Just when we thought we had done all the fun things there was to do in Santorini after our Tiny, Skinny Greek Wedding, we found that there was more! On our last full day on the island, we went cruising around the caldera on a sailboat which took us hiking on volcano island, swimming in hot spring, and provided us a romantic setting for a spectacular sunset viewing. It was a perfect ending to our wedding week in paradise.
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We started the half-day sailing trip from the Old Port of Fira. One of these funiculars took us from the high cliff of Fira down to the Old Port. If you’re feeling energetic and don’t mind the heat, you can reach the Old Port by foot via the steep stairs.
The Old Port of Fira
View of Fira from our wooden sailboat.
Sailing away.
The spectacular view as were sailing away from Fira.
View of another sailboat and the villages on the cliff from our sailboat.
Young lovers on our sailboat.
Our boat docked in the volcanic Island of Nea Kameni in the middle of the caldera.
Hiking up to Nea Kameni.
On top of Nea Kameni.
The volcanic crater of Nea Kameni. Its last eruption occurred in 1950. Scientists closely monitor it for any seismic activity.
People walking on the rim of the crater. Villages of Santorini can be seen in the background.
On top of volcanic rocks.
From Nea Kameni, we sailed to the adjacent island of Palea Kameni, where people jumped from the boat to swim in its hot spring.
Sailing close to the island of Thirassia.
Port of Ammoudi and Oia came into view.
Closer view of Port of Ammoudi from the sailboat.
Looking up at the village of Oia from the sailboat.
A boat crew member folded the mast as the boat stopped at a great spot for sunset viewing.
Wines and h’ordeuvres were then served….
..and the beautiful, live saxophone music started to play…
…as the sun started to set.
- Hike! There is a spectacular trail that hugs the caldera side of the island and stretches from Fira to Oia. It’s a great way to see and experience the island.
- Explore Oia, the most famous and most picturesque among Santorini Villages.
- From Oia, take the 300 steps down to the charming tiny port of Ammoudi. You can ride a donkey if you do not wish to go down by foot. You will find excellent traditional tavernas along the water. Follow the path on the left side of the port (facing the water) and you’ll discover some swimming holes. Looking up from the port, you will see a stunning view of Oia.
- See the sunset. Most people flock to Oia for sunset viewing, but we found that the best sunset view was in the village of Imerovigli.
- Hire a car for a day and explore the villages beyond the reach of the hiking trail on the southern end of the island. You can visit the beaches (the black sand beaches of Perissa and Perivolos and the Red Beach), go for wine tasting in one of the wineries in the village of Megalochori), see the lighthouse and the spectacular cliff in Cape Akrotiri, visit the archeological site in Ancient Akrotiri, etc.
- Go sailing! There are different cruises you can take. Choose the one that will take you hiking in the volcano island of Nea Kameni, swimming in the hot spring, and romantic sunset viewing with wine and cheese and live saxophone music.
- We dined at many places but here are some that comes to mind and were highly recommended by locals:
- Vanillia (Firostefani) – fine dining, great view.
- Skala (Oia) – causal, great view.
- Lava (between Perissa and Perivolos beaches) – traditional food.
- Lucky’s Souvlaki (Fira) – cheap eat, best falafel we had.
Our next stop: Mykonos
Feel free to leave a comment below.--
What a beautiful way to end your wedding trip! The pictures of the sunset are spectacular. Thanks for the list of things to do. It will come handy one day – soon I hope:)
Hi Carrie, you’re welcome. I hope you can use the list soon!
After seeing the series of your Santorini photos, Ken and I have decided that we’re going to renew our vows on our 10th anniversary — in Santorini!! Thanks for your inspiring photoblog!
Hi Kira, that’s exciting! Let me know if you need any help planning.
Guys, thanks so much for taking me to one of my favorite places. Love how you capture the essence of the place through your photos.
Jill, glad we were able to transport you back to one of your favorite places.
Amazing sunset shots! Courageous of you guys to hike that volcano. Looks like a really wonderful honeymoon/wedding trip for you guys. Happy for you. Congratulatiosn.
Thanks Jan. The sunsets were truly spectacular it was hard not to take a good shot of it. The hike to the volcano island was really not that hard. But the that may erupt anytime was the scary part:) It was a wonderful trip indeed. We feel blessed. Hope you get there sometime soon.
These are such beautiful pictures. I’ve only been to Greece once and that was as a teenager to one of the party islands! I forget how stunning it is. Congratulations. You both look so happy
Hi Victoria, thanks. Hope you can go back soon. Thanks for dropping by.
Incredible pictures! We will be in Santorini for 3 nites late September and the sunset cruise is definitely on our list. Can you tell me which boat tour you went with. Thank you!
HI Marissa, Oh I’m so excited for you! You will have a great time! You know, our hotel booked the sunset cruise for us and I don’t know the name of the company. You can probably ask your hotel to assist you – tell them that it’s the boat that leaves from Old Port of Fira in the afternoon and the one with live saxophone performance. It costs about 47 euro per person and includes ‘oderves and wine. Enjoy Santorini. It’s a wonderful place. -Marisol
these pictures make me want to go there even more..
what camera do you use? great photos!!!
and CONGRATS!!!
Hi Shawi, thank you! We’re glad you enjoyed the photos. If you think Santorini looks pretty in photos, wait till you get there! Most of this photos were shot using Canon EOS 40D with 28-105 mm f4L lens.