Video: Santorini (and advice on the hike from Fira to Oia!)

[ckl]

Your video was quite good, especially with the lively music accompaniment! Had a great time watching it, though I feel somewhat sorry for your friends. Well, the main thing is that they eventually saw great views and took nice photos, and did not suffer any physical injuries from the hike.

 

As an aside though, Frommer's is an excellent guidebook, for our family at least. We had used it extensively on our 3 week land tour of Hawaii. But then, we mostly drove to the sights. My husband and our children would have been game to walking 6 miles or more, but definitely not me :D

 

Thanks for posting your informative and entertaining video.

 

Long live the donkeys! :)

[D4]

My husband and I chose to walk up the donkey path, not quite realizing HOW exhausting it was. I think it took us 30 to 40 minutes. Once you commit, there is no stopping! ;) We were sweaty messes at the end! And since it was a busy day, there were a lot of donkeys going up past us and coming down toward us. It was TIGHT at times! We kept our hands up like the signal for STOP to keep the donkeys from getting too close! Now we look back and laugh, but uh, won't do that again!! :p

 

Wow, I admire you for making it up to the top! Ride the donkeys next time - they're great fun!

[MrsMann]

FANTASTIC!!

I admire your creativity! Well done. :D

[jagger16]

Zubs, Your video was very entertaining! It certainly demonstrates that there are many ways to see Santorini. Thanks for sharing.

[2tall]

Still laughing at your video! I hope you make more like it and share it with us on CC. Thanks! And thanks for the tip on the drivers/cars. We'll be looking for them on our trip to Santorini (after we get out of the cable car, of course...no walking up for ME).

[bornfreenowexpensive]

I just loved your video. Santa brought me a new hip for Christmas, so my days of walking up all thoses steps are done for a while. And, I'll take my horse over those donkey's anytime.

[lucyd]

Does anyone know if there is a weight limit for the Donkeys from Santorini port to Fira?

 

How about the bus schedule from Fira to Oia?

 

Thank You.

[CintiPam]

Does anyone know if there is a weight limit for the Donkeys from Santorini port to Fira?

 

How about the bus schedule from Fira to Oia?

 

Thank You.

 

Yes, there is a weight limit, probably around 200 pounds, but it is whatever the guy at the bottom thinks when he looks at you before getting on the donkey, not scientific at all!

 

I believe that the bus runs every 30 minutes, but am not sure because we rented a car for both of our port days in Santorini (40 Euros and freedom to make our own schedule; easy driving and parking!).

[BeCruiser]

So what I am getting from these posts is not to waste money on ship excursion,,,,

take the cablecars to Fira then bus to Oia

sound right?

[Jujuju2]

I have never been to Santorini, BeCruiser, but that is the same conclusion I reached.

 

LOVED the video, Zubs! Well done!

[CintiPam]

So what I am getting from these posts is not to waste money on ship excursion,,,,

take the cablecars to Fira then bus to Oia

sound right?

 

Yes, but if you have any extra time after Oia, the Museum of Prehistoric Thira in Fira near the bus station is a wonderful museum containing a beautiful display of the best artifacts from the Akrotiri archaelogical site (now closed to the public), the ancient Aegean civilization as unknown and ancient to the Classical Age Greeks as those Greeks are to us today.

 

Lovely wall paintings, a beautiful solid-gold goat, and good a/c and modern bathrooms.

 

Enjoy!

[BeCruiser]

I am trying to figure out which ports we can get away with doing without the high price ship shore excursions,,,,

[zubs]

Well! The video speaks for itself. You have such little time in Santorini that sometimes no plan is a good plan. I would advise just milling around town, stopping by one of the travel shops and see what day excursions they have available. You'll find that they're - for the most part - very inexpensive. One that was tempting was a car / boat ride that involved a trip to some hot springs + a coastal car ride. That might have been fun, but we didn't decide on our 3-hour ride after a good lapse in time :)

 

Trust me, when it comes to vacations and spending money - I'm the first person to want to know EXACTLY what we're doing ahead of time - but after we were through with Santorini, I'm glad we had no plan and was really happy with what we were able to see in such a short amount of time. :) LOVED IT!

[Minnieriz]

Thank you so much for not only insight, but quite a few laughs. I had already decided to try to do Santorini on our own, but you provided me with validation. We sail on the Equinox in May!

 

Thanks again!

[BeCruiser]

Any advise on Dubrovnik? Ship excursion or on your own?

[Destin Mom]

I so do not agree! This hike was AMAZING! Before you go on a 6 mile (EACH WAY) HIKE in an area that is never described as flat, you need to be prepared. We hiked from the ship to Fira on to Oia and all the way back down (12+ miles total). The trip down was nasty for the donkey droppings but not tough. The hike was one of the all time highlights of our world travels. The views were unreal..experience like no other. We did not have time to stop for a sit down lunch- kids were on the ship and we had to be back in plenty of time. For sure, we were exhausted at the end of the day, but this was an absolutely incredible hike. For hikers out there, it is a must see/ do. Definitely not for the weekend warriors...we would do it again in heart beat. I am sorry the OPs friends didn't enjoy...of all the excursions we did (mostly with private guides that were expensive), this was the BOMB... free and in nature and at our own pace (albeit with the ship's schedule) and absolutely breathtaking. The views along this hike are like none other. I completely understand this is NOT something for many folks...it is strenuous for sure but SO worth the effort. Gorgeous and HIGHLY recommended.:)

[zubs]

I will say, the tired guys in the video said they got some fab photos. I think they were grumpy from it being so hot and they weren't prepared at all ... they were running out of water, it was super sunny and they didn't anticipate it being as long as it ended up being for them :) I agree, the do-it-yourself FREE activity is a good option :) Especially if you can get good photos and have good memories. Santorini's views are entertaining and awe-inspiring in their own right! If you're in shape, sure, do the hike. :) ... (I didn't! haha)

[forest]

Any advise on Dubrovnik? Ship excursion or on your own?

 

Dubrovnik is very easy to do on your own. Apparently ships are docking in a different area from when we were there but once you get a taxi to Old Town you have it made. You can spend hours wandering around the narrow little streets. Climb to the top of the walled city if you like. Great little restaurants to sit and watch the people.

[forest]

I will say, the tired guys in the video said they got some fab photos. I think they were grumpy from it being so hot and they weren't prepared at all ... they were running out of water, it was super sunny and they didn't anticipate it being as long as it ended up being for them :) I agree, the do-it-yourself FREE activity is a good option :) Especially if you can get good photos and have good memories. Santorini's views are entertaining and awe-inspiring in their own right! If you're in shape, sure, do the hike. :) ... (I didn't! haha)

 

We enjoyed your video and decided we could do this port on our own after reading your posts. Take pity on those poor guys from IU. As huge IU fans we have to admire their determination.

[dhmjdds]

We were in Santorini last June and my family did the hike. Two of us took the donkeys up and the others rode the cable car (and later wished they had taken the donkeys). Much better to go up on the donkeys than down (they slip a lot going down--feels much more scary).

 

My 19-year-old daughter hated the hike at the time, but now says it was the highlight of her trip! Teenagers! My 14-year-old daughter says that Santorini is the most beautiful place she has ever been. Seeing it on foot and not from a bus or car is absolutely the best way.

 

We walked from Fira to Oia then had lunch and took the bus back. The hike does take about 3 hours, so allow plenty of time. You wouldn't think that it would take 3 hours to walk 6 miles, but there are lots of people in town, the paths and streets wind around a bunch, you are going up and down some decent hills, you stop and admire the views and take pictures, there's a stand with cold drinks about half way along that you really want to stop at, and you'll get a little lost a couple times because it's not clearly marked everywhere. But you can't really get lost because at worst you'll walk over to the one road and follow that until you pick up the path again.

 

Don't wear sandals or flipflops, bring a small backpack with plenty of water, wear sunscreen and a hat, and keep an eye on the time. Also bring some Euros for the drink stand on the way and the bus back.

 

Diane

[cruzisme]

if we had more time this hike does sound like fun! still thinking about the donkey ride.....:)

[CTBob]

We were in Santorini last June and my family did the hike. Two of us took the donkeys up and the others rode the cable car (and later wished they had taken the donkeys).

 

Diane

Diane, please explain. Why did those who took the cable car wish they had taken the donkey?

[dhmjdds]

Diane, please explain. Why did those who took the cable car wish they had taken the donkey?

 

When they saw how much fun my son and I had on the donkeys, they wished they had done it too. (I am 50 and my son is 11). So they took the donkeys down later in the day and it was not as much fun and a little scary going that way. It's not for everyone, but it's a unique experience.

 

Diane

[cruzisme]

what is the price for a donkey ride?

 

4 Euros for the cable car one way, right?

 

bus ride price from Fira to Oia?

 

thanks!

[ShipsandDipper]

Don't wear sandals or flipflops, bring a small backpack with plenty of water, wear sunscreen and a hat, and keep an eye on the time.

 

 

I'll heartily second the advice about sandals. The latter part of the walk is black volcanic rock that creeps into sandals. A friend with us had a really hard time with his Teva sandals.

 

And definitely keep an eye on the time, and the bus schedule! We ran into a problem getting a bus back - there was a two-hour gap in the middle of the afternoon, no buses running. Lots of panicked cruise passengers trying to get back to Fira.

 

But we enjoyed the hike and considered it one of the highlights of the cruise.