3 May 2015
Santorini
I have sailed into and out of many beautiful ports around the world: San Francisco, Acapulco, Cabo San Lucas, Rio de Janeiro, Vittoria (Brazil), New York City, Hong Kong, Oslo, Stockholm, Dover, Monte Carlo, Naples, Venice, Valletta (Malta), Kotor (Montenegro), Mykonos, and Lisbon. But there is something extra special and unique about sailing into the volcanic caldera that is the port of Thira in Santorini. As the ship drops anchor, I can see the "Burnt Isles" on one side--small lava remants that are positioned as islands in the middle of the sea-filled caldera--and the strip of white houses lining the top of the cliff on the other side.
Only small ships can dock at the port, so the Zuiderdam anchors off shore. The first group of tenders (local boats used for this purpose), for those on HAL shore excursions, takes passengers to the only portion of coastline wide enough for tour buses to park. After returning to the Zuiderdam, these same ships take independent travelers, like myself, to the port of Thira, located immediately below the town. There are three ways to reach the town from the port: take the comfortable and quick cable car; hire a donkey to climb the winding hillside staircase; or compete with the donkeys by walking up the stairs yourself. Today it's the cable car for me.
Thira itself as a one-street town that stretches from north to south along the top edge of the volcano. The views over the edge of traditional white-washed architecture and the sea below defy imagination. The street itself is lined with shops of various degrees of expense and restaurants and cafes. As soon as I exit the cable car I choose a cafe that overlooks the sea and enjoy a $5.00 cappuccino that provides an hour of peaceful views. There are other things to see on Santorini Island besides Thira. The small town of Ia at the very north end of the island is a picture-postcard of traditional Cyclades architecture; the southern end of the island is home to black sand beaches and the recently discovered ruins of the city of Akrotiri. When I spent three days here in 1993 I was able to see it all--some days using public transportation, other days taking tours, including one to the Burnt Isles themselves. But today I am content to wander through the small town of Thira and to have a typical Greek lunch in a cafe at the port before boarding the tender back to the ship.
Tomorrow is a sea day and I hope to get most of my packing done so I can enjoy the following day in Naples, the final day of the cruise before disembarking at the Port of Rome.
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| ms Zuiderdam at Anchor in the Santorini Caldera |
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| Hillside and Port Below Thira |
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| Morning Coffee in Thira Cafe |
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| View of Central Thira and Plains Beyond |
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| ms Zuiderdam at Anchor in the Santorini Caldera |
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| Donkeys and Riders Going Downhill from Thira to Port *** Shopping in Thira |
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Views Over the Caldera
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