Day 1: Naxos to Santorini
Day 2: Akrotiri and the Hike to Oia
Day 3: Perissa Beach
Day 1: Naxos (Νάξος) to Santorini (also Thira, or Θήρα)
We had some time to explore Naxos town before our afternoon ferry. You can read about Naxos here.
Our ferry trip was again uneventful. Well, an old guy fell down the escalator. That looked scary. We got to see the uninhabited side of Ios as we went by. I never saw that when I was there in 1983.
We found our host easily despite the crowds. The cliffs of Santorini are amazing, as advertised. In the bottom right photo you can see busses going up and down the cliff.
Perissa (Περίσσα) is a great, laid back beach resort. Stelio’s Place is very friendly, with nice perks like a clothesline and towels for the pool and beach.
The beach road in Perissa was open to traffic during the day and at night it was pedestrians only. We walked the beach road in both directions, from Magic Bus on one end to Tranquilo on the other. We had beer at Tranquilo, then dinner at Noma Kuzina. Then we finished up with beer at The Magic Bus. The owner talked to us and other Americans there about politics. He was at the big protest in Athens with his wife and kids and didn’t realize there were problems until he saw it on the news later. They saw no violence.
Day 2: Akrotiri and the Hike to Oia
Rain was forecasted, so we took the bus to Akrotiri. Akrotiri is the remains of an ancient village that was buried in ash by a volcanic eruption.
From there we walked over to nearby Red Beach.
We decided it didn’t look like rain and the timing was right to catch the sunset, so we made the spur-of-the-moment decision to walk from Fira (Φηρά) to Oia. After sunset in Oia we got the bus back to Fira — with seats, yay! We were exhausted. We had some time to kill in Fira while waiting for our bus to Perissa, so we picked up our next ferry tickets, then got back just in time for our bus, which was early. We went to Ntomotini for dinner, then had a couple of beers outside our room. We got a message from my brother that our power was out at home, so we dealt with that.
Day 3: Perissa Beach
We slept in later, then went to the beach, which is black sand, so it can get very hot. There are lots of boardwalks to get you to loungers and umbrellas without burning your feet but unless you’re good at sprinting in sand I recommend some kind of footwear! The beach is beautiful with the dramatic headland at one end, and it’s quite long. While a lot of it is organized beach there’s still at least one area of empty sand.
We sat in the Aqua section on the beach and napped, swam, and drank beer. They had the typical arrangement that if you eat there, they don’t charge you for the umbrella and loungers. We had souvlaki and chips and a stuffed burger. Served by our enthusiastic server. Two thumbs up that Steve enjoyed his stuffed burger.
I feel like crap; I have some kind of sinus issue.
We went to the Acropolis taverna for dinner. Tomorrow afternoon we’re off to Crete. Here’s a sign for one of the many beach restaurants. (I still love this sign!)
Essentials
Sleeping
On the caldera side of the island are hotels dripping down the cliffs. Some are even in caves. We chose to stay on the opposite side of the island near Perissa Beach.
The owners of Stelios Place were very friendly and helpful. They picked us up and dropped us off at the port, which was a nice plus. The room was clean and simple. Towels for the beach and pool were provided. There was also a place outdoors to hang wet suits and towels. And it appeared each room had its own outdoor seating. Everyone was very helpful about answering questions, letting us store our luggage and hang around by the pool until our boat left on the last day. It’s very well located close to the beach, yet quiet. We LOVE Perissa! In fact, we’re going back!
Read about how we find accommodations
Eating
Briefly describe the dining scene, including supermarkets, bakeries, liquor stores, etc. Mention any place we ate or shopped, how we liked it, what we ate. Link to the website if it exists. Photo if relevant.
We found great dining options, a supermarket, and a bakery right in Perissa. There are restaurants all over the island.
At Noma Kuzina — which seems to be closed at least temporarily — we had Naxos white wine, fried calamari and pizza. Our server was kind enough to tell us they were large pizzas, and split the toppings for us. (From the price we thought they were personal size.) We had our first real mezes meal at Ntomotini: bakalao, taramasalata, saganaki, bekri meze. I recall places like the Acropolis taverna from Greece 25 years ago. Faded pictures of the food, set menus for two. It appears to be the twin of the place next door, since my menu had their name on it. The food, service, and prices were good for a dinner of wine, greek salad, and veal stifado. There are more creative restaurants in Perissa; this one is still fine.
Read about how we find places to eat and drink
Getting Around
We took Blue Star ferries from Piraeus (Athens) to Naxos and then onto Santorini. Don’t miss the arrival in Santorini. It’s a great view of the famous caldera. Stelios Place now charges for pick up and drop off at the port or airport; they’ll arrange it for you. That’s how we got to and from the hotel. We walked around Perissa and took the bus elsewhere. You can find timetables and fares at the local KTEL website. All routes lead to Fira.