mediterranean cuisine and fresh pasta with a delicious cream brullée for the final. View location on Google Maps.

Imerovigli:

• Imerovigli, one of the best solutions for a delicious dinner in a quiet environment that is elegant but simple and relaxing. Ask a fish fillet with vegetables cooked in a pilin (Crock), lamb wrapped in vine leaves, lahanodolmades (meat rolled cabbage) and karidopita (walnut cake) with ice cream.

The town square of Fira is the main meeting place where people start having fun. If you want to start the evening with a drink watching the volcano & the spectacular sunset, Franco and Kameni Palaia are the most famous and best places for this magic hour, you will only have to pay up to 15 euros. There are plenty of sites along the main street and around the main square where to have a drink and see the sunset, including the inevitable Irish pub, Murphy.

In Kirathira, jazz is played at a level that allows conversation, and very nearby is the Art Café, with live music.

As for the clubs, there is a good variety. Koo Club is the biggest, while Enigmasuele is full of people most nights. Tithora is popular among a younger audience. Watch for prices of the drinks, the cheapest in most places are $10.

Fira is the only town with nightlife, but probably the best. There are clubs and bars in the other populations, especially at beaches like Kamari, Perivolos and Perissa. Santorini’s nightlife is not very cheap so do not be surprised if you have to pay between 7 and 10 euros for a drink. It is not uncommon to receive invitations to events organized by clubs, so do not hesitate to take advantage of these opportunities.

The following is a list of bars and clubs that we propose for you to visit, although there are a lot of places that you can attend and enjoy alike:

• Koo Club, Fira (+30)2286022025
• Enigma Clun, Fira (+30)2286022466
• Franco’s Bar, Fira (+30)2286022881
• Casablanca Soul, Fira (+30)6977575191
• Club 33, Fira (+30)2286023065
• Hook Bar, Kamari (+30)2286033441
• Doom Club, Kamari (+30)2286033420
• Chilli Beach Bar, Perivolos (+30)2286082790
• Mojito Cafe, Karterados (+30)2286023567
• Oia’s Cafe Gallery, Oia (+30)2286071504
• Yazz Beach Bar, Perissa (+30)2286081235

Ancient Thera, Santorini

The site was excavated by a German expedition in 1860, and you can see remains of Hellenistic culture, Roman and Byzantine periods. The ruins are limited, but you can see evidence of temples, houses with mosaic floors, an agora, a gymnasium and a theater with stunning views over the sea. Many of the ruins dates from the Ptolemies, who built temples in honour to the gods of Egypt in the third and fourth centuries BC.

Ancient Thera, Santorini

On the western edge of the site there is a sanctuary of the third century BC that has reliefs symbolizing the gods, an eagle (Zeus), a lion (Apollo), a dolphin (Poseidon), and a phallus (Dionisio). To the east you will find the Terrace of the celebrations. The graffiti was a problem even in the eighth century BC, and if you look, you can find the message in favor of participatantes at festivals.

Road to Ancient Thera, Santorini

There is a footpath from Perissa, and the walk is about thirty minutes. To go by car, take the road from Kamari.

Vineyard in Santorini

Plants rarely exceed one meter in height and irrigation given to the majority of vineyards are obtained from the distillation of dew in the morning. Moisture is absorbed by the volcanic pumice embedded in the lava rock.

Vineyard in Santorini

All this means that while an average of, for example, the Rhone Valley vineyard can produce as much as 4000 kilos of grapes per hectare, Santorini, maximum performance will be approximately 10% of this. Thus, in Santorini wine should concentrate on producing quality wines, rather than mass consumption. There is a total, at last count, 10 wineries on the island, several of which have “open” wine tasting, certainly during the summer. They are organized in several of these group visits. Here you have a summary of some of the wineries offer tasting and tours:

MEGALOCHORI
+30 22860 23557 Antoniou Winery: Visits are arranged by appointment.
+30 22860 81011 Boutari Winery: Summer open daily from 10.00 – 19.00
Gavalas Vineyard +30 22860 82552: open from 15 April to the end of October from 10.00 – 20.00

Mesa & Exo Gonia
Argyros Estate +30 22860 31489: Visits are arranged by appointment
Roussos Canava +30 22860 31349, open from May to September daily from 11.00 – 19.00
Art Space Argyros Canava +30 22860 32774: open every day from 11.00 until sunset, in winter, is open Monday to Friday from 10.00 – 16.00

PYRGOS
+30 22860 32552 Hatzidakis Winery: Visits are arranged by appointment
Santo Wines +30 22860 22596: open from March to November from 10.00 – 20.00

Vothonas
+30 22860 31322 Koutsogiannopoulos Winery: Open from April to October 12.00 – 20.00 and from November to March from 09.00 – 14.30 (except Sundays)

OIA
Sigalas Estate +30 22860 71644: open from June through August weekdays from 10.00 – 19.00 and weekends from 11.00 – 21.00

The most famous wine in Santorini is the Vinsanto, not to be confused with the Italian Vino Santo. Vinsanto wine has been produced since antiquity. It is a sweet wine, very aromatic which is made from grapes dried in the sun, whose flesh is softened in oak barrels. In the Middle Ages, it was exported to various parts of the world (Istanbul, Venice, Trieste).

It was also very popular among travelers, since it was rich in calories and resistance. From 1774 to 1840, it was also exported to the Black Sea area and Russia. After those years, the popularity of vinsanto wine has decreased but nowadays has become to be competitive and since 2002 has been awarded the title of PDO (Protected Designation of Origin).

Santorini Dive Center: operates from the beach of Perissa and Akrotiri with easy access to all good sites, which are easily accessible from the diving station located in the small beach below the cliffs of Akrotiri.
Phone: 0030 22860 83190
Website: http://www.divecenter.gr

The Diving Volcano, located in the Dolphin Hotel in the center of the beach of Kamari: the center began operations in Santorini in 1999. The diving equipment in the center has over 30 years of experience in training of divers with varying levels of skill.

MDC: the Mediterranean Diving Club, established in Perissa Beach since 1998, is a renowned diving center that serves all kinds of courses, from diving for beginners, PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors advanced diving open water).

Navys: a PADI five star center and is part of the Marina Club, which also has a bar, a restaurant and a cafe with internet access. It can be found on the beach in the village of Kamari. Offers daily snorkeling, diving trips and tours, and courses for beginners and offshore.

If you take the boat from Fira, we must bear in mind that you can access the port in three ways: on a donkey, on foot or by cable car. If you have time, go on foot, since the view is spectacular.

Boat to the volcano, Fira, Santorini

The uninhabited island of Nea Kameni (New Burnt), located in the center of the caldera, hosts the “National Geological Park of Nea Kameni” which is the active volcano of Santorini. Park entrance costs 2 euros. The island is devoid of vegetation. The ascent to the summit is about 20-30 minutes on foot. There is no crater, only some hot small depressions containing sulfur and gypsum crystals from which comes the smell of sulfur smoke (smokers). This island has been formed by successive volcanic eruptions, the last of which took place in 1950.

Volcano, Fira, Santorini

Right now the volcano is in a state of tranquility just a few miles below the island. The only thing that testifies to its existence are the vents of hot gases that are seen in the top of the island and some coastal areas of hot sulphurous water.

Hot springs & church next to the volcano, Santorini

Some advices about this tour:

1. Since it includes both a walk around the volcano and bathing in hot springs near the volcano, do not forget to bring flip-flops, and sports shoes for walking. It is also very important that you take water because heat is very strong. As for the bathing hot springs, tend to leave quite torn clothing that you use for bathing. This does not mean that the bathroom is bad, but because they have sulfur water.
2. As for booking the tour, you can do it well in the same ports of Athinios or Fira, or in almost any lodging and car reservations offices across the island, since they already have agreed with the boat trips and sell tickets. And very importantly, without any commission, you will pay the same price for the excursion at the ports than in the lodgings.

There is an extension of this tour, which brings you to visit the island of Thirasia and then takes you to Oia to watch the sunset, costs around € 40. From here I suggest you go to Oia on your own, because what you are going to enjoy more.