Three days on Santorini- suggestions for Santorini in the winter time

Three wonderful days on Santorini

Santorini is recognizable to almost anyone. The whitewashed buildings built into a cliff, the blue domes adoring the multiple churches, and the Aegean Sea surrounding the island are what makes Santorini special. Add to it the red and black beaches, delicious food, and the island atmosphere, and 3 days on Santorini will pass way too fast.

Santorini is in fact one of the major islands in the Cyclades. It was created by a volcanic eruption thousands of years ago giving it its present shape. It is also one of the most popular Greek islands attracting well above 1.5 million visitors a year. If you visit the island during the summer, you certainly will be among hundreds of other visitors. However, if you go in the winter time, you will have the island pretty much to yourself. Here are my suggestions on how to spend three days on Santorini.

Day 1: Walk the streets of Fira

Fira is the commercial center of the island, however, its economy depends entirely on tourism. There are many cafes, restaurants, and bars with beautiful outdoor patios, while cute tourist shops line the streets. We loved waking up in the morning and walking into one of the coffee shops in town. The coffee was always delicious (the Greeks absolutely know how to make a good latte) and spanakopitas always tasted good. Shortly after breakfast, we walked up to the cliff by the Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral to soak up the views of the Aegean. Since we were there in the winter time, there was nobody around. It was markedly peaceful and I truly enjoyed the tranquility.

Exploring the streets of Fira was a lot of fun. There are, of course, the main streets, but the fun is in walking the little winding streets up and down the cliff. It’s particularly interesting to check out the nooks and crannies. The architecture is exquisite, and the white buildings with the archways and beautiful little courtyards charm you every step of the way. If you are into photography, Santorini is a photographer’s dream.

Enjoy Fira's architecture

Santorini is well known for its churches and Fira has its share of them. Some have beautiful blue domes, and some are white with ornate bell towers. Many of them were closed but it was still interesting to peak inside through the windows. Most of the churches are Greek Orthodox with the whitewashed Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral sitting prominently along the edge of the cliff overlooking the caldera. Near the main square, there is a lovely catholic Cathedral of John the Baptist with yellow walls, white dome, and bluish decorative accents. If you get a chance to get inside either of them, you will not be disappointed.

Explore Fira's Old Port

Below the town sits the Old Port which you can access by taking a narrow cobblestone trail of 587 steps. Be prepared to share the trail with donkeys (and tourists who choose to ride them) and step carefully as there is plenty of donkey manure along the way. There is a cable car which you can take instead. It only takes 3 minutes and you avoid the climb as well as the unsightly excrements and their smell.

Enjoy a delicious meal

During one of your three days on Santorini, make sure to stop at a restaurant overlooking the sea for lunch, dinner or a drink. The views are magnificent and the sunsets are picturesque. Our favorite dinner venue, Pelian Kipos, was actually in town. The place is exceptionally well maintained, with beautiful plants surrounding the courtyard, amazing food, and outstanding service. There is a wine cellar below the restaurant, which we didn’t get a chance to visit but heard great things about. Make sure to check ahead of time for opening hours.

Day 2: Take the public bus to the Red Beach and the archeological site of Akrotiri

The bus ride

The Red Beach is quite popular with tourists and after reading all the positive reviews, we decided to go and see it. We took a public bus from the bus station in Fira and after about 30 minutes we were in Akrotiri. The ride itself was quite pleasant and it was interesting to see the countryside dotted with picturesque little chapels and small villages. We also enjoyed seeing the vineyards. The vines on Santorini are cultivated using a “koulara” method where the vines are woven into a wreath-like basket. This method protects the grapes from the wind and the summer heat. It was quite remarkable to see fields of wreaths along the way.

Akrotiri

The bus dropped us off by the archeological site of Akrotiri. Akrotiri is an active excavation site and it was pleasant to walk around the complex. However, we decided not to go inside the museum. The price was pretty steep – €12 a person and since we were heading to Athens next, we felt comfortable with our decision. We have seen many archeological sites before in Italy, Croatia, Egypt, and Israel, so we decided to save the money for more significant sites in Athens.

The Red Beach

As soon as you step outside the Akrotiri complex, you will see signs for the Red Beach. It is a little bit of a hike from the archeological site but if you have a car you can drive up much closer and park by a pretty white church. We weren’t able to walk all the way to the beach because the area was closed due to landslides (December 2018) but I suspect it will reopen at some point. Check ahead of time as these things sometimes take a long time.

To be truthful, I wasn’t overly impressed with the beach. It seemed pretty small and the red hue of the sand did not appeal to me. Be that as it may, I know that in the summer time, with the sun shining and the water being more of a turquoise color, the beach would probably look more alluring. I was glad, however, that we checked it out, as we have now seen white, black, green, and red beaches throughout our travels.

Day 3: Hike from Fira to Oia

First of all, I must say that hiking from Fira to Oia was my favorite thing to do during our three days on Santorini. Without a doubt, the hike is spectacular and a must do. The trail takes you along the cliffs with dramatic views of the caldera and the Aegean Sea to the west. In general, the trail is well marked and you will start seeing signs close to the cable car area. It took us about 3.5 hours to walk to Oia but we stopped frequently to admire the amazing views and to take pictures.

The first town you pass north of Fira is a charming town of Firostefani. You can admire the beautiful villas and hotels here and you will also see several lovely churches.

A short distance farther, you enter the town of Imerovigli. Here, you will see a beautiful blue-domed Anastasi church. We sat here for a little bit admiring the views.

Shortly after Imerovigli the paved trail ends and you will start hiking along a dirt path. Some time later, you will come upon a lovely Ekklisia Profitis Ilias church. We decided to take a short break here to appreciate the church.

The trail then starts to climb until you reach the top of the hill, with a pretty chapel and a commanding view of Oia. From here, it’s finally all downhill to the gorgeous town of Oia.

Oia

Oia is quite a small town but its lovely setting, the spectacular blue-domed churches, colorful buildings, and the often-photographed windmills make it seem larger than it really is. The main street has a lot of shops and restaurants, and you can easily spend the rest of the day here. We took our time wandering the streets of Oia, had a delicious pasta made right in front of us at a little diner by the bus stop, and took a 30 minute ride back to Fira on a public bus.

I cannot emphasize how pleasant it was to hike the trail with hardly anyone around. Wear good shoes as the trail is rocky. If you’re hiking in the winter, dress in layers, as it may be chilly at times and really warm when the sun is out.

Have you had a chance to spend several days on Santorini in the winter time? How did you like it?