There is nothing to speak of on the sea level part of the island. You have to go UP. Everything was built along the ridge of the volcano which formed the caldera that Santorini surrounds in a crescent..
I recommend the cable car and this is why.
Experiences with donkey/mules going up and down that steep hill:
The mule (or donkey, or both) concessions are owned by independent mule owner/operators, I think. Some are good, some not. In our group only 2 decided to risk the donkey because we had heard some horror stories about donkeys out of control, rubbing you up against a wall or into other people.
Our two brave people went up by donkey and had a very pleasant experience. The animals were well-behaved and the owner supervised them well on the ascent. They loved it, and I sort of wish we'd done it. Bob would have been up for it but it was still an awfully steep hill. My acrophobia kicks in unless I am sitting, safe and secure, and sitting on a donkey doesn't qualify. So I stuck with something more my speed.
Our hotel manager on the ship had an experience of the horror story variety. She was basically put on the back of this mule and told "Go Up." The group she was in started up and spread out immediately. The animals weren't tied together, even though we saw another group tethered single file on our way in. Her mule kept trying to crush her against the stone wall, or push her into other people. It was horrendous and she was scared to death. So much so that she walked down rather than ride those things. She couldn't wait in the long line for the cable car for an hour because she was due back at the ship. So she walked down. Walking down a steep hill is very hard on your legs, particularly your knees and quads. She said by the time she got back to the ship her legs were trembling so much she could barely walk. But she's tough. And young. They recover quickly.
If you decide to take the donkey ride, let the buyer beware.
And then there are the crowds.
Santorini has too many damn tourists. It is the only drawback to the island. It is so crowded because of the huge cruise ships that pull into the harbor for a few hours. Katia called them "The Barbarians." The Splendor of the Seas arrived around 8 AM, with its invading army.They were less irksome in the morning because Katia got us up that cable car to the town of Fira before the big cruise ship passengers starting arriving in droves. They had to tender in, whereas we in our small ship of 50 passengers max. were docked in a prime location, very near the cable car.
We walked through the small town Fira, gawking at the lovely vistas. We stopped to visit a museum of Fira's archaeological heritage. They've dug up some amazing ancient arts and crafts.
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| Primitive oven |
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| Restored Fresco on the wall of the Museum |
The museum was quite interesting. There is also a big dig going on in Akrotiri, on the southern tip of the island. That will be our last stop. From Fira, we boarded a bus and drove along the spine of the island to the town of Oia. Oia is where those famous pictures came from. We did a quick walking tour then were left on our own for a hour or so to get our pictures, sit and have coffee or even a gelato. It was such a beautiful place to just sit and people watch, I relaxed with a cappuccino while Bob went in search of the perfect picture.
Next we went back to Fira to drop off those of us not interested in going on the the dig at Akrotiri. That was me and a couple of other old people. After seeing Bob's pictures, I wish I had gone with them.
I went back into Fira and that's when my mood started going downhill. First, the downhill route we took to get to the bus now involved going back uphill. The whole town of Fira is on a hill. I went to the top of the hill, searching for a pack of cigarettes and couldn't find a tobacco kiosk anywhere! I was directed partway back down the hill. I still couldn't find it. I'd say I walked around in 90 degree heat for at least 30 minutes just trying to find a pack of Marlboros.
Mission accomplished, I looked around for a place to eat. I found a cute little place not on the main drag and had a wonderful lunch of moussaka. I didn't think I liked eggplant, but in this dish it was delicious!
I finished lunch around one and started back up the hill to the cable car. It was at this point that I ran up against the Barbarian hordes, going back to their ship. As I pushed past the throng of people, I noticed they seemed to be in a line. 5 and 6 across, very unorganized, so I asked someone if this was the line for the cable car, and when he said yes I just kind of slid in the line behind him. Yes, I cut into the line about halfway into it. I stood in that line, in the hot sun, moving forward at a snails pace. By the time I got to the cable car I'd been in line for an hour. I was hot and tired and miserable. My patience level had reached critical mass.
Descending in the cable car, I saw our small ship docked about 50 yards from the cable car. As I exited I could barely put one foot in front of the other. I staggered to the ship, and saw the line to get out to the Splendor of the Seas. Those poor people, I thought. Having just come out of the same awful line for the cable car, they now had to wait for a tender (lifeboat) to take them out to the ship. Meanwhile, I ordered a pina colada and went to my private balcony to relax and enjoy the view.
Here is a tip to avoid long line to get back down the cable car.
To avoid standing in the sun for an hour or so amidst hordes of other tourists, ask one of them when is the last tender to the ship. Then relax in one of the many cafes with astonishing views, or maybe find an out of the way garden restaurant that's a bit quieter, and wait until a little before the last tender leaves. The Barbarians will have cleared out and you can ride down whenever you're ready.If you can manage to visit in the late afternoon, the cruise ship crowds will be gone. The afternoon light is spectacular, much more so that the morning light.
