Santorini hell

[exasperatedflatmate]

We’ve just arrived in Santorini at the end of a short stint of island hopping. Have to stay three nights to get our flight home. And it’s hell! Honestly never been anywhere worse! So crowded, and we’re stuck here. Staying in Oia and out of desperation have rented a car.

any advice or top tips welcome.
Tje other islands have been great, and so has Athens. But Santorini? Urgh

It's not any help at all but DD went for a friends wedding in May and absolutely hated it there. She said it was so horribly overcrowded (especially in the day when the cruise ships docked), and nothing like she expected at all. She was really upset by the mules going up and down flights of steps all day carrying overweight tourists who were too lazy to walk. And she said everytime you found somewhere nice, people were just pushing you out of the way to get a photo of it.

Santorini is beautiful and I loved it in the 90s. Went this summer and had just planned one night as flight landed in the evening and ferry was the next morning. Ferries got cancelled so I was there an extra day and I couldn’t wait to leave! There were no cruise ships in nor ferries but it was still rammed and couldn’t enjoy it. Can you do a boat trip or get a ferry to another island for the day? Ios is lovely with lots of regular buses to gorgeous beaches (Santorini beaches aren’t good!) so if ferry times work out you could spend the day there. Or even go for the night!!

travel down to Akrotiri and see the ruins, go to Kamari for a beach resort, do a boat trip or a wee trip to Therasia or Kammeni (wee islands in the Caldera), visit a vineyard. Or flop by the pool if you have picked somewhere with a pool. I hadn’t but asked nicely at one in the village and they let me use it!

We are planning to go to Akrotiri. But that’s it.
Ill look into ferry day trips, tho tbh can’t face that road down to the port again.
arghhhh!!
We do have a pool.
but after the natural beauty of the islands we’ve just visited it’s a real let down!

I can’t help but I visited Santorini this summer and was very disappointed for all the reasons you listed. I would see if there are any boat tours you can book on if possible.

Can’t second this more. Oia is like Piccadilly Circus. If you go off the beaten track, you will see the charm of the island.

Oia is hideous. Went once and promptly left! We stayed in Imerglovi (sp?) and loved the cliff walk to Thira

Oh no that's such a shame. I went with my son last month and loved it. We stayed in imerovigli though and it was gorgeous, not too crowded. We ventured to Oia twice and although it was crowded, I didn't find it overwhelmingly so.

Do you like walking? If so, walk the caldera from oia. You can go all the way to fira if you want. I did it the other way. It was absolutely incredible and hardly saw a soul. I set off early morning to miss the heat. You can Google the caldera walk but it's not hard to keep to the route.

Hope you manage to salvage it.

Do the walk between Thira and Oia. It’s stunning and hardly anyone does it.

Watch the sunset on your way down the hill - the best view is when you’re above Oia rather than with all the crowds.

And yes, Akotiri. Amazing archeology.

I quite liked swimming off the harbour down below Oia and having lunch. I regret the donkey ride afterwards. We were a bit pissed and too polite to say no. I have felt guilty ever since. They really should ban the practice completely.

And next time go to Paros!

I will never visit there as I could not handle seeing those poor animals. Total cruelty in the name of keeping locals in jobs and maintaining traditions.
anyone considering riding these donkeys instead of walking you should be utterly ashamed of yourselves.
the islanders should get restrictions in place for how many tourists can visit a day, but when the animals are doing all the hard work while they cash in it will
Never stop.

I was also going to say the walk to Fira - you can get the bus one way if you don't want to walk there and back. Fira is quieter than Oia so worth a mooch, there are some nice restaurants.

Agree the boat trip to the volcano is also worth the trip.

Oh, meant to add the museum in Fira is quite interesting with lots of the archaeology from the sites elsewhere on the island.

I’d spend a week just at Akrotiri if I could. We went last year, and as long as you avoid Oia, it is lovely. We stayed at Kamari beach, though. The archaeology museum at Thira is brilliant.

We only did a few days there on a trip from Crete but we stayed on the other side of the Island, in Kamari, and it was much more relaxed with quite a nice beach and a few nice restaurants.

Get a ferry to Ios!

You have to get up early to avoid the crowds.

Get up, watch the sunrise, walk round and see the sights and then go back to your hotel/apartment for brunch about 10:30/11am when the tourists arrive off the cruise ships.

Have a snooze in the sun and then go out later to a restaurant overlooking the sunset, or do a sunset catamaran trip.

Or watch mama Mia on the outdoor cinema.

I would also do the walk between oia and Fira. I think it’s about 10k. Then bus back. I also didn’t really rate Santorini. We stayed in kamari which was fine and not too busy but obviously lacks the beauty of oia.

I didn't love Santorini however had a lovely evening at the Panama Restaurant in Akrotiri watching the sunset so would recommend that

We stayed in Fira, sea/caldera facing room with private pool. We enjoyed the sunset from there. Totally avoided the horrendous crowds like that and have uninterrupted views of the Aegean. Only went out in the evenings for restaurants. Two day trips to see Oia and Pyrgos.

Go over to Kamari, much more relaxing.

Gosh thanks all.
feeling a bit more bouyed up by this x

Also check out the red and white beaches on the south coast. If you go down to oia port, there are boat cruises round the island.

Just been to Red Beach - was hellish I’m afraid. So we turned round and walked back to the tiny pebbled beach which everyone walked past and ignored. Very Shirley Valentine. Was lovely, and backed by a taverna with links to the dig which uncovered the Akirotiri excavation (which we also visited and was great). Phew.

I’m so glad I got to go there around 20 years ago. It used to be beautiful and peaceful to explore.

Which were some of your favourite islands? I’ve not been to a Greek island since that trip 20 years ago and would love to take my daughter for an authentic quiet Greek island trip. Harbour villages, good tavernas, Greek mezze for dinner

I recommend Batsi in Andros.

We were there this year and it was perfect.